Peachy keen in South Carolina

When Clemson University’s Extension and fruit specialist Juan Carlos Melgar suggested putting a paper bag over a peach to detract insects and diseases during production farmers laughed.

Melgar began trial studies with funding from NIFA’s Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education grant. The results showed that the technique protects the fruit from devastating brown rot, marauding insects like plum curculio, and even hungry birds. Producers and backyard growers started paying attention.

Researchers found that leaving the fruit unbagged in an organic orchard produced a 20 percent yield. Adding the bags increased the yields 10-15 percent, and spraying the fruit before bagging added another 35 percent in yield. In addition, yields were higher in the organic orchard than the conventional orchard.

Read more about Clemson's peaches. Image provided by Keith Weller at USDA- ARS.

Inclusivity at Missouri 4-H

4-H is about more than barnyard animals. It's about emerging sciences such as like rocketry and geographic information systems. 4-H is also about leadership, citizenship, and many other things, but one quality truly stands out: 4-H is about inclusion. In Missouri, 4-H clubs take an inclusive approach to working with youth who have special needs. 4-H staff, volunteers, and parents who understand how to help youth with special needs have meaningful experiences. The 4-H activities include participation in competitive events at county fairs, exhibits, camps, and more.

Read the 4-H blog. Image provided by University of Missouri.

The D-A-R-T way to handle cattle

It is relatively easy to determine when a dependent child is sick as they often just tell you, but what about livestock who are dependent upon cattle producers to correctly assess their well-being? It can be tough to tell a moo from a moan.

“One way to do it is to use the D-A-R-T system, an acronym that literally helps producers to keep in mind likely tell-tale signs of poor animal health,” said Barry Whitworth, veterinarian and Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension food animal quality and health specialist.

The letter “D” stands for depressed; the letter “A” stands for appetite; the letter “R” stands for respiration, and the letter “T” stands for temperature.

Read the Oklahoma Farm Report. Image provided by Alice Welch USDA.

Guam ag resources

The University of Guam’s Western Pacific Tropical Research Center Impact Report highlights the research, extension, and education success stories of 2016.

Inside you will find stories about Guam’s latest invasive insect, the greater banded hornet, and how it might affect humans and animals. Other topics include variety trials with kale and bell peppers, and other highlights of Guam’s tropical agricultural industry.

Read the University of Guam's 2016 impact report. Image provided by Olympia Terral at the Guam Western Tropical Research Center.

Georgia peanuts

A peanut plant cracks through the soil, and over time grows to join other plants eventually lapping the field's row middles. It’s something peanut farmers watch each day of each season. But they don’t see it happen this fast.

University of Georgia Extension peanut specialist Scott Monfort last year set up four Plotwatcher Pro trail cams to watch over four different peanut research plots in the southern region of the state. The cameras were able to capture daily pictures of the plots from cracking to lapping.

Watch the Southeast Farm Press video. Image provided by USDA ARS peanut lab.