News Stories - Page 106

A unique study conducted by University of Georgia entomologists led to the discovery of a distinctive supergene in fire ant colonies that determines whether young queen ants will leave their birth colony to start their own new colony or if they will join one with multiple queens. Researchers also found that ants were more aggressive toward queens who don’t possess the supergene, causing colony workers to kill them. This critical finding opens the door to new pest control methods that may be more efficient in eradicating problematic fire ant colonies. 

This fall, the University of Georgia recognized nine undergraduates in its 2020-21 incoming class as CURO Honors Scholars, the university’s top undergraduate research scholarship. Three students in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences were selected for the award.

Julie Borlaug is continuing the legacy of her late grandfather, agronomist and Nobel laureate Norman E. Borlaug, and inspiring the next generation by advocating for innovation and technology in agricultural production to end world hunger.

In collaboration with James Anderson, an associate professor in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Paula Mellom and her team in the University of Georgia Mary Frances Early College of Education helped develop and deliver a training session for 17 agricultural education and science teachers from the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and the Harold S. Vincent High School in Milwaukee.

You may have relied on advice from a Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer in the past. Now they want your input to make plans for the future.

With all of the rain that we’ve experienced this year, many fungal leaf spot diseases are active. Hydrangeas are particularly susceptible to several different leaf spot diseases that favor moist weather. Some of the most common diseases people ask about are known as Corynespora leaf spot and Cercospora leaf spot on bigleaf hydrangeas.

Organic fruit and vegetable growers want to meet the recent uptick in national consumer demand, but they need additional tools to battle pests and diseases that often accompany organic crop growth.

High school Georgia 4-H members participated in the Southern Region Teen Leadership Conference (SRTLC) in late September with youth from surrounding Southern states. The annual event gives attending youth and adults opportunities to develop leadership skills and practice networking skills with 4-H’ers in other states.

The University of Georgia Horticulture Club is hosting an online plant sale offering woody plants, herbaceous perennials, houseplants and succulents through Oct. 14.