Commercial Fruit
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SB 28-19
Fruit and Nuts
Commercial insect and weed control in fruits and nuts. Updated annually.
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AP 130-3-10
2025 Fruits and Tree Nuts Outlook
1. Blueberries will continue to lead the Georgia fruits and tree nuts industry in 2025 and subsequent years despite the damage from Hurricane Helene, which is expected to reduce production and yields.
2. The Georgia pecan industry will take several years to recover from the effects of Hurricane Helene, and this natural shortage will keep prices strong.
3. Overall, consumer and grower price indexes will remain strong in 2025.|
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2022 plant disease losses, including control costs, amounted to an estimated $933 million. The value of the crops used in this estimate was approximately $8200 million, resulting in a 11.4% relative disease loss across all crops included in this summary. The estimated values for most crops used to compute these disease losses are summarized in the UGA Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development 2022 Georgia Farm Gate Value Report (AR-24-01). Some estimates for fruits, ornamentals, and turf rely on Extension specialists’ knowledge of the industry and industry sources for information.
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Blueberries are becoming the state fruit of Georgia with considerable acreage planted. Blueberries have many pest challenges and a current invasive pest challenge from spotted wing drosophilia (SWD). While efforts are underway to release new biocontrol agents for SWD, we still know little about the natural enemies in blueberry systems. Here we provide an overview of common natural enemies and conservation strategies for preserving beneficial species in blueberry systems. The work was funded by the NRCS to provide new information on natural enemies and pollinators and help with design and implementation of habitat management concepts.
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This publication deals with appropriate maturity indices and postharvest handling for fresh-market peaches to educate producers, pickers, packers, and shippers about how to reduce peach postharvest losses and prevent quality deterioration, recalls, and subsequent loss of value during the production and trade of peaches in the region.
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Phenology refers to the sequential developmental stages, also called growth stages, that may occur in perennial plants every season. The growth stages of blueberry plants are affected by temperature, light intensity, and light duration (photoperiod). Erratic weather can impact the plant’s developmental phases. The different types of cultivated blueberries—northern highbush, southern highbush, lowbush, and rabbiteye—all possess a similar response to temperature, light levels, and photoperiod. Yield is directly related to flower bud initiation and differentiation. Therefore, growers must identify and differentiate flower buds from vegetative buds and understand their functions in order to apply the best practices from planting to harvesting.
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This publication will inform growers about the factors that can affect blueberry fruit set, development, and ripening. As weather patterns are shifting, it is important to keep in mind that environmental factors influence plants’ physiological and developmental processes and understand how that translates into fruit quality each harvest season.
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Dooryard citrus has been grown in Georgia for decades, but growing citrus commercially is new to Georgia growers. This publication addresses problem prevention, maintenance, insects, diseases, and some physiological issues of concern in Georgia. The time of year to address maintenance, insects, disease, and physiological issues is projected. Many of the production practices in Georgia are similar to those in Florida, but some, such as timing of fertility, are different. Many of the known insects and diseases of citrus have been confirmed in Georgia while others are yet to be confirmed. As new citrus trees and varieties are brought in from citrus nurseries in Georgia and other states, more production issues will arise. Many issues covered in this publication may not be present in all commercial groves, and other issues will certainly arise. Many citrus management problems can be prevented by proper planting techniques and by selecting the best citrus varieties and rootstocks adapted to our location. Planting healthy, disease-free citrus trees in appropriate sites with adequate windbreaks and irrigation may prevent future issues and limit the need for many pesticide applications.
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One of the most common questions regarding citrus is how much cold weather they can withstand before they are killed. Most citrus growers are looking for a specific low temperature, but there is no simple answer to this question because there are so many factors involved in citrus cold hardiness. This publication details research and information on the relative cold hardiness of different citrus varieties in Georgia documented from the 2022 December freeze, which saw unseasonably low temperatures. It is important to document the impact of a freeze such as this one on citrus varieties as they are a long-term investment and should be chosen carefully. Additional authors include: Danielle Williams, Mark Frye, Derrick Bown, Jason Edenfield, Justin Shealey, Ben Reeves, Holly Anderson, Tucker Price, Braxton Crews, and Kim Post.
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