News Stories - Page 223

The Office of Global Programs has again awarded grants through its Faculty International Travel Funding Program that will allow 11 University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences faculty members to meet colleagues in eight countries during the next several months.

Sod farmers, landscape professionals and sports turf managers interested in learning more about the turfgrass industry’s latest innovations are invited to attend the 70th Annual Southeastern Turfgrass Conference.

Ann M. Steensland, deputy director for the Global Harvest Initiative, will deliver the keynote address at this year’s Sixth Annual International Agriculture Day reception. The event will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, at the Georgia Museum of Art. Hosted by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Office of Global Programs, the talk and reception are free and open to the public.

University of Georgia entomologist Mark Abney is searching for ways to monitor insects responsible for destroying Georgia peanut crops. This is the first step in developing economic thresholds that will indicate to farmers when it’s time to apply controls for each pest and when it’s time to cut losses.

The Georgia Urban Ag and Outdoor Expo seeks to educate the public on the roles that urban and traditional farming play in supplying food to a continually growing nation. To that end, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension poultry scientist Claudia Dunkley and UGA Extension agent Steve Pettis will be among the host of presenters at the event.

The dusty pollen that we see in the air is not the pollen that plagues allergy sufferers. However, oftentimes when we can see lots of pine pollen floating in the air, pollen counts for problem plants are often high as well.

Many food items, including fresh fruits and vegetables, would never make it to grocery store or farmers market shelves without the help of beneficial insects like honeybees and butterflies. The number of these pollinating insects in the U.S. is declining, and to help, Georgia agricultural experts developed a statewide plan to teach gardeners and landscapers how to care for their plants and protect these vulnerable insects that are vital to food production.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension county agents will now come to farms to teach a series of pesticide-focused trainings to agricultural producers through a new, unprecedented training initiative.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded organization that that strives to help farmers with disabilities, the AgrAbility Project in Georgia is set to host an expo in Tifton, Georgia, to introduce farmers to equipment designed to assist those with disabilities.