Browse Environment Stories - Page 16

University of Georgia scientists have created a new app to help Georgia vegetable growers irrigate their crops more efficiently.

Georgians may be wondering if the state’s last frost of the year has already passed. The answer, of course, depends on where you live and the quirks of the weather.

According to Lisa Baxter, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s newest forage agronomist, an unusually wet winter will cause problems with summer forage crop quality in Georgia.

Farmers who might face a delayed planting season can thank El Niño for Georgia’s exceedingly wet winter, according to Pam Knox, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agricultural climatologist. Row crop and vegetable producers usually begin planting their crops in late March through May, but excessive rainfall and cloudy conditions in January and February have left many fields soaked and soggy.

Farmers know water is a valuable resource, and many farmers are now using soil sensors in their fields to control soil moisture content. Small-plot and home gardeners can take a cue from professional farmers by becoming more conscientious about when they apply irrigation to home landscapes and gardens throughout spring and summer, says Andre da Silva, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension vegetable horticulturist.

Are the first warm spring days making it impossible to stay out of the garden? There’s no way for a gardener to predict or stop a late frost from hitting after they’ve put in transplants or started counting blooms, but they can be prepared, said Paul Thomas, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension horticulturist. Since no one knows when a frosty night might hit, gardeners should have a frost tool kit and game plan ready.

Along with the University of Georgia's C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park, the UGA Cooperative Extension 4-H program in Mitchell County has been named the 2019 Georgia Project WET Organization of the Year for hosting a Georgia 4-H camp designed to teach children the importance of water conservation.

Due to losses suffered during the last growing season and new tariffs, Georgia farmers are facing a sense of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming production season, according to University of Georgia agricultural economist Adam Rabinowitz.

Peach tree buds are naturally protected from freezing temperatures, but unseasonably warm temperatures in early February have some Georgia trees already beginning to bloom.

Irrigation systems are one the most essential components of a farmer’s toolbox. After sitting idle during the winter, now is the time farmers should check their systems before the spring growing season.