News Stories - Page 75

CAES News
Exotic app
From Burmese pythons to Nile monitors, exotic reptiles are a growing problem in Florida, where they destroy fragile ecosystems. A University of Georgia center in Tifton, Ga., recently developed an iPhone application for a fast, accurate way to identify the invasive animals.
Fall armyworm on a blade of grass CAES News
Armyworms destroy Georgia turf
Almost every year in late summer, caterpillars invade turfgrass across Georgia. Damage to established turf is mostly aesthetic, but newly planted sod or sprigged areas can be severely damaged or even killed.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgids suck up the cells from the needles and prevent the tree from transferring water and conducting photosynthesis. The first obvious sign of an infestation is thinning foliage; the needles fall off and the crown starts thinning out. From a distance, trees look gray. CAES News
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Thousands of broken trees line the banks of the Chattooga River. The dead, gray stabs were once evergreen monsters offering shade to trout and picturesque views to visitors. These Eastern hemlocks are native to north Georgia, but they are dying rapidly.
Most Georgia farmers plant more than one crop during a season, usually managing a combination of peanuts, cotton, corn or soybeans. Across the board, they are looking at record or record-tying yields in 2009. CAES News
Georgia crops
Georgia’s tobacco and pecan crop are on pace for a surprisingly good year. Not surprisingly, though, above-normal temperatures have smothered the state and taken a toll on some row crops, like peanut and cotton.
Fire ants scurry along a piece of wood CAES News
Fire ant control works best now
It’s that time of year again. School is back in session, football is around the corner, fall harvesting will begin, and it’s time to fight fire ants.
Immature squash bugs feast on the leaf of a yellow squash plant CAES News
Scout before you spray
Many home landscapers and gardeners see pests eating their azaleas or tomatoes and immediately grab a chemical pesticide for defense. A University of Georgia expert says using a combination of pest control methods is a better option for your plants and the environment.