News Stories - Page 100

Agritourism has been steadily growing in Georgia over the past decade, and a new consumer survey by UGA economists shows that rural travel and agritourism is expected to rise in 2021, rebounding quicker than urban markets. (file photo) CAES News
Ag Forecast 2021
The pandemic has put a strain on all sectors of the economy, and the agricultural and food industries were no exception. From supply chain disruptions that led to dumping milk and crops to increased consumer demand for plants, there were many ups and downs in 2020 markets.
Graduate student Philip Bentz (left) and graduate student Rick Field (right) use a carbon dioxide sensor on a plant in the horticulture greenhouses. Bentz enrolled to UGA in the Integrated Plant Sciences program in 2019. (photo by Dorothy Kozlowski, taken prior to March 2020) CAES News
Integrated Plant Sciences
For students with a penchant for plants and the desire to pursue a doctoral degree, the University of Georgia offers a collaborative program that spans a variety of cutting-edge and interdisciplinary plant science disciplines.
Lines of school buses idling outside schools creates harmful air pollution and wastes fuel. To protect students' lung, and save engine parts, bus, and parents' vehicles, should not idle while waiting for students to exit school buildings, University of Georgia experts say. CAES News
Wraparound Webinar
Hear how schools are leveraging community partnerships, state and federal resources to holistically meet family needs in an upcoming webinar presented by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.
Katrien Devos and two colleagues from her lab were part of a nationwide team that produced a high-quality reference sequence of the complex switchgrass genome. (Photo by Peter Frey) CAES News
Unlocking Switchgrass Genome
As reported Jan. 27 in Nature, a nationwide team that includes University of Georgia faculty member Katrien Devos has produced a high-quality reference sequence of the complex switchgrass genome, marking a critical step for a plant species that has long been studied for its potential application in the production of biofuels.
Soybeans grow on a plant at a UGA lab in Athens. Soybean farmers will soon have a smart phone app to help know when to irrigate their crop. CAES News
Local Soil Inoculant
In developing countries, the sustainable production of nutrient-dense crops is a critical need. A team of University of Georgia researchers have identified an affordable and local organic practice that can increase nutrient density in soybeans, or edamame, and improve soil health.
A survey conducted by UGA researchers examined whether respondents had any concern about the growing of hemp and the creation of hemp products in their area. CAES News
Community perceptions of hemp
Hemp is a promising new industry for profitability, but growers of this newly legal crop will face a mix of public opinions according to University of Georgia research into challenges those in the hemp business may face in the southeastern United States.
William “Bill” P. Flatt, D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor Emeritus, and the late Ivery Clifton, a former faculty member and administrator in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and associate vice president for academic affairs, will be honored with the 2021 President's Medal in a virtual ceremony on January 25. CAES News
2021 President's Medal
The University of Georgia will bestow one of its highest honors on William “Bill” P. Flatt, D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor Emeritus, and the late Ivery Clifton, a former faculty member and administrator in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and associate vice president for academic affairs, in a virtual awards ceremony Jan. 25.
The 2020 Southeastern Hay Contest grand prize was awarded to Brian Johnson of McKenney, Virginia, for his alfalfa hay sample (not pictured). Pictured from left to right are Ash Alt, Massey Ferguson Field Execution Manager; Lisa Baxter, UGA Forage Extension Specialist; Leanne Dillard, Auburn University Forage Extension Specialist; and Marcelo Wallau, UF Forage Extension Specialist. CAES News
2020 Hay Contest Winners
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, 370 entries were submitted in the 2020 Southeastern Hay Contest (SEHC), just below the record-setting number of submissions for 2019. More states submitted samples to the contest than ever before, with nine represented.
Since it launched in 2013 and 2014, Georgia’s citrus industry has grown to about 2,000 acres of commercial citrus planted in southern Georgia, primarily cold-hardy satsumas. CAES News
Testing Rootstocks
Ongoing citrus rootstock trials being conducted by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension in Lowndes County hold promise for increased yields, improved fruit quality and greater disease resistance.