News Stories - Page 234

Proper management of a pine stand requires thinning in order to prevent disease and insect infestation and to maximize profit. Thinning is the process of cutting or removing certain trees from a stand to regulate the number, quality and distribution of the remaining trees.

According to the latest IRS data, nearly eight out of every 10 Americans will receive a tax refund. If you get a return, be sure to use your return wisely so that your money continues to work for you. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts suggest using these smart strategies to help you maximize your refund.

Growers who are anxious to buy large quantities of the newest pecan cultivar, ‘Avalon,’ will likely be disappointed as supplies are low, according to University of Georgia pecan breeder Patrick Conner. The new UGA-bred cultivar will be released this spring.

A University of Georgia student’s survey of the cotton industry found that the crop, once “king” in Georgia, can compete with synthetic fibers and will continue to be economically and environmentally feasible into the future.

There have been weeks of tantalizing fragrance in the past few months that few children or families have experienced. This champion of aroma I am referring to is the banana shrub. The banana shrub is an heirloom from the 1700s. It produces blossoms for months of sweet, fresh bananas with a scent so intense, you’ll wish you could bottle it up so it could compete with the French perfumes, or put it in a shake and drink it. It is one of the more amazing scents in the plant world.

Georgians have gotten through another late winter freeze. Now it’s time to figure out which plants were damaged in the home landscape.

Each summer, thousands of children experience summer camp through Georgia 4-H's camping programs. Those programs are possible because of the dedication of leaders like Ted Jenkins and his wife, Gerrye Jenkins, who are the recipients of the 2017 Georgia 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award.

The way UGA Extension offers trainings, exams and continuing education classes for pesticide applicators’ license renewals will change in the coming months. This change will ensure that UGA Extension can continue to provide pesticide safety education throughout the state, while staying in line with changes mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Georgia’s grape industry, once dormant, is now thriving, according to Phillip Brannen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension fruit plant pathologist. Growing potential for prosperity in the wine industry will require that farmers stay vigilant about certain diseases, like Pierce’s disease, that could negatively impact production.

Georgia consistently ranks “poorly in obesity and chronic disease statistics,” and a large segment of the population struggles to put food on their tables, says the leader of UGA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program. The program works to reverse the trend of obesity and chronic disease through a combination of in-person and online nutrition education classes, lessons to help early childhood educators provide healthier environments for students, and the promotion of healthy nutrition and behaviors through social marketing.