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15 results found for Strawberries
Ganaspis brasiliensis CAES News
SWD Biocontrol
In a quiet field of abandoned blueberries and shrubby brush in south Georgia, Cera Jones released hundreds of tiny parasitoid wasps into the thicket and watched them fly away, following their natural instinct in search of a host to incubate their predatory progeny.
Georgia's peach crop is having a resurgence this year thanks to the lack of late freezes and sufficient chilling hours during the winter. CAES News
Backyard Fruits Webinar
Home gardeners who want to expand their edible backyard bounty to include fruits are invited to participate in the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Backyard Fruits webinar series that runs through June 5.
The MyIPM app is a free, mobile tool designed to promote integrated pest management for commercial fruit crop production. The app focuses on fruit crops grown in the Eastern U.S., including apple, blackberry, blueberry, bunch grape, cherry, cranberry, peach, pear and strawberry. CAES News
MyIPM App
The MyIPM app helps fruit growers across the Southeast U.S. manage a multitude of crops with disease and insect diagnostic tools.
GM crops chart CAES News
GMO Safety
Genetically modified foods are tested for safety testing before they reach the marketplace. It can take over a decade and cost tens of millions of dollars, and as a result, GMOs are the most safety-tested foods in history, says University of Georgia plant breeding and plant genetics expert Wayne Parrott.
Georgia strawberry farmers typically spray fungicides to control Botrytis and anthracnose (shown), two fungi that cause fruit rot. University of Georgia researchers are testing a mobile app, created by University of Florida scientists, that uses temperature and leaf moisture monitors to recommend when farmers should spray for diseases. CAES News
Strawberry App
University of Georgia and University of Florida researchers are testing the Strawberry Advisory System in Georgia strawberry fields. SAS, an app created, in part, by UF plant pathologist Natalia Peres, uses temperature and leaf moisture monitors to recommend when farmers should spray for Botrytis and anthracnose, two fungi that cause fruit rot on strawberries.
Unlike many blueberry plants, Blue Suede holds on to its foilage throughout the year.  It is brightly colored in the fall and green in the winter. CAES News
Edible Landscaping
The key to creating a visually appealing edible landscape is the artful combination of annuals and perennials. Most edible plants can act as substitutes for annual plants, but there are some options that can substitute for shrubs, vines and small trees.
A syrphid or flower fly hovers over a swamp sunflower bloom. The tiny insect is sometimes called a hover fly because its flight pattern resembles that of a hovering hummingbird. CAES News
Pollinator Plan
Many food items, including fresh fruits and vegetables, would never make it to grocery store or farmers market shelves without the help of beneficial insects like honeybees and butterflies. The number of these pollinating insects in the U.S. is declining, and to help, Georgia agricultural experts developed a statewide plan to teach gardeners and landscapers how to care for their plants and protect these vulnerable insects that are vital to food production.
Mike Doyle, director of UGA Center for Food Safety, holds a bowl of spinach. CAES News
Produce and Pathogens
Mike Doyle doesn’t eat raw bean sprouts, medium-rare hamburgers or bagged salads. He isn’t on a special diet, but as director of the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety in Griffin, Georgia, he studies the food pathogens that sicken thousands of Americans each year. For a time, foodborne illness was most often connected with undercooked meats; today, 33 percent of cases are tracked back to raw produce.
Two steers graze on sorghum/sudangrass hybrid forage at the UGA Eatonton Beef Research Unit as part of a 2014 study on grass-finished beef forages. CAES News
Farmgate Value Report
Led by increases in forestry and livestock values, Georgia’s agricultural output increased by $484 million in 2014, making agriculture, once again, the largest industry in the state with a value of $14.1 billion. According to the most recent University of Georgia Farmgate Value Report, published earlier this month, the value of Georgia’s livestock and aquaculture industries increased by almost 36 percent from 2013.
University of Georgia Extension specialists say rinse fruits and vegetables well in running water that is safe for drinking before using them. Fruits and vegetables with firm skins or hard rinds can be washed by scrubbing with a clean vegetable brush under running water. CAES News
Safe Harvest
Keeping produce safe means keeping harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites from contaminating fruits and vegetables. Enjoy the rewards of growing food through planning and some practical food safety tips.