News Stories - Page 93

Standing in the Chattahoochee National Forest recording the song of the Brood X periodical cicadas on her smartphone, Julia Berliner realized in that moment that the last time the insects emerged from forest soil, her phone did not exist.

Manpreet Singh has been named head of the Department of Food Science and Technology (FST) in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences after serving as Interim Department Head since September.

Adulting is hard.

Growing up in a traditional Swiss household in Georgia, the Broder family knew the value of community. The family immigrated from Switzerland and started a dairy farm south of Atlanta. It was a challenging adjustment, as the children balanced their family's culture with the culture of their new country. As immigrants, the Broders gained a personal appreciation for culture and an identity as citizens of the world.

As warm-season turfgrasses continue to green up, diseases are rearing their ugly heads. The main culprit this time of year is a fungus, Rhizoctonia solani, that causes large patch disease in lawns. Large patch can infect all warm-season turfgrasses, but centipede, St. Augustine, and zoysia are particularly susceptible.

Anyone familiar with agriculture knows that a successful harvest largely relies on environmental factors. An especially hot summer with no rain in sight or poor soil quality can cause as many problems as a late cold snap right in the middle of planting season. Often farmers must rely on trial and error to get the best results. But for agricultural scientists, the guessing game can be reduced thanks to a computer software program called Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT).

During the summer growing season, the love many have for a homegrown tomato approaches obsession. In fact, some people love tomatoes so much that they struggle to grow them — because they give their plants too much care.

After two decades of participants from 22 states and two countries, the Georgia Master Beekeeper Program has just welcomed its 1,000th participant.

World Food Safety Day is celebrated annually on June 7. When it comes to researching ways to reduce the impact of harmful microorganisms in the food supply, the University of Georgia has an internationally recognized reputation in food safety research, with microbiologists throughout the university examining ways to improve food safety both within the U.S. and globally.  

You might be reaching for the watering can here in Georgia, considering recent hot and dry conditions over most of the state. And with World Environment Day coming up on June 5, home gardeners are considering what they can do to sustainably irrigate their plants and sustain soil moisture. There are actions you can take now to help conserve water in your landscape and keep your plants hydrated.