Departments and Units Resources
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C 576
Dahlias
Dahlias are among the most spectacular flowers you can grow in your garden. Hundreds of varieties are available, with flower sizes ranging from 1 to 14 inches in diameter. Almost any color except true
blue can be produced in Georgia. In exchange for their beauty, dahlias require dedicated care. Most of them need special soil preparation, staking, watering during dry periods, disbudding and a
strict insect control program. This publication contains information about successfully growing dahlias in Georgia.Paul A. Thomas and Bodie V. Pennisi
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The Joro spider is native to East Asia and was first detected in Georgia in 2014. It is found in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and is spreading to adjacent regions. It has one generation per year in its native range.
Adult females become sexually mature in September and early October. The female’s body is bright yellow with broad, horizontal bluish-green bands on the top side of the abdomen, and large red markings on the bottom side of the abdomen. She also has long, black legs with yellow-orange bands or—rarely—all black legs. Adult males mature by late August. The male’s cephalothorax is light brown with two dark brown long bands on both sides. His abdomen is elongate-oval with a greenish-brown topside that has two yellowish long stripes on both sides of the dark brown middle line.
Are Joros disrupting the ecosystem and displacing native species? This is a big question that a newly formed team of scientists is working on. However, we also need your help. The first thing we need to know is where Joro spiders are. Use the Joro Watch website (https://jorowatch.org) or the EDDMapS app to submit observations from parks, forests, and even your own yard. Fill out the report form and, if you can, count how many Joro spiders you see and upload pictures.
William G. Hudson, Rebekah Danielle Wallace, Jason Schmidt, Richard Hoebeke, and E. Richard Hoebeke
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This publication provides information on pulse width modulation (PWM) technology including its working principle, components, benefits, and best management practices for its optimal utilization on agricultural sprayers. Agricultural sprayers are commonly used for pesticide applications and come in various design types and sizes, including three-point hitch, pull-behind, and self-propelled. During pesticide applications, maintaining a target application rate across the whole field is important for effective pest management. On sprayers with traditional flow-based control systems, the liquid flow rate is regulated to account for ground speed variations by adjusting the spray pressure. However, this becomes an issue when spray pressure reaches outside the narrow operating range of the selected nozzle and results in non-uniform droplet size and pattern. Higher spray pressures at faster travel speeds produce finer droplets which are more prone to spray drift; applications at lower pressures produce coarser spray droplets and reduce spray fan angle. Pulse width modulation technology was developed to overcome this pressure variation issue; pulse width modulation does not rely on spray pressure to regulate system flow rate with changes in ground speed. In pulse width modulation systems, the flow rate is varied by changing the intermittent cycling of the electronically actuated solenoid valves while the system pressure remains constant throughout the boom.
Simerjeet Virk
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Squash (Cucurbita spp.) is a member of the cucurbit family, which consists of a number of warm-season vegetables. Another broad group of squash called winter squash. Each group is classified into several types based on fruit shape and color. Warm-season squash are harvested while immature while winter squash are harvested at maturity.
Timothy Coolong and W. Terry Kelley
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This horticulture publication is about the commercial production of southern peas.
Darbie M. Granberry and Timothy Coolong
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Clean water for cattle is important for animal health and production and water delivery systems require routine maintenance and monitoring.
Raymond Fitzpatrick, Martin Wunderly, Shanna Reynolds, Robyn Stewart, and Pedro Fontes
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The sugarcane beetle has been a significant pest of many crops, including sugarcane, corn, sweet potato, and rice, for more than 100 years. It is a native species commonly found in turfgrass. While low numbers of beetles in an area generally are not regarded as pests, increasing numbers of adult beetles have been causing damage to turfgrass stands throughout the Southeastern U.S.
The adult sugarcane beetle is about ½ in. long, and is black with small punctures along the elytra, or wing covers, that create long, lengthwise stripes. Its first pair of legs have four serrations that make the beetle a strong digger. As a result, adults are known to damage asphalt roofs, door gaskets, and other soft structural elements
when lights attract them to buildings. The larvae of sugarcane beetles are C-shaped grubs, which are similar in appearance to other white grub species. Third-instar larvae can reach up to 1¼ in. long and are identified by their creamy white bodies with reddish-brown head capsules.William G. Hudson, Clint Waltz, and Shimat V. Joseph
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In commercial poultry houses, bird density and distribution in drinking, feeding, and
resting zones are critical factors for evaluating flock productivity, bird health, and well-being. Proper distribution of chickens in the house greatly influences animal well-being and house environmental management. Currently, routine daily inspection of broiler flock distribution in commercial grow-out houses is done manually, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. UGA poultry science researchers currently are developing an automated imaging system for monitoring floor distribution of chickens.Ongoing studies are focusing on detection of individual chickens with different gait scores in the research facility. It’s challenging to track individual birds with early health or welfare concerns using a computer vison-based method, but it is necessary and critical for producers to identify birds with well-being concerns and address those issues quickly.
Sammy E. Aggrey, Casey W. Ritz, Todd Applegate, Lilong Chai, and Adelumola Oladeinde
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Boom sprayer calibration using conventional methods (catching flow for certain time or distance) for large (60-90 ft; 54-72 nozzles) boom sprayers can be a time-consuming process. This short publication outlines steps to take to verify nozzle output and calibrate a boom sprayer, including tables with useful information on flow rates at multiple speeds for two common nozzle spacings and an equation for calculating rates if needed.
Eric P. Prostko and Simerjeet Virk
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