Two new forest health faculty members hired at the University of Georgia

Posted on April 1, 2016 by southernipmcenter

The Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia is very pleased to announce two new faculty hires in the field of forest health.  Elizabeth Benton is the new Forest Health Outreach Specialist and will be based at Tifton campus starting June 2016.  Caterina Villari is the new Assistant Professor of Forest Pathology and will be based at Athens campus starting August 2016.  They join Kamal Gandhi, the Forest Entomologist on Athens campus since 2008.  A brief synopsis of their backgrounds and interests are as follows: Continue reading →

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Economic thresholds save farmers money

Posted on April 1, 2016 by southernipmcenter

By Kenzie Kesselring, University of Georgia

University of Georgia entomologist Mark Abney is searching for ways to monitor insects responsible for destroying Georgia peanut crops. This is the first step in developing economic thresholds that will indicate to farmers when it’s time to apply controls for each pest and when it’s time to cut losses.

Currently, Abney and his team are focusing on the threecornered alfalfa hopper, but they also hope to establish thresholds for the burrower bug and the twospotted spider mite in the distant future. For each, they hope to develop an economic threshold, or a point when the insect population reaches a level at which farmers should take action to prevent the pest population from affecting their profit margin. Continue reading →

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Annual Southeastern Turfgrass Conference in Tifton

Posted on April 1, 2016 by southernipmcenter

By Kenzie Kesselring, University of Georgia

Sod farmers, landscape professionals and sports turf managers interested in learning more about the turfgrass industry’s latest innovations are invited to attend the 70th Annual Southeastern Turfgrass Conference.

The conference will be held on Tuesday, April 26, at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The event will begin at 8 a.m., with registration and breakfast, and conclude at 5 p.m. Continue reading →

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Breeding Sugar Beets for Better Resistance to Curly Top Virus

Posted on April 1, 2016 by southernipmcenter

In Agricultural Research Service news

By Jan Suszkiw

Small insects called “beet leafhoppers” transmit the virus, wreaking cellular havoc that can result in yellow, inwardly curled leaves, stunted growth and other tell-tale signs. Severe outbreaks of curly top disease can reduce sugar beet yields by up to 30 percent. Continue reading →

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EPA Seeks Comment on Proposed Decision to Register Dicamba for Use on Genetically-Engineered Crops

Posted on April 1, 2016 by southernipmcenter

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to register dicamba to control weeds in cotton and soybean genetically engineered (GE) to tolerate dicamba. Continue reading →

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