As drought spreads, the South prays for rain
At the same time rainfall is slaking drought in the Pacific Northwest, the southeastern quadrant of the United States faces intensifying drought, with the worst conditions in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and eastern Tennessee. Georgia's state agriculture director, Gary Black, is to take part in a rally to "discuss the drought facing Georgia's agricultural community and to pray for the rain Georgia so desperately needs" on Monday.
Armyworm resistant to GE corn is found in Southeast
Researchers confirmed that fall armyworms in North Carolina are resistant to a variety of corn genetically engineered to produce a protein toxic to the insects. It is the first documented occurrence of insect resistance to so-called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn in 18 years of use, said Entomology Today.
GMO labeling crops up in the South
Legislation "to regulate genetically modified crops at the local and state level" are beginning to appear in agriculture-friendly Southern states, says Delta Farm Press.
Best case for energy crops in Southeast or on marginal land
Energy crops may be best suited for planting on marginal land or in Southeastern states when compared to likely earnings from corn and soybeans, the two most widely grown U.S. crops, say two researchers from the University of Illinois.