Departments and Units Resources
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Under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule, produce operations are mandated to provide training to their workers on the safe handling of produce in fields and in packing operations. Currently, there are few, if any, materials available for these operations to use. As we have conducted Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training across Georgia and throughout other areas, we have been requested to develop these much-needed materials. These materials provide food safety information, consistent with the Produce Safety Rule, for training workers on produce farms and/or farmer/growers of fresh produce and can also be used with low literacy audiences and Spanish speaking audiences as well.
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C 1268
Pruning Muscadine Grapes
Many gardeners don’t realize how vigorously muscadines and grapes must be pruned each season in order to ensure good production. Quality equipment and care also is essential to maintain healthy plants. This video covers the basics of how to properly prune muscadines and bunch grapes. Correct pruning methods are essential for strong fruit production and must be performed annually at the proper time. This video covers timing, tools, and techniques.
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C 1240
Repotting Basics
This publication describes the reasoning behind repotting, as well as container selection, drainage, positioning the plant on an appropriate soil base, examining and attending to root issues, potential root removal and/or redistribution, backfilling, protecting, and watering the plant upon completion of repotting.
As container plants mature, their biomass increases and the roots grow outward and down to collect more water and nutrients. Most container plants tend to become root-bound and dry out quicker than their in-ground counterparts, and these conditions can cause a variety of issues, and lead to stunted growth and poor plant health. To prevent this from happening, it is important to make sure the root system is well dispersed in a healthy soil volume provided by an adequately sized container.
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Well-groomed landscapes are often a result of considerable effort by landscape companies. Employees make them happen with routine care and, above all, attention to detail. A quality landscape and the image employees present on the job speak highly of the professionalism of the firm. Quality control (QC) is everyone’s responsibility and an essential part of a landscaper’s job. This publication describes the basics of creating and implementing a successful quality control program for your landscaping company.
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Landscape professionals must consider many factors when choosing the right flowering annuals to plant for a particular location. Primary considerations include high visual impact, consistent bloom for color, foliage for texture and color, sun exposure, growth habit and low-water tolerance. Cost plays an important role as well. Many landscapers typically choose common annual ornamentals and tropical perennials marketed as annuals. Particular species and cultivars tend to be favored over others for a variety of reasons; these are the bread-and-butter plants, such as cool-season pansies and warm-season petunias. Because of this, staple plants tend to be planted year after year, often in the same bed – a recipe for disease build-up, pesticide applications, loss of plants, plant replacement, dissatisfied customers, and ultimately, lower profit margins. This publication explains how to effectively use crop rotation and cultural practices to reduce disease incidence in seasonal color beds.
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This new regional integrated pest management guide provides recommendations for muscadine grape production in the Southeastern U.S. Recommendations are based on information from the manufacturer’s label and performance data from research and Extension field tests. This publication is intended for use only as a guide. Specific rates and application methods are on the pesticide label, and these are subject to change at any time.
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Cotton byproducts offer a variety of feed ingredients that can lower the cost of beef cattle production. Cottonseed meal and whole cottonseed can be used in rations for any class of cattle. Gin trash and cottonseed hulls are low-energy feedstuffs that are used as a roughage source in high energy diets or as a partial energy replacement in mature cow diets. Cotton stalk residue can maintain a dry pregnant cow and will provide enough grazing for approximately 1 month if left standing or for three weeks if mowed prior to grazing. A reduction in fertility should not be a concern when recommended feeding rates are followed.
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Temperatures affects plant growth and distribution. This publication explains how low temperatures (chilling and freezing) affect plant growth in production greenhouses, nurseries, and landscapes. These three environments have different causes and effects, each requiring unique responses to avoid injury. This publication outlines different techniques that can be used to avoid cold injury to plants.
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The southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis Barber, is a serious insect pest of turfgrass, especially St. Augustinegrass, in Georgia. Bermudagrass, centipedegrass, and zoysiagrass are also attacked by southern chinch bug. They feed on grass using their piercing and sucking mouthparts. Affected turfgrass can form yellow to brown patches that are sometimes mistaken as indicators of disease or drought stress. Populations of southern chinch bug can build up at the edges of these patches at over 100 individuals per square foot, which can kill the affected grass. The development of southern chinch bug in the grass can easily go unnoticed because of their small size and dark-gray color, which blends in with thatch. This publication summarizes the biology, lifecycle and management options available for southern chinch bug in Georgia.
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