There is a lot more growing at UGArden — the University of Georgia’s student-run community farm — than just vegetables. Student involvement, community outreach and adoption of sustainable practices are all products of the work of students and staff at the garden. 

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Organic Transition grant is funding a study of management options for center rot disease in organic onion production in Georgia and Michigan. The study is headed by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension plant pathologist Bhabesh Dutta and researchers from Michigan State University.

Using horticultural oil sprays as an integrated pest management strategy to control San Jose scale in peach trees can be an effective alternative to chemical applications, and a University of Georgia study finds that the best control comes after trees have been pruned, allowing for lower application rates than previously recommended.

If they start now, Georgia organic farmers can use mulch and cultivation to manage young weeds, according to Juan Carlos Diaz-Perez, vegetable scientist on the University of Georgia Tifton campus. If weeds are not controlled successfully and are allowed to grow throughout May and June, they can compete with crops for nutrients, water and sunlight.

There are more than 6,000 species of lady beetles in the world, most having different natural histories and roles in their environments. Being able to identify the different species is vital to understanding them, and knowing what they look like is typically a major part of that process.

With the current focus on local food and farm-to-table eating, it’s hard to remember that 20 years ago very few people cared where their tomatoes came from. 

With spring right around the corner, many small growers are getting ready for this year’s farmer’s market and consumer-supported agriculture (CSA) season.

While the use of beneficial insects and other biocontrols for agricultural pest management hasn’t gained widespread usage in open field production, some Georgia farmers are using natural control methods in greenhouse and high-tunnel production.

The University of Georgia has been awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop organic methods of controlling the Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD).