Browse General Agriculture Stories - Page 12

Anyone familiar with agriculture knows that a successful harvest largely relies on environmental factors. An especially hot summer with no rain in sight or poor soil quality can cause as many problems as a late cold snap right in the middle of planting season. Often farmers must rely on trial and error to get the best results. But for agricultural scientists, the guessing game can be reduced thanks to a computer software program called Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT).

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is offering a new virtual seminar, “Solar Energy in Rural Georgia: Opportunities and Considerations for Landowners,” on Tuesday, June 8. The event is free and open to the public, but participants must register online.

The wild relatives of modern peanut plants have the ability to withstand disease in ways that modern peanut plants can’t. The genetic diversity of these wild relatives means that they can shrug off the diseases that kill farmers’ peanut crops, but they also produce tiny nuts that are difficult to harvest because they burrow deep in the soil.

For people dealing with substance abuse, establishing a healthy routine and lifestyle without triggers can be one of the biggest challenges. With the help of University of Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteers, one impactful organization is creating a path to recovery from addiction that incorporates an age-old sustainable practice — planting seeds.

Native to North America, blueberries are the most-recently commercially domesticated fruit in the U.S. Just a little over a century ago researchers began studying this wild berry with an intent to develop improved varieties for commercial cultivation.

Every pet owner wants their pet to feel safe and secure, especially on daunting trips to the veterinarian’s office. One major hurdle is the frigid stainless steel tables that offer an unappealing surface for animals that are used to the comfort of home.

Due to high consumer expectations, farmers and agricultural producers are constantly under pressure to deliver their products at higher yields for cheaper prices. This may seem like an impossible combination of demands, but University of Georgia Cooperative Extension researchers are developing precision agriculture methods to make the planting process more efficient for farmers while protecting profits.

For some residents, a pristinely manicured lawn free of weeds and undisturbed by insects is the ultimate goal. However, a new program from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension encourages creating a more natural landscape that reduces chemical use and incorporates native plants to promote biodiversity and protect the environment.

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.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and the Georgia Department of Agriculture are partnering to offer the Using Pesticides Wisely training program in a virtual format again this year.