General Agriculture
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Scale insects are common pests of landscape trees and shrubs that are often overlooked when scouting. Scales can be responsible for chlorosis, branch die-back, and ultimately, plant death. Scales are broadly categorized as either soft scales or armored scales. Soft scales produce a soft, cottony, powdery, or waxy substance that cannot be separated from the scale body. Common soft scales in Georgia include Indian wax scales, Florida wax scales, brown soft scales, oak lecanium scales, magnolia scales, cottony maple scales, cottony camellia scales, cottony cushion scales, and azalea bark scales. Armored scales have a hard, shield-like cover that is not attached to the body of the insect. Common armored scales in Georgia include tea scales, euonymus scales, obscure scales, false oleander scales, juniper scales, and gloomy scales.
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The red-headed flea beetle is a serious insect pest in ornamental nurseries. It is also referred to as the “cranberry flea beetle” in cranberry and blueberry systems in the Northern U.S. The adult beetle causes serious feeding damage to the foliage of a variety of woody and herbaceous container plants in nurseries. As the name suggests, the flea beetle jumps when disturbed, similar to a dog flea. A native pest, this insect is present in central and eastern U.S. regions.
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The tea scale is a serious economic pest of several ornamental plants in nurseries and landscapes in Georgia, including camellias and hollies. Tea scales are armored scales that cause yellowing of the leaf tissue, and under severe infestations, they can cause plant death. These pests undergo multiple overlapping generations per year and are very challenging to control. It usually takes two to three years to bring the infestations under control after the application of effective insecticides.
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Chilli thrips is an invasive thrips species in the United States. Chilli thrips infest more than 150 crops worldwide, including strawberries, cotton, tea, citrus, and peppers, as well as many ornamental plants. The pest has become increasingly problematic in nurseries because of its wide host range, small size, and rapid reproduction and development. In Georgia, chilli thrips were first reported in 2007.
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B 1580
Poinsettia Production
Poinsettia is an important ornamental crop and holiday flower. This publication provides in-depth information on poinsettia production and helps growers with plant production planning and management. It also covers poinsettia history, economics, and details the management of growing media, irrigation, and pests.
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Magnolias, which are evergreen trees and shrubs, are a common landscape plant species in the southern U.S. Magnolia scale, native to the eastern U.S., is a serious pest of both native and non-native magnolias. Magnolia scale is found in 29 states in the U.S. and can reach the size of a human thumb, making it one of the largest scales in the country. It exclusively feeds on magnolias found in ornamental landscapes.
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Oat okara, the nutritious byproduct of oat milk processing, is rich in protein and dietary fiber. Current practices often discard okara or use it as animal feed. Produced in large quantities, it represents not only a sustainability challenge but also a significant economic opportunity. With potential applications in food fortification and as a cost-effective ingredient in baked goods, snacks, and more, utilizing oat okara can reduce waste and add value to the production chain. Unlocking its potential benefits both the environment and the food industry.
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There are many ways to define what it means to be sustainable. There is increased demand for agricultural production transparency to ensure that food and fiber products are being produced sustainably. To this end, Field to Market: Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture has developed the Fieldprint Calculator through the Fieldprint Platform to help farmers of major commodity crops measure their on-farm sustainability by entering in their yearly management practices. This Extension publication defines sustainability, describes the use of the Fieldprint Calculator, and explains how growers can use this program to measure sustainable progress made on their farms. This publication was produced in collaboration with the University of Tennessee and Field to Market.
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Lime mud is a by-product produced in pulp mills as part of the process that turns wood chips into pulp for paper. The pulp mill cooks wood chips with sodium hydroxide to extract the wood fiber used to make paper from the lignin that binds the wood together. During this process, sodium hydroxide is converted to sodium carbonate. The pulp mill than adds calcium oxide, also known as quicklime, to convert the sodium carbonate back to sodium hydroxide in order to use it again. In the process, calcium carbonate is formed.
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