Jan 14, 2021

Clemson Extension to hold organic crop production virtual meetings

It’s a new year and a great time to learn or brush up on practices needed to successfully grow food crops.

The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service’s Horticulture Program has several virtual meetings planned to provide information from organic fertility to growing tomatoes and peppers, cucurbits and brassicas. These free meetings will be offered via Zoom. Pesticide credits will be offered. Registration is required.

The first meeting, featuring Clemson organic vegetable specialist Brian Ward, is the Organic Fertility Meeting and is slated for 6-7 p.m. on Jan. 20. Ward conducts organic, transitional and conventional research on vegetables, legumes, rice and other small grains and cover crops. In addition, he also researches histories of seeds that were once an important part of the culinary world and throughout South Carolina. To register, go to http://bit.ly/CES_OrganicFertilityMeeting.

Other meetings scheduled are:

• Jan. 27, 6-8:30 p.m. – Tomato and Pepper Grower Meeting. Presentations for this meeting include Identifying and Managing Anthracnose Fruit Rot on Pepper by Clemson Extension vegetable pathologist Tony Keinath. Matt Cutulle, Clemson Extension weed scientist, will talk about Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation and Inga Meadows, Extension associate from North Carolina State University, will talk about grafting tomatoes. Other topics covered will include the Role of Chitin in Soil Plant Health by Dan Chellemi, director of research and development for Agricultural Solutions. Rob Last, Clemson Extension horticulture agent in Allen, Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton counties will talk about how to use the Fertigation Calculator. To register, go to http://bit.ly/CES_TomatoPepperGrowerMtg.
• Feb. 4, 6-8:30 p.m. – Cucurbit Grower Meeting. In this meeting, Clemson plant pathologist John Mueller will address Guava Root Knot Nematode Management, while Clemson Extension vegetable pathologist Tony Keinath will give the results of a Cantaloupe Disease Survey. Clemson Extension weed scientist Matt Cutulle will give an Herbicide and IR4 Update, and Ayanava Majumdar, an Auburn University vegetable entomologist, will talk about Spotted Cucumber Beetle Breeding on Watermelon. Clemson Extension horticulture agent Rob Last will wrap up the meeting with a discussion of how to use the Fertigation Calculator. To register, go to http://bit.ly/CES_CucurbitGrowerMtg.
• Feb. 11, 6-8:30 p.m. – Spring Brassica Production Meeting. This meeting will include presentations by Clemson Extension senior county agent Tony Melton who will give a Processing Update and Cutulle will give a Weed Control Update. Stormy Sparks, University of Georgia entomologist, will talk about Insect Management for Brassicas and Clemson organic vegetable specialist Brian Ward will talk about the Southeast Broccoli Project. The meeting culminates with a presentation about Diamond Back Moth Bioassays by Justin Ballew. To register for this meeting, go to http://bit.ly/CES_BrassicaGrowerMtg.

Online waiting rooms for each meeting open at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Justin Ballew at [email protected].

– Denise Attaway, Clemson University College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Public Service and Agriculture

Clemson Extension will free virtual meetings to provide information on growing organic vegetables, tomatoes and peppers, cucurbits and brassicas. Photo: Clemson University