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When: March 29, 2023 8AM – 3PM

Where: Tri County Gin – 561 Sinkhole Road, Douglas, GA 31535

Georgia Dept. of Agriculture Clean Day is a program that gives everyone an opportunity to discard old, unusable, or cancelled pesticides to a hazardous waste contractor for disposal. Pesticides in leaking containers or disposed of improperly may cause environmental damage by contaminating water supplies or harming people and wildlife. Some pesticides that have been used in the past are now in need of proper disposal. Participation in the Clean Day Program remains free of charge to all private and commercial applicators with the understanding that the event is designed / intended for farmers, lawn care, golf courses, and pest control companies. The Georgia Department of Agriculture we will be requiring pre-registration for the events. For more information about the event please contact your local extension agent, visit our website: https://agr.georgia.gov/georgia-clean-day or contact Rick Hayes coordinator for the event at ricky.hayes@agr.georgia.gov (Office: 404-656-4958) (Cell: 404-535-1614) or Ashley Smith, Coffee County CEA at (912)850-4059.

All canceled, suspended, unusable and unlabeled materials classified as pesticides may be turned in for collection. Please refer to the brief list below to determine what types of materials will or will not be accepted at the event. Please list all pesticides to be turned in on the pre-registration form in order to estimate types and volumes to be collected. Any pesticides without a brand name, trade name, or active ingredient on the label may require analysis to determine the contents. Please label all unidentifiable pesticides as “unknown” on the pre-registration form.

· PRE-REGISTRATION IS MANDATORY FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPATION. Visit our website for pre-registration forms. https://agr.georgia.gov/pesticide-waste-disposal-container-recycling
· ALL PESTICIDES BROUGHT TO THE COLLECTION SITE MUST BE LISTED ON THE PRE-REGISTRATION FORM.
· ITEMS NOT REGISTERED WILL BE REFUSED AT THE COLLECTION SITE.
· EMPTY CONTAINERS OR RINSATES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
· NO COMPRESSED GASES CAN BE ACCEPTED. (METHYL BROMIDE, CHLORPICRIN, VIKANE, ETC.).

Using Pesticides Wisely – Georgia 2023.

1. As mandated by federal labels, one must hold a private or commercial pesticide applicator license to purchase and use the restricted use herbicides Engenia, XtendiMax, and Tavium. Use is limited to ONLY those persons holding a private or commercial applicator certification. It is no longer permissible for noncertified applicators to apply these products under the direct supervision of the certified applicator.
2. Prior to applying these products in 2023, ALL applicators must be trained according to the federal labels. In Georgia, applicators must complete the 2023 UPW classroom training with locations provided below. Individual and/or on-line trainings WILL NOT be available for 2023.
3. Those needing pesticide credit but not applying Engneia, XtendiMax, or Tavium are welcome to attend.
4. Bring your pesticide license; 2 hours of pesticide credit for private or commercial will be offered.
5. The meeting will last about 1.5 hours; NO beverages or meals will be provided.
6. Attendee’s names will be placed on a list posted to the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s auxin website at https://agr.georgia.gov/dicamba; this link is different than in previous years!

For cattle:

Using Pesticides Wisely Trainings

All applicators who are planning to apply Engenia, Tavium, and Xtendimax must attend UPW Trainings this year prior to April 15, 2022. However, those that attended a UGA Extension Weed Management Update in 2022, signed in, and received credit do not have to attend UPW Training. Weed Management Updates were held in the following counties between January 10th and February 17th: Pierce, Wayne, Emanuel, Jefferson, Burke, Cotton Commission Annual Meeting – Weed Training section, Lee, Macon/Taylor/Peach/Houston, Calhoun, Mitchell/Baker, Grady, Tift, Colquitt, Irwin/Ben Hill, Worth, Berrien, Screven, Bulloch, Terrell, Webster, Sumter, Dooly, Pulaski/Wilcox, Appling, and Tattnall/Evans/Chandler. All applicators of Engenia, Tavium, & XtendiMax herbicides must also have a private pesticide license. There will not be an extension or issuance of the special applicators license training that has been offered in the past, so all applicators must obtain their private pesticide license.

UPW trainings will be held at the Thomas County Extension Office at 9:30AM on the following dates:

Wednesday, March 16

Wednesday, March 23

Wednesday, March 30

Wednesday, April 6

Wednesday, April 13

Multiple dates have been available for our grower’s convenience and due to the size limitations of our meeting space. To register or if you have any questions please call UGA Extension Thomas County.

For information on how to apply for a Private Pesticide Applicators License please visit: https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/programs-and-services/pesticide-safety-education/documents/Step-by-Step_PAT_Course_Ordering_Instructions_Aug%2020.pdf

Mar 11, 2022 | Written by Lenny Wells

After a couple of weeks of 80 degree temperatures we are facing low temperatures in the mid 20s this weekend. Forecasts call for temps anywhere from 25 degrees to 28 degrees from middle Georgia down to Valdosta. Temps further north in the Athens area may get down to 23 degrees. What does this mean for pecan trees?

The good news is that we have not seen much bud break yet. We only see a very small percentage of buds even swelling at this point. I have had a few photos sent my way of some buds just beginning to break. The first sign that pecan buds are beginning to expand is a bud stage that is termed outer scale split. This stage is characterized by the outer covering (or scale) that surrounds a dormant bud splitting open when the bud inside starts to expand. Eventually the outer scale is pushed off the end of the bud to reveal a tight green bud underneath. Dormant pecan buds can easily handle 24 degrees but green pecan tissues freeze at around 26 degrees. On most trees, pecan bud development has not yet advanced to a stage that I would be overly concerned about.

If you have buds that have started to elongate, especially if they have pushed the outer scale off completely, even if the green buds are still somewhat compressed tightly, they could still be at risk of damage if temps get down to 26 degrees. But we haven’t seen many trees at this stage yet.

The only trees I have seen with foliage expansion to date are trees in nurseries. Usually these are the first to break bud. Seedlings usually start first and then some early grafted varieties begin.

Whether its in the orchard or nursery, any foliage that has expanded will likely take a hit if we see temps in the 26-28 degree range for a few hours. Fortunately as I said, we havent seen much expanded foliage yet and much of what we have seen has been on nursery trees or newly planted trees. Even if you have foliage expanding in this situation and it gets killed by the freeze, that foliage will regrow as long as the wood is not damaged.

Damage to the pecan wood is of some concern for nursery trees and moreso for newly planted orchard trees and those in the 1-3 yr old range. The most common injury on such trees occurs when the sun warms tree bark during the day and then the bark rapidly cools after sunset. These abrupt fluctuations are most common on south or southwest sides of trunks and branches, and they may kill the inner bark in those areas. Young and/or thin-barked trees are most susceptible to this type of injury especially as the sap begins to flow. Injury may not be visible initially and often shows up a few days to weeks later and will be detected by a browning of the cambium layer as you cut into the bark of the tree. Healthy cambium tissue will appear green. Sometimes the injured area of the trunk takes on a sunken or water soaked appearance. Trunk protectors will help minimize this type of injury on young orchard trees.

Rapid expansion and contraction of water within the wood and bark, particularly under falling night temperatures, can also sometimes result in cracks that may appear on trunks of young trees and also on the branches of older trees. These may be a few inches long and are often found on the southwest side of the tree. These cracks may heal over a little in the summer and can re-open again in winter.

When we have freeze injury to young trees, it sometimes is not detected for a considerable length of time, sometimes 2-3 years, as there is often enough healthy cambium to keep the trees going to a point and then they outgrow the cambium they have left, which can no longer support them, causing the trees to collapse. When this occurs the foliage usually turns brown and the tree may die suddenly. This usually shows up in May or June as the heat and water demand ramp up.

Overall, I expect damage to be minimal , if any to mature pecan trees. We will likely see some injury to young (newly planted-3 yr) trees in some areas if temperatures drop as low as we see forecast and they remain there for several hours.

Middle South Georgia Conservation District now offering feral swine control services

June 3, 2021: The Middle South Georgia Conservation District is excited to announce their participation in the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts’ (GACD) Feral Swine District Initiative. Landowners located within Ben Hill, Brooks, Colquitt, Crisp, Irwin, Thomas, Tift, Turner, and Worth Counties are invited to participate in the District’s feral swine control services.

Feral swine have become increasingly detrimental in Georgia, causing significant damage to agricultural crops and natural resources throughout the state. The economic impact of damage caused by feral swine in Georgia is estimated at over $150 million. Feral swine are one of the greatest invasive species challenges facing Georgia. Following an Initiative spearheaded by the Brier Creek Conservation District, Conservation Districts throughout Georgia are partnering with GACD to acquire feral swine control equipment and are contracting with local Hog Control Custodians to eradicate feral swine within the District.

The Middle South Georgia Conservation District serves as the local voice for soil and water conservation with producers and landowners in Ben Hill, Brooks, Colquitt, Crisp, Irwin, Thomas, Tift, Turner, and Worth Counties are invited to participate in the District’s feral swine control services.

If you are interested in hog control services, please contact the District’s Hog Control Custodian, Mark Land at (229) 343-5039 or gdl2025@att.net. For more information about GACD’s Feral Swine District Initiative, visit w.gacd.us/feralswine, email info@gacd.us or call 1-833-411-GACD.