Browse Field Crops, Forage and Turfgrass Production Stories - Page 14

When University of Georgia graduate Stefano Gobbo received his master’s degree last week, he made history, both for UGA and for the University of Padova (UNIPD) in Italy.

The University of Georgia Tifton campus and Georgia Peanut Commission are set to host the 43rd annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference on Jan. 17, 2019, at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. The show focuses on peanut production in Georgia and allows the state’s producers to hear about the latest trends from industry leaders while learning about the newest research findings from members of the UGA-Tifton Peanut Team.

From what’s being observed in some South Georgia pastures this fall, oats are struggling, with growers seeing issues from cold damage, nutrient and moisture stress and possible Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus. Above average rainfall in November and December also have prevented cattle from getting into oat pastures for winter grazing.

A state program aimed at teaching farmers and other pesticide applicators how to properly apply pesticides continues to limit pesticide drift in Georgia. The educational training system, called “Using Pesticides Wisely,” was created by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. UGA Extension weed scientist Stanley Culpepper, who developed the training, credits Georgia farmers’ excellent teamwork and decision-making for the low number of pesticide drift complaints in Georgia in 2017.

Three separate weather events this season will likely impact the quality and yield of a substantial amount of Georgia’s peanut acreage, according to Scott Monfort, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan agronomist.

To avoid losing their farms following Hurricane Michael, Georgia farmers need financial relief as soon as possible, according to Jeff Dorfman, a professor and agricultural economist in the University of Georgia Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

Groundnut producers face challenges in the field, from unpredictable rainfall to acidic soils to a particularly difficult menace, groundnut rosette disease. These types of challenges are the reason that plant breeders systematically create new varieties, targeting the genetic traits that carry resistance or improve yield. A project funded by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut is equipping plant breeders from across East and Southern Africa with innovative software to make that work quicker and more efficient.

University of Georgia agricultural economists believe that Georgia cotton farmers in the path of Hurricane Michael have only begun to feel the impact of the storm that took 90 or 100 percent of many area growers’ crops.

All farmers with crops and commodities affected by Hurricane Michael are invited to attend an agriculture disaster assistance information session to be held at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center at 2 p.m. Monday, October 22.

Georgia peanut farmers, still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Michael on October 10-11, are facing uncertainty about when and where to unload their crop after harvest, says University of Georgia Cooperative Extension peanut agronomist Scott Monfort.