The Civil War harmed the Georgia's cotton production, however within 15 years, Georgia reached its first million-bale harvest of cotton, according to Georgia Cotton Commission Online. Inventors were using cotton for items, including tires, muslin and telegraph insulation. Also, denim jeans entered the scene for miner's work clothes, "Levis," during the California Gold Rush, according to Georgia Cotton Commission Online. The cotton plant has been referred to "white gold." Not only is the entire plant used, but it is the most widely grown row crop in the state of Georgia, according to the site.
Corn production in Georgia without irrigation has declined. Drought conditions have damaged corn production in the state. Georgia is implementing an irrigation and soil management system and minimum-till planting systems, such as strip-till or slit-till to help reduce soil losses. The results of several years of tillage studies demonstrate that corn yields produced under these conservation tillage methods are equal to or better than those of conventional tillage methods, as stated by the University of Georgia Online. Many various corn hybrids are marketed yearly in Georgia.
Georgia is the number-one peanut-producing state in the U.S., according to Georgia Encyclopedia Online. The peanut is thought to have been grown in Georgia about a decade before the civil war, according to the site. During the 1980s and '90s, land allotted for peanut farming grew steadily, peaking at 900,000 acres in 1991. Expensive to produce, peanut acreage dropped during the late '90s and early 2000s. The quota program in the federal 2002 Farm Act was established, which created potential for peanut production in areas that didn't historically grow peanuts due to previous restrictions. According to Georgia Encyclopedia Online, peanut acreage have climbed once again.
Fleming is the earliest maturing wheat in the state of Georgia. Seed must be certified in order to ensure that it is free from disease and noxious weeds. Most varieties do best when planted the first two weeks of December in Georgia. Planting at the appropriate time is vital to the crop's success. There are two smut (fungal) diseases that effect wheat in Georgia, according to the University of Georgia Online. These diseases are minor but they can spread rapidly and cause major problems if not controlled. Wet weather can threaten a Georgian wheat crop.
