Browse Sustainable Agriculture Stories - Page 5

139 results found for Sustainable Agriculture
From left, Josh Fuder, Ray Covington and Stephen Mihm have been UGA’s driving forces behind the creation of the Heritage Apple Orchard. (Photo by Mike Terrazas) CAES News
Heirloom Varieties
The names tick off like racehorses or colors from some fancy catalog: Carolina Red June, Duchess of Oldenburg, Hewe’s Crab and Rabun Bald, Limbertwig, Nickajack, Parks’ Pippin and many more. But these aren’t paint chips — they’re apples, hundreds of varieties that thrived in orchards across North Georgia a century ago, before an evolving apple industry swept them off shelves and tables, never to return.
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.
Natural predators from turf lawns were placed in petri dishes where the marks made by the insects were preserved in soft clay. CAES News
Tracking Bug Tracks
Modeling clay isn’t limited to art classrooms and sculpting studios. University of Georgia researchers developed a tool to track beneficial insects in turfgrass systems using clay models. Tracking these good predators can help develop eco-friendly pest management techniques for both home lawns and commercial sod growers.
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences researchers tested biodegradable pots made from (left to right) wood pulp fiber, cow manure and coconut coir. CAES News
Sustainable Gardening
Professional and home gardeners alike can grow landscapes sustainably with the help of biodegradable plant containers, but gardeners may wonder whether these containers decompose quickly enough to avoid hindering plant growth.
Governor Brian Kemp recognized Lee Nunn of Madison, Georgia, as the 2020 Farmer of the Year on July 8, 2020. CAES News
2020 Farmer of the Year
Lee Nunn of Madison, Georgia, planted his first wheat crop on 50 acres of his wife’s family farm when it became available to rent just over a dozen years ago. He quickly realized his passion for farming and began renting more land, now growing wheat, soybeans, field peas, corn and cotton on more than 1,500 acres.
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.
Brown thrasher CAES News
Birds thrive on farms
A study by the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and collaborators at The Nature Conservancy and Washington State University challenges the notion that native bird species only belong in wooded habitats. This study has found that diversified farms are mutually beneficial for producers and native wildlife, creating a system where conservation and production are equal priorities.
Georgia Pollinator Plants of the Year CAES News
Pollinator Plants
Native plants are the best habitat and food source for pollinators but they can be hard to find at garden centers or hardware stores.
UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Department of Horticulture's Professor Marc van Iersel, right, is leading an interdisciplinary team which hopes to integrate new lighting technologies, big data and better growing practices to reduce energy costs in greenhouses and plant factories. CAES News
Start-up
The illuminated light bulb. It’s the symbol of a great idea come to life.
Sustainable agriculture experts at the University of Georgia are offering a two-day intensive workshop March 23 and 24 to help small growers make the most of the upcoming season and build their farms into strong, productive businesses. CAES News
UGArden History
There is a lot more growing at UGArden — the University of Georgia’s student-run community farm — than just vegetables. Student involvement, community outreach and adoption of sustainable practices are all products of the work of students and staff at the garden.