Diversity in research

Georgia farmers devote about 900 acres to growing pumpkins — technically a squash and a cousin to the cucumber. Most Georgia-grown pumpkins come from the northernmost part of the state where the climate is cooler and there is less disease pressure. UGA-bred ‘Orange Bulldog' is disease resistant.

The Georgia Master Gardener Association (GMGA) Conference will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Museum of Aviation Century of Flight Building on Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For the first time, the conference is open to the general public as well as to GMGA members. This year’s conference is titled “Plants and Planes: Our Heritage, Our Future.”

The newest crop specialist on the University of Georgia Tifton campus hopes to help Georgia fruit and vegetable farmers extend the shelf life of their produce after harvest.