Reports in recent years of people getting sick after consuming fruits and vegetables imported from overseas has caused an increase in the use of produce washes in Georgia and the nation. But a food safety specialist with the University of Georgia Extension Service says the produce you buy at grocery stores should be safe, because fruits and vegetables were washed before they arrived at the store. She adds the Food and Drug Administration also safeguards fresh produce by monitoring pesticide residues at wholesale and retail levels. A produce wash will do a good job removing pathogens, but some will be left behind. "Produce washes have been tested and do remove bacteria on things like lettuce and tomatoes and apples, but people should not think that all the bacteria are being removed," says Elizabeth Andress with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Consumers that want cleaner produce but don't want to pay extra money on produce washes can use running water to wash away pathogens and dirt. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Fighting weeds in vegetable crops has been an uphill battle for a long time. Many vegetable crops have limited options for chemical control with herbicides. Stanley Culpepper, a weed scientist with the University of Georgia Extension Service, says slow progress is being made to get herbicides labeled for use in vegetable crops. "This year I think we've got better than ten potential new uses of herbicides alone in vegetable crops, insecticides and fungicides are even greater. It's much easier in general to get an insecticide or fungicide because you don't have to worry about crop tolerance like you do with herbicides," says Stanley Culpepper with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Scientists have been working around twenty-five years to develop an effective weed control program in vegetable crops. Despite the progress and positive developments, a lot more research and work must be done to find an economical, effective system to control weeds in vegetable crops. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Pecan growers in Georgia are expected to harvest around 80 million pounds of pecans this year, which is down from last year's 120 million pounds. But an agricultural economist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences says carryover supplies from last year should help meet the demand for the holidays. He adds consumers should find excellent quality when they purchase pecans. "We got timely rains in September that helped fill the pecans, so the quality should be probably pretty good." That is Wojceich (Voicheck) Florkowski with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds early-season prices for pecans may be a little higher, since the 2000 crop hasn't made it into stores and markets. A large supply of almonds, walnuts and other tree nuts will also be in stores, which will help hold down consumer pecan prices. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Every year farmers face a tough challenge keeping weeds out of peanut fields. Despite their best efforts and a lot of money spent on herbicides, they can't land a knockout punch, and weeds continue to reduce yields. But scientists with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are working with residual and pre-emergence herbicides to provide better weed control in peanuts. Early results have been positive, according to university scientist Ford Easton. "They've done a good job. They're not a cure all, like with the residual herbicides they're not going to give us season long control." That was Ford Easton with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds the new research has found farmers may be able to reduce the number of treatments they apply to peanuts. They also plan to conduct more research and zero in on knocking out Florida beggarweed and bristly starbur, two of the more troublesome weeds in peanuts. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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Communities seeking new or modified wastewater discharge permits must study the impact of their growth on the quality of water in all streams and rivers impacted by the growth. In the late-90s, scientists with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences started working to help cities meet the requirements. The college research helps the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) get the information they need. "So we try to also provide them with some good management plans on what they can do to try to either maintain the good health of their watershed presently or how to restore and enhance some of the areas that there may be some growth in down the road," says David Gattie with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds most of the watershed research has been done with communities in south Georgia. Gattie hopes to expand the research in the coming years to rivers and streams around growing communities in north and central Georgia. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton.

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