Pollinators are vital to the agriculture world, but almond researchers have developed a self-fertilizing variety they are calling “Early Bird.”
“The early bird variety is actually double early. It blooms at the same time as sonora, so it’s an early bloomer, but the real value to the grower is that it harvests a week to 10 days before non-perel. In that harvest window, there are no other commercial varieties at this time. In our test plot, we’ve seen that for the last and 3rd and 4th leaf harvests, and in the mother tree that those are were propagated from, we’ve seen that for eight different harvests,” said Chuck Fleck with Fowler Nurseries.
Fleck says another big selling point is the kernel size, which is around 20 percent larger than other varieties.
Farmer Jeffry Mitchell with the Mississippi Farm Bureau joins us for a spring planting update from the southeast region as drought, input costs, and fertilizer access complicate crop progress.
April 06, 2026 02:04 PM
·
Lower U.S. ethanol production and stocks may support ethanol prices while strong export demand continues to support ethanol and corn markets.
April 06, 2026 12:28 PM
·
The White House’s plan calls for a nearly 20 percent reduction in the USDA’s budget, which would impact various food and agriculture aid programs.
April 06, 2026 12:08 PM
·
More Farms File for Bankruptcy As Strong Farm Loan Demand Boosts Bank Earnings
April 06, 2026 12:02 PM
·
Spring Fieldwork Progress Mixed As Moisture Slows Activity
April 06, 2026 10:28 AM
·
Researchers with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture are studying the clouded plant bug, which causes millions of dollars in damage to crops such as corn, soybeans, and cotton growing across the state.
April 02, 2026 03:49 PM
·
