University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

News Stories - Page 439

Mike Doyle, director of UGA Center for Food Safety, holds a bowl of spinach. CAES News
Imported foods cause for concern 12/03/09 April Reese Sorrow, Sharon Dowdy
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 12/03/09 Brad Haire
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 12/03/09 Stephanie Schupska
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 12/02/09
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 12/02/09 April Reese Sorrow
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 12/02/09 April Reese Sorrow
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.
Calceolaria, or pocketbook plant, gets its name from the shape of its flowers. While it grows wild in Chile, the best place to find it in the U.S. is in a florist's shop. CAES News
Plants liven up the holidays 12/02/09 Stephanie Schupska
UGA horticulturist Paul Thomas likes to give flowering plants as gifts. A deep basket filled with a few pots of colored calla lilies or a basket with a cluster of cyclamen topped with white or silver grass “makes a stunning gift,” he said.
Pecans lie on the ground beneath a pecan tree on the University of Georgia campus in Griffin, Ga. Photo taken November 2009. CAES News
Chinese develop taste for U.S. pecans 12/01/09 Sharon Dowdy
As the holiday season approaches, many American home bakers will be looking for Georgia pecans to add to pies, casseroles or cookies. They won’t be the only ones. Chinese consumers will be buying, too.
CAES News
Read the fine print on gift cards first 12/01/09 Sharon Dowdy
When it comes to buying a gift for that hard-to-please person on your shopping list, gift cards may be the perfect solution. They are convenient and popular, and many people view them as the next best thing to cash. A University of Georgia expert warns, unlike cash, gift cards can expire and lose their value.