Browse Environment Stories - Page 33

Cool conditions early in April delayed the growth of watermelon seedlings and caused yellowing of some corn plants. Wet fields in the southern half of the state delayed planting and caused problems for corn seedlings and other plants in heavy, wet soils.

To promote collaboration on some of the biggest challenges facing agriculture today, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is partnering with the University of Padova in Italy for a groundbreaking dual master’s degree program in sustainable agriculture.

Winter’s mild temperatures and sunny days helped some Georgia farmers keep from falling behind with their watermelon plantings this spring, according to University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable horticulturist Tim Coolong.

From rice fields in western Africa to sheep pastures in Uruguay, students in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental sciences travel the world each year to learn how to build a more food-secure future. CAES faculty, students and administrators gathered Tuesday to celebrate the college’s international mission and accomplishments at the sixth annual International Agriculture Day reception.

Georgia 4-H is recruiting an army of bivalves to help ensure the future of the organization’s coastal environmental education center. The organization is working with University of Georgia Marine Extension to encourage new oyster beds along the marshy shoreline at Burton 4-H Center on Tybee Island, Georgia.

The smell of foul odors as well as the sight of brown or red, slimy substances or an oily sheen on the surface of streams and wetlands has some people concerned about water quality. Solid, rust-colored particles are actually a naturally occurring result of iron bacteria. It doesn't pose any human health risks, but the red, slimy sludge can clog pipes and pumps when using well water.

Once a nuisance for soybean farmers in the Southeast, kudzu bug populations appear to be declining in the U.S. The decline began in 2014 and is believed to have been brought on by two of the kudzu bug’s natural predators: a fungus and a wasp.

March was drier and warmer than normal across Georgia, ushering in projections for a warmer and wetter than normal spring.

Thanks to technology and manufacturers’ attempts to please the ever-demanding consumer, washing machines have become more “intelligent” and able to detect soil levels and water needs. Before buying a new one, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension home experts suggest asking yourself a few very important questions.

Ann M. Steensland, deputy director for the Global Harvest Initiative, will deliver the keynote address at this year’s Sixth Annual International Agriculture Day reception. The event will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, at the Georgia Museum of Art. Hosted by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Office of Global Programs, the talk and reception are free and open to the public.