News Stories - Page 231

A fundraising opportunity for one University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office has turned out to be a key insect detection tool for local pecan growers in Dougherty County, Georgia.

Container-grown or balled-and-burlapped Christmas trees can be planted as landscape trees after the holidays. This way of enjoying a Christmas tree is practical in Georgia, where the mild December or early January weather is ideal for tree planting. With care and planning, your Christmas tree will serve as a living memory for many years.

With a little forethought, you can create opportunities for better intergenerational connections this holiday season. What kind of memories do you want to create this season? Consider these tips from a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent.

In the middle of this season of feasting and fêtes, it can sometimes be easy to forget about the plight of people who struggle to have enough to eat. For two University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences students who had the chance to attend the 2015 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue this fall, that won’t be the case this year.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is ensuring that food safety is a priority for Georgia’s food industry. Through the ServSafe® program, UGA Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) agents, like Roxie Price in Tifton, Georgia, are leading training sessions for local restaurant managers and employees on how to properly and safely handle food..

The National Academy of Inventors has named two University of Georgia faculty members to the 2015 class of NAI Fellows. Wayne Hanna, professor of crop and soil sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and David Chu, Distinguished Research Professor in the College of Pharmacy, join an elite group of 582 innovators representing more than 190 prestigious research universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutions.

Much of Georgia was wetter than normal during November 2015, and with all that rain there’s a chance some runoff may have contaminated private wells around the state. While an odd taste, corrosion and staining are signs of water contamination, most contaminants aren’t readily detectible. Ensuring the safety and quality of your well water requires laboratory testing.

Over the last few weeks, many Georgians have focused their attention on the media-hyped coverage of the kissing bug. Much of the sensationalism and worry surrounding this insect boogieman is unwarranted, according to University of Georgia entomologists.

End-of-year rainfall and poor harvest conditions have been tough on Georgia’s cotton crop and tested Georgia’s cotton farmers, says University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s new cotton agronomist.