Across the state, North Carolinians are packing their bags and going on their summer vacations. Roads are full of families driving to the beautiful N.C. beaches, charming Piedmont destinations and the awe-inspiring mountains. But vacationers aren’t the only ones on the move in the state this year. The invasive, tree-killing emerald ash borer has shown it […]
The seemingly never-ending gypsy moth battle continues to wage in North Carolina. Since the 1970s, this invasive, leaf-eating caterpillar has tried repeatedly to establish itself in the state. With the exception of the northeastern corner where a gypsy moth quarantine was enacted the mid-1990s, their attempts have failed. The European gypsy moth is the most […]
Each week we round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from news outlets across the state and country, as well as excerpts from the stories. Click on the links to go straight to the full story. “Asheville ‘Farmer Incubator Program’ expands,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Great food starts with great farms, but those fruits, vegetables, chickens and […]
N.C. farmers have been battling witchweed for more than 50 years. The parasitic plant attaches directly to the root systems of its host and steals valuable nutrients and water. Soil fumigation treatments using methyl bromide, shown above, are one way the department has helped control the weed in infected areas. The treatment kills residual witchweed […]
August is Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month. During the month, we’re identifying some of the invasive species found in North Carolina, highlighting the department’s efforts to combat them and offering tips on how you can help reduce invasive-species populations in your area. There’s an invasive species lurking in lakes across North Carolina, and […]
August is Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month. During the month, we’ll identify some of the invasive species found in North Carolina, highlight the department’s efforts to combat them and offer tips on how you can help reduce invasive-species populations in your area. We recently spoke with Rick Iverson, weed specialist for the Plant […]
Kudzu, once used for livestock forage and erosion control, is now probably one of the most recognizable invasive species in the South. The fast-growing vine can grow up to a foot a day and kill existing plants through crowding and shading. That’s not a good thing for local farmers. Not only do invasive species affect […]
Each week we round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from newspapers across the state and country, as well as excerpts from the stories. Click on the links to go straight to each paper’s full story. “Carolina corn grower nears 400 bushels per acre,” Southeast Farm Press: Several years back the North Carolina Corn Growers […]
As an avid Smithsonian magazine reader, I was happy to find I could follow news from the publication on Twitter. A recent “tweet” mentioned an article in the February issue about the Venus flytrap, a plant native to only North and South Carolina. The article quoted Laura Gadd, a botantist with the department who has […]
Dr. Richard Reich, assistant commissioner for agricultural services at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, received the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association’s Meritorious Service award at the association’s 43rd annual meeting in New Bern on Jan. 14. The award is the association’s most prestigious recognition for outstanding contributions to North Carolina soybean farmers. […]
Earlier this week, I had the honor of presenting two NCDA&CS employees with certificates recognizing their completion of the Certified Public Manager Program. I want to congratulate David Hardy and Kathleen Kidd for completing this rigorous two-year program coordinated by the Office of State Personnel. According to OSP’s description, the CPM program “provides in-depth, comprehensive […]
Howard Singletary, former head of the Plant Industry Division, explains the NCDA&CS gypsy moth program while Dr. Neil Lapp, a former plant pathologist, looks on in the late 1970s when the pest first garnered attention in North Carolina. To learn more about the history of this pest and our current gypsy moth program, visit the […]