What has large, red eyes, translucent wings and an undulating, 7-kilohertz chirp that sounds like the background music to a horror movie? Georgians can find the answer over the next few weeks by traveling north into the state’s mountains to witness the emergence of the latest brood of 17-year periodical cicadas.

University of Georgia plant breeder and geneticist Katrien Devos’ work unraveling the mysteries of pearl millet aims to make subsistence farming communities more food-secure. The pioneering and globally engaged nature of her work earned her one of UGA’s top research awards: the Creative Research Medal.

The key to maximizing water conservation and a lush landscape is an informed use of water. University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) horticulture student Jesse Lafian developed a web-connected soil moisture sensor to help landscape management companies monitor irrigation and enable them to use water wisely.

Gardeners are likely to see a whole community of living things in their compost piles — from millipedes and roaches to worms and small mammals. While most of this activity is natural and great for compost, some uninvited guests can indicate a problem with the compost pile.

With higher temperatures across Georgia, May is the ideal time to consider building a compost bin. The second week of May, May 7–13, is International Compost Awareness Week. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices across the state can supply advice for homeowners who want to start to make the most of their food and yard waste and improve their soil.

My friend Gerald Klingaman, retired horticulturist with the University of Arkansas, uses the term "deutzia renaissance" for the new love surrounding this fuzzy heirloom that has been around for ages. If you haven’t discovered the old-fashioned fuzzy deutzia, then make it a high priority.

University of Georgia Professor Peggy Ozias-Akins has been awarded the title of Distinguished Research Professor, an honor awarded to UGA faculty recognized internationally for their contributions to knowledge and whose work promises to foster continued creativity in their discipline. She and her colleagues have created new and improved plant varieties that are higher yielding, more disease resistant, more nutritious or have greater ornamental value.

Georgia’s pecan industry grew by more than 20,000 new acres in the last five years. Pecans are a booming business in Georgia, but University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist Lenny Wells says that new farmers should go into the venture knowing that pecans are a costly investment.

The 71st annual Southeastern Turfgrass Conference will be held on Tuesday, May 16, at the Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia.