Once a nuisance for soybean farmers in the Southeast, kudzu bug populations appear to be declining in the U.S. The decline began in 2014 and is believed to have been brought on by two of the kudzu bug’s natural predators: a fungus and a wasp.

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.

Ann M. Steensland, deputy director for the Global Harvest Initiative, will deliver the keynote address at this year’s Sixth Annual International Agriculture Day reception. The event will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, at the Georgia Museum of Art. Hosted by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Office of Global Programs, the talk and reception are free and open to the public.

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.

Many food items, including fresh fruits and vegetables, would never make it to grocery store or farmers market shelves without the help of beneficial insects like honeybees and butterflies. The number of these pollinating insects in the U.S. is declining, and to help, Georgia agricultural experts developed a statewide plan to teach gardeners and landscapers how to care for their plants and protect these vulnerable insects that are vital to food production.

For John McCormick, farming is a tradition. His ability to help his farm evolve over the years earned him the title of “Georgia Farmer of the Year.” The Sylvania, Georgia, corn, peanut and soybean farmer was in Atlanta, Georgia, this week to be honored by Gov. Nathan Deal as part of Deal’s Ag Awareness Day at the Georgia Capitol.

University of Georgia Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten helped shine a light on the role that UGA Cooperative Extension plays in the lives of Georgians and the state’s economy during a visit to Tifton, Georgia, this week.

The University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the Graduate School jointly hosted a graduate research event, focusing specifically on research conducted in south Georgia.

The possibility of sicklepod becoming resistant to herbicides is a potential concern for all Georgia peanut farmers, said Eric Protsko, a weed scientist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.