News Stories - Page 435

CAES News
November rain sets records
Tropical Storm Ida brought more wet days to Georgia in November, setting rainfall records in what is normally a dry month.
Pine tree snapped in half by winds. CAES News
High winds leave downed trees, limbs
Heavy winds whipped across central Georgia Dec. 8, waking homeowners and leaving downed trees and limbs behind. Strong weather is common in Georgia, and so is cleaning up after it. But there’s a way to do it safely and wisely, say University of Georgia Cooperative Extension expert.
Logo for 2010 Ag Forecast CAES News
UGA to host statewide agricultural forecast
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will host its fourth annual Ag Forecast Breakfast Series 7:30 a.m. -10 a.m. Jan. 25 in Rome, Jan. 26 in Gainesville, Jan. 27 in Statesboro, Jan. 28 in Tifton and Jan. 29 in Macon. Participants will hear from farm and food safety experts and be able to ask them questions.
Mike Doyle, director of UGA Center for Food Safety, holds a bowl of spinach. CAES News
Imported foods cause for concern
Nearly 15 percent of the food Americans eat is imported from other countries, mostly from Canada, Mexico and China. This may sound like a small percentage, but it represents 80 percent of seafood and 45 percent of fresh fruit consumed in the U.S. A University of Georgia expert says increased food imports bring new challenges to ensuring a safe U.S. food supply.
Most Georgia farmers plant more than one crop during a season, usually managing a combination of peanuts, cotton, corn or soybeans. Across the board, they are looking at record or record-tying yields in 2009. CAES News
Georgia farmers harvest record yields
Georgia row-crop farmers worked hard on their fields this growing season, and Mother Nature gave them some favorable “calls.” They could break records. This coupled with fair prices could lead them, if not to a conference championship, to at least what could be called a “winning” season.
Horticulture graduate student Jongyun Kim checks on a plant's soil moisture sensor in UGA horticulture professor Marc van Iersel's greenhouse. CAES News
Water-saving technology focus of new grant
Many ornamental nursery growers test to see if their plants need water by sticking a finger in the soil to see if it’s dry. Or, they just water them whether they need it or not. University of Georgia horticulturists have found a better way, one that requires less water, less fertilizer, less money and fewer dirty fingers.
In early spring, stink bugs emerge and migrate to developing crops. They linger along the way, feeding, looking for companionship and building populations in early-maturing crops like corn. CAES News
UGA researcher sleuths stink bug's on-farm travels
In recent years, the stink bug has become a major problem for Georgia crops, particularly in cotton fields, where it costs farmers millions in losses annually. To develop more efficient methods to control the pest, a University of Georgia researcher wants to learn more about it, especially its travel habits.
Screen shot of Turfgrass Management iPhone application. Developed by Patrick McCullough July 2009. CAES News
New iPhone app diagnoses turfgrass problems
What is the coolest thing about the iPhone? Its applications. The phone can convert international currency, find a nearby five-star restaurant, help park your car and do much more. Thanks to some University of Georgia experts it now can help turfgrass managers diagnose and remedy turf problems.
Leyland Cypress trees growing on a Christmas Tree Farm in Nicholson, GA. 7 G's Tree Farm. 
11-11-09 CAES News
Cut your own Christmas tree
Many Georgians remember hiking into nearby woods as children to chop down that most iconic of all holiday decorations: the family Christmas tree. These days, a suitable one is less likely found in the backyard. But the experience can still be found, along with that perfect tree, among the acreage at a choose-and-cut tree farm.