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.

Three University of Georgia professors were among the 79 individuals who completed the 14th class of the LEAD21 leadership-development program. Scott Jackson, Dean Pringle and Manpreet Singh, all faculty in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, represented UGA in the program, which is designed for land-grant institutions and their strategic partners from across the nation.

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.

Georgia 4-H is searching for adult volunteer leaders for this summer’s 2019 Military Teen Summits coordinated by the Georgia 4-H Military Partnership. The summits will occur in Jekyll Island, Georgia, Dahlonega, Georgia, and Estes Park, Colorado, through funding provided by several entities. The camps begin in June and conclude in early-August.

As we celebrate National Agriculture Week 2019, many in the Southeast are still struggling to recover from hurricanes, tornadoes, whitefly outbreaks and record-breaking rainfall. Nature is both the nemesis and nurturer of agriculture - the ultimate “can’t live with it, can’t live without it” dilemma.

Humans have used herbs since early times for medicinal purposes, for flavoring food and for fragrance. Their magical properties are entwined in the lore of many cultures and their flavor has added distinctive character to numerous regional dishes. Many modern medicines include plant parts from herbs in either a natural or synthesized state. And there is a growing field of research in pharmacognosy, as scientists look again at herbal remedies.

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.

The key to successfully growing delicious vegetables is maintaining high-quality soil. We sometimes neglect to protect our soil, then rainfall comes and erosion carries our crops away. Erosion control is something that must be considered in gardens because it can protect the precious soils.

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.