News Stories - Page 17

Using proven production practices to fight disease in the field, Georgia farmers produce half the peanuts grown in the U.S. each year. Modern peanut varieties carry few genetic defenses against some of the more devastating diseases, so peanut farmers carefully consider when to plant, whether to irrigate and when to apply fungicide and insecticide to keep those diseases from infecting the plant.

Georgia gardeners will find the most success transplanting trees in the cooler seasons. But anywhere a tree or shrub dies within the first year of planting, there is usually a root issue involved. Spring-planted trees and shrubs are generally more stressed from summer heat because their roots are still underdeveloped during the first year. This results in excessive wilting, which causes well-intentioned gardeners to literally water their plants to death. 

University of Georgia professors Scott NeSmith, Anumantha Kanthasamy and S. Edward Law have been elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors. Including these three new fellows, 12 UGA faculty have received this honor, all of them since 2013.

As vibrant holiday plants begin to adorn the shelves of hardware stores, grocery stores and garden centers, consumers are attracted to the pinks, reds and whites atop deep green foliage, which add festive pops of color in winter homes. The appearance of plants like poinsettias and Christmas cacti usher in the holiday season and we love to fill our halls and entryways with their holiday cheer. But what about after the holidays?

From an early age, we’re told by our parents to make sure we eat our vegetables. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that people eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. However, there’s long been confusion around what is a vegetable versus a fruit. So, when is a vegetable actually a fruit — or a root or a shoot?

The Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia have announced the 2021 Classic City Award winners from the hundreds of varieties tested over the long, hot summer. The Trial Gardens are known as the “go-to research trial garden to test plants for the combination of heat and humidity,” said John Ruter, director of the Trial Gardens and 2021 UGA Inventor of the Year.