July 13, 2011
www.gfb.org
Vol. 29 No. 28
SUNBELT FIELD DAY SHOWCASES VARIETY TESTS, IRRIGATION UPGRADE A group of 450 visitors at the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition field day on July 7 saw ongoing variety tests in several of Georgia’s key crops and learned about new projects being launched at Spence Field. The field day had 40 stops, showcasing variety trials in cotton, peanuts, soybeans and grain sorghum, equipment displays and energy grasses, as well as stops for crop protection trials, irrigation and precision agriculture. Sunbelt will be getting a new state-of-the-art irrigation pivot courtesy of Reinke Manufacturing. The pivot will replace the Rainbow pivot near Sunbelt Gate 4, which has been in operation for approximately 30 years, according to Sunbelt Executive Director Chip Blalock, who said the new pivot will be unveiled during this year’s Sunbelt Expo, scheduled for Oct. 18-20. The project, valued at approximately $100,000, will include a weather station, GPS technology and burglar alarm technology that can be run remotely from a laptop computer. “It just has all the latest telemetry to allow us to be better stewards of water,” Blalock said. UGA Extension Peanut Agronomist Dr. John Beasley said this year marked the end of a long run for the Georgia Green variety of peanuts at the Sunbelt test farm, which he said had been a key cultivar at several test sites since 1995. “Now we have some new cultivars that are really outstanding,” Beasley said. “Georgia Green is really no longer a major player.” Beasley said the Georgia-06G, Georgia Greener, and Georgia-07W cultivars at the Sunbelt site, the UGA Tifton site and a University of Florida test site in Mariana, Fla., have shown good yield potential and excellent resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus. The peanut plots also test row spacing. The 2010 trials indicated little difference in twinrow spacing vs. single-row spacing, but Beasley said the twin-row approach has produced greater yields in most years. Sunbelt Expo is also expanding Priefert Arena through a joint project with the Colquitt County Saddle Club. The arena serves as the venue for equine demonstrations during the Sunbelt Expo. Sunbelt officials wanted to improve the facility in order to host more equine events throughout the year, and Priefert Ranch Equipment assisted in the design. Sunbelt also received volunteer labor from the Colquitt County Saddle Club, which according to Sunbelt officials will organize equine demonstrations during the Expo, including performances by the local Special Olympics equine team. The expanded facility will also be unveiled during the Expo in October.
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UGA RESEARCHER WINS AGRISCIENCE AWARD University of Georgia research professor Dr. Andrew Paterson is one of two top winners of the 2011 Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation (CCFF) Agriscience Awards, given jointly by the Christopher Columbus Foundation, which is supported by the federal government and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). The awards, which were presented on July 12, honor distinguished scientists, educators and high school students for exemplary innovation in the field of agricultural science. Paterson and University of Missouri professor of reproductive biotechnology Dr. Randall Prather each received a $25,000 cash award and up to $25,000 in research funding. “The winning candidates honored here today are innovators in the field of agricultural science and technology,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “They are the individuals we will rely on well into the future to develop and promote innovative ways to secure American agriculture and its role as a world producer.” Paterson is a distinguished research professor and director of the Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, part of UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He is jointly appointed in the college’s crop and soil science, plant biology and genetics departments. Paterson is studying genome mapping for important agricultural crops, including cotton, peanuts, and Bermuda grass in an effort to determine where specific inheritable traits are located on the genetic sequence of a DNA strand. His research uses genomic tools and approaches to study crop improvement, plant biodiversity and molecular evolution. He is also researching biofuel production efficiency. COTTON ACREAGE UP, PEANUT ACREAGE DECLINES IN NASS SURVEY Georgia’s cotton growers planted 120,000 more acres in 2011 than in 2010 according to a survey by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS). The survey results, released on June 30, show a 9 percent increase in cotton acreage, from 1.33 million in 2010 to 1.45 million in 2011, the highest since 2002. Nationwide, cotton acreage increased by 25 percent to 13.725 million acres. Peanut plantings cover 480,000 acres in Georgia according to the NASS survey, a decline of 85,000 acres or 15 percent. The state’s peanut acreage is the lowest in at least 10 years. The national peanut acreage declined by 11 percent. Georgia tobacco growers are expected to harvest 11,000 acres in 2011, a 400-acre decline from 2010, but not as sharp as was expected, thanks in part to United States Growers Direct, which has begun buying flue-cured tobacco in several states, including Georgia, for distribution to Asian markets. The state’s farmers planted 365,000 acres in corn for all purposes in 2011, an increase of 70,000 acres (24 percent) over 2010. The survey showed a steep decline in soybean acreage from 270,000 acres in 2010 to 170,000 acres in 2011, or 37 percent. Plantings of winter wheat grew by 47 percent, from 170,000 acres in 2010 to 250,000 acres in 2011. Georgia’s hay harvest is expected to decline by 12 percent, from 650,000 acres in 2010 to 570,000 acres in 2011.
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DEADLINES APPROACHING TO BUY CROP INSURANCE Producers of forage crops and certain other crops have until Aug. 15 to purchase crop insurance in order to be eligible for the Farm Service Agency’s Noninsured Crop Insurance Program (NAP), a federally funded program that provides coverage to producers for noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory or prevented planting occurs due to natural disasters. Crops the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) deems ineligible due to practice or yield are not covered by NAP. Applications for NAP coverage must be filed using Form CCC-471 and service fees must be paid by the application closing date. Application closing dates vary by crop. Producers should contact their local FSA office for specific crop application sales closing dates. The FSA said in a release that the Aug. 15 deadline applies to crops with an intended use for forage, grazing or seed, including all grasses, alfalfa, clover, lespedeza, mixed forage and vetch. It applies to “value loss” crops, including aquaculture, Christmas trees, ginseng, ornamental nursery and turfgrass sod. Carrots and crops without a final planting date, like grapes and cranberries, also fall under the Aug. 15 deadline. As set by the FCIC, onion growers have until Aug. 31 to buy insurance in order to be eligible for NAP. Producers of barley, canola, oats and wheat have until Sept. 30 to buy crop insurance. Growers of apples, blueberries and peaches have until Nov. 20, and honey producers have until Dec. 1. Growers of annually planted spring and fall crops have until Jan. 31, 2012, to purchase crop insurance. Crops such as greens can be planted before Jan. 31, 2012 and harvested in 2012 and will be considered part of the 2012 crop. Coverage on those crops will begin either 30 days after the CCC-471 is filed or the day the crop is planted, whichever is latest. CARLOS VICKERS NAMED 2011 GEORGIA FARMER OF THE YEAR Berrien County Farm Bureau member Carlos Vickers has been selected as the 2011 Georgia winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award. Vickers now joins eight other state winners from the Southeast as finalists for the award. The overall winner will be announced on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at the Sunbelt Ag Expo farm show. Vickers farms in partnership with his brother Lamar. They farm 3,135 acres, including 2,535 acres of owned land and 600 acres of rented land. In addition to blueberries, they grow watermelons, tobacco, peanuts, cotton and corn. They also have 800 acres of timber and 300 acres of pasture for their beef cattle. The idea to grow blueberries was inspired by Carlos’ wife Judy. Ten years ago, she told Carlos about the health benefits of natural foods and the antioxidants produced in blueberries. “I wish I had planted them ten years ago,” he said, “but I didn't plant my first blueberries until 2007.” He harvests early maturing highbush blueberries by hand and later maturing rabbiteye blueberries by machine. He markets his blueberries as a member of the Michigan Blueberry Association. Within the next two years, he hopes to build a packing facility to save on what he spends to have the blueberries packed by others.
Leadership Alert page 4 of 5 GEORGIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING July 1618 Westin and Savannah Trade Center Savannah This event includes sessions on timber industry financing, bioenergy, emerging timber trade markets and more. There are opportunities for networking and specialized family and children programs for attendees. Registration is $500 for members and $600 for non‐ members. For more information and to register, visit http://www.gfagrow.org/annualmeeting.asp. STRIPLING IRRIGATION RESEARCH PARK FIELD DAY July 19 Stripling Irrigation Research Park Camilla The day begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. followed by tours of research and demonstrations ongoing at the park, ending with a sponsored lunch. Pre‐registration is recommended by contacting Candace Gray at Stripling Park at 229‐522‐3623 or sirp@uga.edu. COTTON, TOBACCO COMMISSIONS ACCEPTING BOARD NOMINATIONS The Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commissions for cotton and tobacco are accepting nominations for their respective boards of directors through July 27. The nomination procedure has changed. Nominations can be made by filling out a nominee information form and sending it to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Room 328, Agriculture Building, 19 MLK Jr. Drive, Atlanta, GA 30334. It can also be faxed to 404‐656‐9380. The forms are available at FSA offices. For more information, call the GDA at 404‐656‐3678. GFB ACCEPTING COMMODITY COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS Georgia Farm Bureau is accepting nominations for its state commodity committees until Monday, Aug. 1. GFB’s 20 commodity committees serve in an advisory capacity to the Georgia Farm Bureau president, board of directors and state staff and make recommendations to the GFB Policy Development Committee. Every county Farm Bureau can nominate members to serve on a commodity advisory committee. For more information contact the GFB Commodity Department at 1‐800‐342‐1196. RED ROSE CLASSIC GOAT SHOW Aug. 1920 Ga. National Fairgrounds Perry Show participants will check in and have their goats weighed between 2‐10 p.m. on Aug. 19. The Junior Market Meat Goat Show (for kids pre‐K to 12th grade) will begin at 8 a.m. Aug. 20, followed by showmanship classes and the International Boer Goat Association Show. Aug. 13 is the deadline to enter. There is no limit to the number of goats an exhibitor may enter in any show. Entry fees of $15 per goat must accompany entry form along with $7 per pen needed. Current health certificates are required for all goats. Goats six months or older must be registered with the International Boer Goat Association, the American Boer Goat Association or the U.S. Boer Goat Association. Original registration papers must be shown at check in. For more information contact Rusty or Rayna Lee at 678‐410‐7785 or 770‐652‐6030 or leefarmsboers@aol.com.
Leadership Alert page 5 of 5 DAIRY CALF RAISING WORKSHOP Aug. 3 Oglethorpe Courthouse Annex 9 a.m. to 2 p.m Montezuma Aug. 17 Morgan County Extension Office 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Madison This free training presented by the UGA‐Animal and Dairy Science Department will be offered in English and Spanish. To register call the Macon County Extension Office at 478‐ 472‐7588 or the Morgan County Extension Office at 706‐342‐2214 by July 28. GRAZING SCHOOL SEEKING INPUT FROM PARTICIPANTS University of Georgia Extension Forage Specialist Dr. Dennis Hancock is conducting a survey of participants of the Georgia Grazing School to evaluate the impact of the school's programs. It will gauge which practices are frequently adopted in producers' operations and which aspects of the grazing school approach are most successful. The information will be combined with evaluations of grazing schools in other states to identify which elements have the greatest impact. Hancock said the evaluation will enhance understanding how farm operations have changed after participation in the Georgia Grazing School. The results will be presented at the 2011 Georgia Grazing School and at the October meeting of the Crop Science Society of America Crop Science meeting in October. The deadline to participate in the survey is Aug. 1. The survey can be found at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22CLBRJANUS. Survey participants will receive a gift as a token of thanks. NATIONAL ANGUS CONFERENCE & TOUR Sept. 68 The Classic Center Athens Sponsored by Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC, this tour includes two days of visits at ranches in central and northeast Georgia as well as presentations from industry representatives, researchers and Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. Registration fee is $150 before Aug. 1 and $175 after. For more information, visit http://www.nationalangusconference.com, call 816‐383‐5100 or email sstannard@angus.org. GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION FALL FIELD DAY Sept. 8 UGA Tifton Campus 8 a.m. Tifton This free event will feature a review of the latest insect, disease, fertilizer, and breeding research by UGA pecan researchers including Jim Dutcher, Tim Brenneman, Lenny Wells, and Patrick Conner. Lunch will be provided. For more information, contact Janice Dees at georgiapecan@gmail.com. 25TH ANNUAL GEORGIA PEANUT TOUR Sept. 2729 Holiday Inn Express 3 p.m. Bainbridge An Early Bird Hot Topics’ Seminar will also be held Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 3:00 p.m.at the Holiday Inn Express in Bainbridge, Ga. The tour spotlights the southwest part of Georgia's peanut production area and includes a cross section of field conditions, peanut harvest clinics, production research at the University of Georgia Attapulgus Research Farm, peanut handling and grading facilities on‐farm demonstrations and equipment manufacturing. The registration fee before Aug. 8 is $60 per person, which includes all meals and reserved transportation during the tour. After Aug. 8 the registration fee is $70. For more information about the 25th Annual Georgia Peanut Tour contact the Georgia Peanut Commission at 229‐386‐3470 or rebecca@gapeanuts.com.