The watermelon industry is extremely popular in Georgia, with watermelons grown on approximately 20,000 acres each year. Still, consistently making a profit requires constant innovation and hard work.
Picking, grading, packing, and shipping melons remains the most costly aspect of watermelon production. Irrigating fields and applying newer, more effective fungicides to combat watermelon diseases are also two of the more expensive input costs.
Scientists with the UGA Extension and the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences conduct research trials to help farmers produce a cost-efficient and high-yielding watermelon crop.
Related Stories
First-Ever ‘MICHELIN Guide to the American South’ Celebrates Region as a Global Culinary Destination
The first-ever “MICHELIN Guide to the American South” awards stars to top restaurants across Georgia, Louisiana, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, and pinpoints the region as a global food destination for the first time.
RaboResearch says China’s pivot from mass production to innovation-driven growth could reshape global pesticide supply chains — and influence prices and product access for U.S. farmers in the coming years.
Recent U.S.–China trade developments provided a small lift for soy markets, though most traders are waiting for concrete purchase data before making major moves.
A strong corn export pull is supportive of bids; soybeans need steady vessel programs or fresh sales to firm cash.
Laramie Sandquist discusses Nationwide Agribusiness’s commitment to grain bin safety initiatives, including providing life-saving equipment and training to fire departments across the country.
Brooks York with Agri-Sompo discusses how this year’s pricing period played out and what it could mean for farmers heading into the end of the season.
Persistently low Mississippi River levels are turning logistics challenges into pricing risks — tightening margins for grain producers and exporters across the heartland.
The WASDE/Crop Production combo will be the first full read on supply, demand, and yield that could move basis and hedging plans since the government shutdown more than a month ago.
A rescheduled WASDE, China’s soybean squeeze, barge bottlenecks, and premium beef demand all collide this week — with cash decisions, basis, and risk plans on the line.