News Stories - Page 173

News from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Freshly cut Christmas trees line Lowes in Griffin in this file photo. CAES News
Christmas Trees
The holiday season is officially upon us. After a huge turkey dinner, many families begin decorating their homes. For many, the Christmas tree is the centerpiece of decorating and more and more people are choosing live trees.
Most chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), are caused by modifiable behaviors. The three most common risk behaviors for CVD are lack of physical activity, poor nutrition and inadequate weight management. Make exercise a family affair to get healthy and spend valuable time together. CAES News
Holiday Exercise
The holiday season can be a challenging time for those who are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. From office parties to classic family get-togethers, it seems every event brings an endless array of delicious home-cooked dishes. It’s easy to see why so many Americans relinquish their commitments to eat smarter around the holidays. 
Christmas lights are a normal part of celebrating during the Holiday season. CAES News
Energy Efficiency
University of Georgia scientist Craig Kvien, the creative mind behind Future Farmstead, believes that Georgia homeowners can reduce their power bill this holiday season just by being more sensitive to the amount of energy they’re using.
August 8, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension will host a tour of four northeast Georgia vineyards, focusing on the cultivation practices and grape varieties that have made Georgia's burgeoning wine industry possible. CAES News
Grape Growers
With the growth and increased marketability of the state’s wine industry, Athens, Georgia, is hosting new conferences that will focus on how to create quality fruit and turn it into a palatable beverage. The Southeastern Regional New Grape Growers Conference will be held at the University of Georgia’s South Milledge Greenhouse Complex in Athens on Dec. 11.
Zhongyuan Liu, a Ph.D. candidate in agricultural economics at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, talks to a farmer in China for a case study on land reform policies. CAES News
Land Reform
Zhongyuan Liu, a University of Georgia doctoral candidate in agricultural economics, knows that analyzing data sets won’t give you a very clear understanding of the impact of rural land reforms in China. For that, you have to talk to farmers.
Tall Fescue Plant CAES News
Fescue Fungus
While many people know that the microbes in our guts are an important part of our health, many are unaware that microbes are just as important to our crops.
Andre da Silva is the new Extension vegetable specialist on the UGA Tifton campus. CAES News
Extension Vegetable Specialist
New University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable specialist Andre da Silva will improve vegetable production in Georgia through irrigation — and fertilizer-based research on the UGA Tifton campus.
Palmer amaranth can reach heights of up to 7-10 feet. UGA Extension weed specialist Eric Prostko encourages farmers to continue to control Palmer amaranth even after their corn is harvested. CAES News
Palmer Amaranth Management
Georgia farmers scored what many view as a significant victory when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency extended the registration of the controversial weed killer dicamba for two years. The herbicide can be used for over-the-top weed control in cotton and soybean fields, according to Stanley Culpepper, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension weed specialist.
Agricultural policy expert Robert Paarlberg, center left, and Dean Sam Pardue of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, center, congratulate the winners of the 2018 D.W. Brooks Faculty Awards for Excellence including, from left, Professor Yen-Con Hung, Associate Professor Kari Turner, Professor Dan Suiter, Senior Public Service Associate Lisa Jordan, and Professor Qingguo “Jack” Huang. CAES News
D.W. Brooks Lecture
Whether it’s an argument for slow food or technologically advanced agriculture, most people oversimplify the narratives surrounding the modern food system.
Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have recently found the genetic mechanism that controls the shape of tomatoes also controls the shape of potatoes and may control the shape of other fruits as well. CAES News
Fruit Shape
From elongated tubes to near-perfect spheres, vegetables come in almost every size and shape. But what differentiates a fingerling potato from a russet or a Roma tomato from a beefsteak? Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently found the genetic mechanism that controls the shape of some of our favorite fruits, vegetables and grains.