News Stories - Page 36

Spray drones with pinpoint accuracy, produce-picking robots, autonomous systems to monitor broiler chicken health, and artificial intelligence to predict yield before the buds have faded from the trees — these are some of the solutions integrative precision agriculture promises an industry that is embracing the power of technology to address both age-old and emerging challenges.

Of all the elements that make a stream community, there is one, besides the water, that is particularly crucial to the health of the ecosystem. It’s the bugs. Tiny but mighty, aquatic insects are responsible for many vital ecosystem processes that support fish, birds and humans.

University of Georgia researchers in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Engineering are wrapping up the final year of a study to develop improved, cost-effective treatment systems with advanced technologies for removing polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances from water, wastewater and biosolids. The team was awarded nearly $1.6 million through a congressionally mandated grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to mitigate PFAS.

At the University of Georgia, undergraduate students spend their first years as young adults gaining vital skills that last a lifetime — deeper knowledge, practical capabilities and, in select cases, grill master status. The first-year seminar class “BBQ and You,” taught by John Michael Gonzalez and Alexander Stelzleni in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science, is tailored for students interested in improving their barbecue technique.

Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have been awarded nearly $4 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a climate-smart “4-D Farm.”

Though flour does not seem to be a raw ingredient, most flour is raw and is considered a "not-ready-to-eat" ingredient, meaning it should not be consumed uncooked. Flour is at risk of contamination with harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella, pathogens that can cause foodborne illnesses in people who consume contaminated, raw flour.

The University of Georgia Griffin campus hosted its first training for a landscape company, Chatham Landscape, at its new irrigation demonstration site in April. Chatham Landscape is a sponsor of the site designed for training, research and education in new irrigation technologies.

Now that April and Stress Awareness Month has come to a close and we have moved well into Mental Health Awareness Month, I thought it would be a good time to talk about the difference between good stress and bad stress and how they affect your mental health.  

From the mountains to the sea, five Georgia 4-H centers are preparing for an exciting summer of camp. More than 8,000 students experienced the “best week ever” in 2022 and 8,600 campers are expected in 2023.