University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

News Stories - Page 109

Mohamed Mergoum, the Georgia Seed Development-UGA Foundation Professor in Wheat Breeding and Genetics at the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, examines wheat seedlings in the greenhouse at the UGA Griffin campus. CAES News
UGA’s wheat breeding program releases three new wheat varieties for 2020 10/28/20 Ashley N Biles
Three new wheat varieties released this year by the University of Georgia’s wheat breeding program are the product of more than a dozen years of work by breeders on the UGA Griffin campus.
Hannah Connor is a fourth-year student interning at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel as part of the Hospitality and Food Industry Management program, getting hands-on experience in departments like food and beverage operations. CAES News
Hospitality program thriving in the 'new normal' 10/26/20 Josh Paine
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis on the hospitality industry, the University of Georgia’s Hospitality and Food Industry Management program is going full steam ahead, with enrollment numbers ahead of projections and its first class of students preparing to graduate in 2021.
Joro spiders, which can be nearly 3 inches across when their legs are fully extended, are roughly the same size as banana spiders and yellow garden spiders, but they have distinctive yellow and blue-black stripes on their backs and bright red markings on their undersides, which are unique. CAES News
Like it or not, Joro spiders are here to stay 10/26/20 Beth Gavrilles
Chances are, if you live in northeast Georgia you’ve come across an East Asian Joro spider this fall.  
University of Georgia's Distance Diagnostics through Digital Imaging technology will be used for the first time in Central America to make accurate and rapid diagnoses in agriculture. CAES News
Imaging software supports food safety initiatives 10/26/20 Ashley Crain
Many countries struggle with food shipments being damaged or destroyed by invasive insects and plant disease. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, between 20% and 40% of global crop production is lost to pests, with plant diseases costing the global economy around $220 billion and invasive insects around $70 billion. The University of Georgia developed technology to identify these pests and is now partnering with a government organization in Central America — OIRSA — to implement this useful tool.
Students participate in socially distant hands-on learning in 4-H environmental education classes. Pictured is a group at Burton 4-H Center in Tybee Island, Georgia. CAES News
Georgia 4-H provides virtual and in-person environmental education 10/23/20 Austin Clark
The Georgia 4-H Environmental Education program is accommodating the needs of students around the state by offering both virtual and socially distant in-person visits at its six facilities in Georgia.
Produce in a grocery store. CAES News
UGA food scientist is tracking ‘hitchhiker’ genes 10/19/20 Josh Paine
Antibiotic resistance – one of the biggest threats to global health, according to the World Health Organization – occurs when germs learn how to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. The problem of resistance threatens the efficacy of antibiotics, making simple infections untreatable.
"Hearts of Glass" will be available to the UGA community for viewing Oct. 23 through Oct. 30. A free and interactive discussion will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, on Zoom. CAES News
Award-winning documentary guides conversation about growing plants, community and inclusion 10/19/20 Sean Montgomery
The University of Georgia Department of Horticulture, together with UGA's Institute on Human Development and Disability, Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program, Office of Sustainability, Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, and UGArden, are excited to share the award-winning “Hearts of Glass” documentary to the university community beginning Friday, Oct. 23.
A supergene is a collection of neighboring genes located on a chromosome that are inherited together due to close genetic linkage. Studying these unique genes is important to understanding the potential causes for differences among the social structure of fire ants, specifically for controlling the species and building upon the existing knowledge base. CAES News
Supergene in fire ants may lead to understanding of developmental behaviors 10/15/20 Sean Montgomery
A unique study conducted by University of Georgia entomologists led to the discovery of a distinctive supergene in fire ant colonies that determines whether young queen ants will leave their birth colony to start their own new colony or if they will join one with multiple queens. Researchers also found that ants were more aggressive toward queens who don’t possess the supergene, causing colony workers to kill them. This critical finding opens the door to new pest control methods that may be more efficient in eradicating problematic fire ant colonies. 
A student studies a plant sample under a microscope in the lab. CAES News
Three CAES students selected for UGA research scholarship 10/13/20 Stephanie Schupska
This fall, the University of Georgia recognized nine undergraduates in its 2020-21 incoming class as CURO Honors Scholars, the university’s top undergraduate research scholarship. Three students in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences were selected for the award.