Browse Weeds, Diseases and Pests Stories - Page 4

472 results found for Weeds, Diseases and Pests
“Slugs, by their very nature, must have moisture to survive and are known to eat damp paper on occasion,” said Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent Paul Pugliese. “The moral of the story: We now know why the postal delivery service is called 'snail mail.'” CAES News
Snail Mail
Recently, a church trustee in Bartow County brought samples of “holey” mail to the local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office for closer examination. Strangely, mail deposited in the church’s mailbox was showing up with holes chewed through the outer layer of the envelopes, but the mail inside was intact — a small miracle in itself.
The tiny Asian longhorned tick (left) compared to the common Lonestar tick. CAES News
Asian Longhorned Tick
As of Sept. 21, an invasive and dangerous pest, the Asian longhorned tick, has been confirmed in north Georgia. Experts are warning livestock producers and the public to be on the lookout, as the ticks can kill an animal by attaching to a host by the hundreds.
Cotton seedlings planted over a rye cover crop. After harvest, cotton fields are planted with a cover crop. Before cotton is planted the next season, the cover crop is killed and rolled , then the cotton seeds are planted using either a no-till or strip-till system. The resulting "mulch" provided by the cover crop residue provides insect habitat, moisture retention and some weed suppression. CAES News
Crop Ecology
The use of cover crops has risen among both traditional and organic producers for a variety of reasons — to control erosion, choke out weeds, improve soil health and enhance water availability. Now research by University of Georgia scientists is examining which cover crops also may provide important habitat for predatory insects that could help control disease- and damage-causing pests in cotton.
Entomosporium leaf spot on Photinia (Red Tip). Small reddish leaf spots appear initially. As spots age, center is grayish with a dark purple border. Leaf spots may coalesce causing severe leaf blight. Severely infected leaves drop prematurely. Over time severely infected plants die. Infection is favored by poor air circulation and prolonged periods of leaf wetness. CAES News
Leaf spot disease
Excessive rain signals another a bad year for leaf spot diseases on landscape trees and shrubs. The leaf spotting that affects pear trees, including both edible pears and ornamental Bradford types, is caused by a fungal disease known as Entomosporium leaf spot. This disease also affects related shrubs such as Indian hawthorn and red tip photinia.
“To my knowledge, this is the all-time highest funding amount the UGA IPM program has received, which is incredible because this is a highly competitive national grant,” said Ash Sial, coordinator of UGA's integrated pest management program. CAES News
IPM Grant
An impressive team of University of Georgia researchers has received $765,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Crop Protection and Pest Management Program to support the continuation of integrated pest management (IPM) programming throughout the state over the next three years.
Using hypothesis-driven data mining, a UGA research team led by Xiangyu Deng of UGA’s Center for Food Safety analyzed over 30,000 genomes of Salmonella Enteritidis obtained from global sources and the international trade of live poultry over five decades. CAES News
Salmonella Study
Researchers at the University of Georgia have provided multifaceted evidence to suggest the likely origins behind the global spread of Salmonella Enteritidis, which has caused recurring outbreaks of the foodborne pandemic linked to poultry products.
Like many other mosquito species, the larvae of Culex pipiens, commonly referred to as the common house mosquito, require certain vitamins to grow. These nutrients are extremely unstable in aquatic environments, and UGA researchers have found that gut microbes have to produce these components continuously in order for organisms like mosquito larvae to develop. CAES News
Mosquito Microbiota
To most people, mosquitoes are a nuisance. To University of Georgia entomologist Michael Strand, learning about their development processes could lead to new approaches in mosquito control.
The UGA cotton research team identified 24 Georgia counties where the presence of cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) has been confirmed from commercial fields and UGA research farms during 2018-2019. CAES News
Cotton Leaf Roll Dwarf Virus
While aphids aren’t a direct threat to cotton plants, they can carry a persistent virus that is difficult to control and can cause significant losses in one of Georgia’s most important crops.
Common seasonal pests like (clockwise from top right) fire ants, houseflies, brown marmorated stink bugs and mosquitos (shown in standing water as larvae) can be controlled with simple tips from UGA Cooperative Extension. CAES News
Summer Pests
As a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent, I see a lot of insects. People leave jars of them on my desk, send me photos or call me out to their gardens to identify them and give control recommendations.
Blubaugh Lab manager Katherine Hagan and master’s student Allison Stawara scout squash for various beneficial and pest insects as part of a living mulch study at the Durham Horticulture Research Farm in Watkinsville, Georgia. CAES News
Organic Pest Control
The hot, humid climate in the Southeast lends itself to nearly year-round insect, weed and disease pressure, and growing is especially tough if you’re an organic farmer.