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David Coyle and Mark Megalos, Southern Regional Extension Forestry
Healthy forests provide many public benefits like clean air and water, wildlife and plant habitat, and diverse forest products that help the economy and ecosystem. Healthy forests also provide individuals with a greater opportunity to achieve their personal objectives such as the production of wood products, recreational or hunting experiences, aesthetic enjoyment, or a variety of other goals. Healthy forests are sustainable and meet owner objectives. Additionally, non-timber benefits are evident in a healthy forest; when trees are healthy, they produce nuts, cones, seeds, canopy, and leaf litter that provide food and habitat for understory plants and wildlife and enrich the soil. We define forest health as the ability of a forest to maintain and perpetuate a constant high quality supply of environmental benefits, products, and a diverse plant and animal community.
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Experimental power determinations are very important to agriculture and other applied sciences. It is necessary to be able to detect
small differences when human and animal health or production profitability are in question. Yet textbooks on biostatistics for
agriculturalists generally barely introduce the subject of how to design an experiment to detect some important difference between
treatments. To come to meaningful conclusions, researchers need to know how to plan both plan and conduct experiments. Entirely different
questions may be asked of an experiment depending on who is to interpret the results. Developers may be most interested in showing
that their new product gives responses not statistically significantly different from some standard. Potential consumers, on the other
hand, should be more interested in demonstrating that expected responses from a new product are equal to the standard|
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C 1130
Armyworms in Sod
There is considerable confusion regarding the life cycle and timing of fall armyworm infestation in turfgrass. It is not unusual for fall armyworms to infest newly planted sod in a home landscape, especially during late summer to fall. When fall armyworm infestation is detected, sod producers are often blamed for selling fall armyworm-infested sod. The reality, however, is that not all fall armyworm problems originate from sod farms but instead begin near the home landscape. This Extension circular will clarify the confusion that exists among homeowners and landscape industry based on biology and seasonality of fall armyworm in Georgia. The publication also discusses the possible management strategies to mitigate fall armvworm infestation.
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Label terms and certifications can be divided into those that are regulated and those that are unregulated. Regulated label terms and certifications are usually defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Within the USDA, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the agency responsible for the truthful labeling of meat and poultry products. The use of labels and certifications is governed by law and violations of use can have legal consequences. Unregulated terms have generally accepted definitions but do not have legal ramifications or verification of adherence. Many common label claims, such as “humanely raised” or “sustainably farmed,” refer to the process used to farm livestock but are unregulated, and there are no legal definitions for these claims. This publication summarizes some common regulated and unregulated terms in agriculture and livestock production.
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Sweet potatoes are members of the Convolvulaceae family, which includes morning glory. They are native to tropical America and are a perennial plant there. In more temperate regions such as the United States, they are frost-sensitive and grown as annuals. Sweet potatoes are grown for their edible root, which is often mistakenly called a tuber, like white or Irish potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). However, the edible portion of the sweet potato is a true root and will continue to enlarge as long as the plant continues to grow. Sweet potatoes have been grown by Native Americans in Mexico, Central America, Peru, Ecuador, and the U.S. for thousands of years. This bulletin is a comprehensive resource on the production, disease, insect, nematode and weed management of sweet potato.
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New ornamentals have long been considered the lifeblood of the green industry. This publication contains recommendations for best-performing new annuals based on research conducted at the Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia, showcasing the plants that were awarded Classic City Awards in 2017.
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B 1490
Vineyard Frost Protection
The vineyard industry is growing across Georgia and across the Eastern United States. Frost is a perennial threat in these regions, and reducing frost risk can save approximately $48,000 per acre in return revenues. Since many growers new to the industry will be planting vineyards, it is important that they are aware of the risk of frost and ways to avoid it. This bulletin also serves as a good reference for current industry members who are unaware of the risk of frost or who want more information on how to manage its risk. This publication covers all aspects of vineyard frost protection, including weather patterns that cause frost/freeze damage, as well as passive and active methods that can be employed to reduce frost risk.
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In Georgia, there are many small-scale producers that largely use ecological production practices, such as Certified Organic, and sell in farmers markets or other direct marketing channels. As these direct markets begin to saturate, these producers may need to forge a path beyond direct markets to wholesale or institutional markets that want sustainable products. Food hubs may offer a path for these small farms to scale up. There are three overlapping forms of food hubs in Georgia. Each has different markets and thus different requirements for the producers who sell to them. This publication discusses the types of food hubs in Georgia and gives producers guidelines on which form of food hub may work best for them.
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