News Stories - Page 134

News from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Georgia farmers will soon be harvesting their cotton crop. It's important for cotton producers to know when to defoliate to speed up the crop's maturity process. CAES News
Cotton Market
An investors’ recent pessimism in reaction to coronavirus has induced a business slowdown, the pandemic has cast a shadow on the cotton market as well. May cotton futures for old crops closed at 54.93 cents per pound, and new crop December futures closed at 56.10 cents per pound on March 19.
Plugged into 4-H CAES News
Daily Lessons
Public schools across Georgia are closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and many parents are scrambling to help with schoolwork. To help parents and to continue providing youth development resources to children across the state, the Georgia 4-H program is delivering daily online 4-H activities.
Walks, jogs or bike rides around the neighborhood or local parks during social distancing are permitted by public health officials, as long as the minimum 6 feet of distance between other people is maintained. CAES News
Home Workouts
Following social distancing guidelines put in place due to COVID-19 doesn’t mean you have to stop being active, says University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Nutrition and Health Specialist Ali Berg.
Ambrosia beetle activity is identifiable by the toothpick-sized sawdust tubes they leave sticking out of holes bored in pecan trees. CAES News
Ambrosia Beetles
Georgia pecan growers should be monitoring for ambrosia beetle now, especially if they have planted new trees or their orchards include trees that are less than three years old. The tell-tale sawdust “toothpicks” sticking out of trees is a sure sign of ambrosia beetles boring into trees.
Calvin Perry, superintendent of Stripling Irrigation Research Park, examines an irrigation box in this 2014 photo. CAES News
Saving Water
For the past three decades, Alabama, Florida and Georgia have been battling over control of water resources in what has become known as the “tri-state water wars.” Judge Paul Kelly of New Mexico, a Supreme Court-appointed expert known as a “special master,” recently ruled in favor of Georgia in the ongoing Florida vs. Georgia court case.
Precision agriculture researcher and UGA Professor George Vellidis works with graduate student Anna Orfanou on checking the circuit board of a UGA Smart Sensor Array node. CAES News
Vellidis Professorship
George Vellidis, professor in the department of crop and soil sciences in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been named University Professor, a title bestowed on those who have had a significant impact on the university in addition to fulfilling their normal academic responsibilities.
When a weather emergency is expected, shoppers rush out and stock up on milk and bread. But what happens if the electricity goes off for days and the milk spoils, or after the loaf of bread runs out? University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts say having at least a three-day supply of shelf-stable food will give you a little peace of mind when it comes to feeding your family during a storm. CAES News
Emergency Food
News of the coronavirus has many people feeling uneasy and helpless. Building a supply of emergency food and water is a task University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts say will help Georgians prepare for any kind of emergency, be it a medical quarantine, a snowstorm or a major power outage.
Flooding, plumbing leaks and roof leaks are common causes of mold growing indoors. Mold can trigger asthma attacks in people who are allergic or sensitive to molds. UGA Extension experts say that to help prevent mold from growing, water-damaged areas should be dried out within 48 hours of the event. This photo shows mold and mushrooms growing in a basement that was filled with flood water. CAES News
Mold Removal
Following weeks of rain across many parts of the Peach State and more in the forecast, many Georgians find themselves dealing with flooded basements, backed-up septic systems, standing water, mold, mud, mud and more mud.
4-H'ers listen to planting instructions from a Master Gardener at the new GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden located at the Camp Fulton-Truitt office in College Park, Georgia. CAES News
Garden built for youth project seeks community involvement
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Fulton County South office and South Fulton Master Gardeners are offering area residents the opportunity to rent garden beds created as part of a youth-development grant in an effort to continue to contribute to the surrounding community.
Steve Brown (left), executive director of the Peanut Research Foundation, and Jeff Johnson, a retired Birdsong Peanuts executive who serves on the Peanut Innovation Lab’s External Advisory Panel, discuss project proposals as the lab started a new five-year program in 2018. (Photo by Allison Floyd) CAES News
Peanut school snacks
Because peanut is nutritious, relatively inexpensive and shelf stable, the nut already is the main component in Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food to help children recover from severe malnutrition and in supplementary foods to prevent malnutrition. Numerous studies show cognitive benefits to people who consume nuts; research currently under way through the Peanut Innovation Lab could directly show that eating peanuts can help children succeed in school.