News Stories - Page 115

Wayne Hanna, left, and Brian Schwartz in a turfgrass research field at UGA-Tifton. (UGA photo taken by Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA in 2017) CAES News
TifTuf Recognition
Earlier this spring, the Georgia General Assembly passed a pair of resolutions recognizing the University of Georgia-developed bermudagrass TifTuf.
UGA Extension staff joined Georgia Grown staff to load boxes of produce into hundreds of waiting cars at the Gwinnett Georgia Grown to Go event on May 27. CAES News
Producing Results
Like the moments before a race begins, dozens of staff with Georgia Grown and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension prepared to load thousands of pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables into hundreds of waiting cars and trucks stretched out in long lines at the Gwinnett Georgia Grown to Go event in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on May 27, even before the 3 p.m. start time.
Although a bit of a challenge to switch to creating webinars for otherwise hands-on activities, UGA Extension Agent Ashley Hoppers finds the audience for the backyard fruits webinar series she organized is far larger than any in-person classes she has held in the past. She is one of many faculty members that began reaching new clientele through online delivery. CAES News
Digital Extension Delivery
Due to social distancing and shelter-in-place guidelines necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents and specialists quickly shifted gears to deliver in-person programs online. But they didn’t expect the overwhelming response they received from the public.
Subterranean termite swarmers are most commonly seen in spring and are a telltale sign of termite infestation. (Photo by Brian Forschler) CAES News
Home Termites
Border to border, the state of Georgia enjoys mild temperatures and more than adequate rainfall, which are perfect conditions for the growth of an abundance of insects, including subterranean termites.
Lettuce is grown under red LED lights at a research greenhouse. U.S. growers spend about $600 million per year on electricity for lighting in their greenhouses and plant factories. (Photo by Neil Mattson) CAES News
Energy Informatics
LED lightbulbs, programmable thermostats, high-density insulation and electric vehicles — despite these innovations, about two-thirds of the energy produced in the U.S. is lost to inefficiencies, according to national studies. For scientists and economists who work on the barriers between people and a sustainable future, that’s a dire number, but modern data management is helping to reduce it.
UGA Professor Francisco Diez, director of the UGA Center for Food Safety, and his wife, Claudia Buzo, a ServSafe consultant who trains Hispanic restaurant workers, translated the safety video scripts and recorded the video in Spanish. CAES News
Protecting Workers
As the spring harvest approached, members of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association knew they would need assistance to provide important information about COVID-19 safety measures and food handling protocols to workers who make up the majority of the seasonal agricultural workforce, many of whom are native Spanish speakers.
Georgia's peach crop is having a resurgence this year thanks to the lack of late freezes and sufficient chilling hours during the winter. CAES News
Backyard Fruits Webinar
Home gardeners who want to expand their edible backyard bounty to include fruits are invited to participate in the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Backyard Fruits webinar series that runs through June 5.
Irrigation on a corn field the University of Georgia Tifton Campus (file photo). CAES News
Produce Safety
An online tool developed by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is helping produce growers assess their water quality and prepare for increased testing requirements.
UGA researchers released new red 'RubyCrisp' muscadine variety for those who want a sweet berry flavor with just a hint of muscadine. CAES News
Sweet, Red Muscadine
From late summer into fall, Southerners start looking for muscadines — a popular grape native to the Southeastern U.S. Selections run from the dark purple, thick-skinned traditional muscadine to a light golden green variety. Soon, growers and consumers can add a new red variety to the mix.