April 2012 Features

  • Heirloom Plants Give Gardeners an Understanding of their Grandparents' Gardens

    April 29, 2012

    Heirloom plant varieties introduce new crop diversity into gardens, but they also give gardeners a broader view of history and the lives of their ancestors.

  • California BSE Case Proves Food Safety System Works

    April 26, 2012

    While the California dairy cow that tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, made national headlines this week, University of Georgia livestock and food safety experts say the real story is how well the nation’s food safety system worked.

  • How Current is Your Financial GPS?

    April 24, 2012

    In American Farm Mortgage's last article, They shared about the importance of having an appropriate GPS for your finances. Like the equipment on your farm, your finances may need upgrades. How do you know if your Financial GPS needs to be updated? The first step is to understand the underwriting standards used by your lender and the minimum ratios for each standard.

  • Plant Disease Makes Growing Pears Difficult

    April 22, 2012

    Fire blight, a common plant disease that is persistent in the Southeast, makes growing edible pears in Georgia difficult. Fire blight is caused by a bacterial plant disease that infects trees in early spring, when young tender leaves and flower blossoms begin to emerge. It is most common on pear trees, but can also affect certain types of apple trees and a few other types of plants.

  • What is Your Financial GPS Telling You?

    April 17, 2012

    You use GPS receivers to help determine how much fertilizer, weed control, and water is needed in your fields. What are you using for your financial GPS? In this three part series, American Farm Mortgage shares insight on having the right tools to succeed.

  • Celebrating 150 Years of Land-Grant Education

    April 15, 2012

    Dean Scott Angle of the UGA College of Environmental & Agriculture Sciences looks back on 150 years of land grant education across the United States that started with the Morrill Act in 1862. He also shares his thoughts on the future and the challenges he sees ahead for land grant institutions.

  • Vidalia Onion Farmers Work to Increase Market Share by Shrinking Their Onions

    April 12, 2012

    Georgia’s Vidalia onion farmers have spent their last few growing seasons working to produce smaller versions of their prized onions, which are typically some of the largest onion varieties in the produce department.

  • Dow AgroSciences Offers Innovative Green Chemistry

    April 10, 2012

    Andy Fordice, product manager for insecticides at Dow AgroSciences, talks about the growing demand for green chemistry and concerns about food and worker safety.

  • Net Irrigate Helps Growers Manage Input Costs

    April 08, 2012

    Eddie DeSalle, general manager for Net Irrigate, LLC, talks about grower profit margins for 2012 and how more efficient irrigation can help to increase profits by lowering input costs.

  • Latin Americans Turn to UGA Researchers for Kudzu Bug Knowledge

    April 05, 2012

    In February, Honduran officials discovered dead kudzu bugs in a shipping container from Georgia. To help Latin American officials prepare for the possible introduction of the pest into their countries, University of Georgia researchers scheduled an informational meeting to share what they have learned about the kudzu bug since it was found in the Southeast.

  • Spring Fertilization of Lawns Should be Guided by Soil Testing, Temperatures

    April 03, 2012

    In early spring as dormant, warm-season lawns begin to turn green, University of Georgia Extension agents receive many of calls about managing lawns. Most questions are about fertilization, including what type of fertilizer, how much to use and how frequently should it be applied.

  • GGIA's Chris Butts Says Now is the Time to Plant

    April 01, 2012

    With dry conditions persisting in Georgia on and off since 2002, many consumers have grown gun shy about investing in landscape projects. But with the 2010 Georgia Water Stewardship Act providing new provisions for water use, Georgia Green Industry Association's Director for Legislative Affairs Chris Butts wants consumers to know that now is the time to plant. He also shares his thoughts on immigration reform, and fighting plant disease across Georgia.