General Agriculture Resources
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AP 130-1-08
2023 Pork Outlook
1. 2022 U.S. pork prices continue to increase because of the limited number of slaughter-ready pigs. 2. Good outlook for 2023 as feed prices likely decrease and export demand increases.
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AP 130-1-09
2022–2023 Commercial Poultry Outlook
Author: Dennis Brothers, Associate Extension Professor, Auburn University, Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. 1. The domestic chicken market is strong with a good supply in the short- to midterm, though highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) continues to loom large in the United States and could be a major impact in 2023. 2. High building costs an increasing interest rates are obstacles to expansion on the live side. 3. Future changes to the contract-grower pay model could be beneficial to growers, but caution is warranted. 4. HPAI and California Proposition 12 ruling likely to have an impact on future table egg prices.
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AP 130-1-10
Honey Bees 2023
1. Honey production overall for 2022 was below average for the state. However, in some regions yields of two types of honey, northern wildflower and sourwood, were above average. 2. Colony losses for commercial operations were higher than 2021, with some reporting a 60%–70% loss, and backyard beekeepers in some cases experiencing losses above 80%. 3. Varroa destructor (parasitic mites) remains the leading cause of colony loss in Georgia and nationally. 4. Demand for packages, nucleus colonies, and queens were down for 2022.
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B 1298
Chemigation in Georgia
Chemigation is an inclusive term referring to the application of a chemical into or through an irrigation system. It includes the application of fertilizers, acids, chlorine and pesticides. Chemigation can save time, reduce labor requirements, and conserve energy and materials. Chemigation is beneficial, however, only to the extent that the irrigation system is adequately designed, fully functional and properly managed.
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Farmers have known for centuries that animal manures spread on pastures and cropland can improve soil fertility. In the 1920s, farmers began to use sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants as a fertilizer. Through decades of research, the scientific and agricultural communities have come to understand that municipal sludge or “biosolids” contain valuable nutrients and organic matter that improve the soil in a way similar to animal manures. It is important to understand that biosolids are not raw sewage. Biosolids are organic solids that have been treated to stabilize organic matter and reduce disease-causing organisms or pathogens.
This resource was developed to help answer some common questions regarding the use of biosolids and to give farmers benchmarks for good practices.|
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Note: This publication contains data from an average of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 orange harvest seasons (exceptions noted in the chart). The commercial citrus industry in Georgia has only recently been established, with most groves planted after 2014. As of 2022, approximately 75% of the 3,300 acres of citrus planted in Georgia are satsumas, but that proportion is trending downward. To strengthen the new Georgia citrus industry, growers recently have begun to diversify their citrus varieties. Research is being conducted to determine how these varieties will perform under Georgia weather and soil conditions: which varieties can best tolerate Georgia’s winter weather, and what are the cultural norms such as maturation time, fruit quality, and insect and disease tolerance. This publication is associated with Circular 1275, the initial publication containing reference photos for the varieties tested.
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Vinca is a specialty ornamental crop with very distinct requirements. This bulletin will address those requirements and cover a typical production schedule and crop budget.
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Interest in organic food has been growing over the past twenty years. In Georgia, growing conditions during the summer are particularly difficult for organic producers due to high insect, disease, and weed pressure. However, pest pressures are much reduced when the weather cools. The moderate conditions of late fall to spring are ideal for production of many cool-season crops in the Southeast, including many crops that are traditionally grown as summer crops in other parts of the country. Shifting cash crop production to the fall through spring season may allow farmers to produce high-value crops more efficiently. This strategy may be particularly effective for those interested in wholesale production. This also leaves a window in the summer for cover crops that have many benefits. This bulletin discusses organic cool-season vegetable production and gives guidance for maintaining both soil health and successful production.
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The commercial citrus industry in Georgia has only recently been established, with most groves planted after 2014. Initially, satsuma mandarins (Citrus unshiu) on trifoliate rootstocks (Poncirus trifoliata) were planted for their cold-hardiness, seedlessness, and ease of peeling. Satsuma fruits begin to attain commercial maturity in early November and usually avoid hard freezes in southern Georgia. As of 2022, approximately 75% of the 3,300 acres of citrus planted in Georgia are satsumas, but that proportion is trending downward. To strengthen the new Georgia citrus industry, growers recently have begun to diversify their citrus varieties. Little is known about how these varieties will perform under Georgia weather and soil conditions. Therefore, research is necessary to determine what varieties can best tolerate Georgia’s winter weather and to determine cultural norms such as maturation time, fruit quality, and insect and disease tolerance. This publication is associated with Circular 1275, the initial publication containing reference photos for the varieties tested.
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