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| This Week's Titles: |
| Get
Spring Garden Sites Checked Now |
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Positive Signs For Cotton
Market Prices |
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| Small
Wheat Plants Causing Concern |
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| Having
Surgery to Lose Weight |
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| Farmers
Could See Higher Peanut Prices |
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| Get
Spring Garden Sites Checked Now |
1:33 |
The new year is still young,
but it's time to start thinking about your 2003 spring garden. |
Many gardeners wonder why
their snap beans, peas, and butterbeans look sick and tired
during the spring months. Those plants are probably hungry,
because they did not receive the nutrients they need. But you
can help your garden get off to a good start by taking soil
sample from that garden site while the weather is cold. Wade
Hutcheson, a county extension agent in Spalding County says
soil testing now will allow you to correct nutrient problems
in plenty of time, especially if the soil needs lime. "And it
takes lime, you know, six weeks or better to react with the
soil and cause that desired change so by doing that checkup
now, the gardener has time to get the lime out, get it into
the garden spots, so that it has caused it's desired change,
ready to go to work come spring planting time." Wade Hutcheson
with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences, who adds using lime could help keep
blossom end rot away from tomatoes, melons, okra, and squash
this year. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Positive
Signs For Cotton Market Prices |
1:37 |
Market prices for cotton are
showing signs of a comeback in 2003. |
Last year cotton production
worldwide was down eleven percent from 2001. Despite the drop
in cotton production, the demand for cotton is expected to go
up about 2.4 percent from 2001. Don Shurley, an agricultural
economist with the University of Georgia Extension Service says
the situation with world cotton stocks could encourage prices
to go up. "If we look at the stock situation, world stocks at
the end of this 2002-2003 crop marketing year are currently
projected to be 38 million bales. That's down eighteen percent
from 2001, and if we reach that level, it would be the lowest
level since 1995." Don Shurley with the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences . The university economist cautions
it's still early, and some of the factors could change. But
right now the supply-and-demand numbers are supporting higher
cotton prices for farmers this year. John Harrell, University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Small
Wheat Plants Causing Concern |
1:21 |
Small wheat plants in fields
have many farmers concerned. |
Much of Georgia's 2003
wheat crop was planted late, due to wet conditions this fall.
Dewey Lee, an agronomist with the University of Georgia Extension
Service says cold temperatures and wet soils continue to make
it hard for wheat plants to grow. "And so it's very, very small.
It hasn't had much good growing weather, and soils have been
wet, and so that's got a lot of growers concerned." Dewey Lee
with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The university scientist advises farmers to check their wheat
fields closely during mid to late January. If stem growth is
below normal, Lee recommend adding thirty to forty pounds of
nitrogen, to help the plants start growing, when warmer weather
arrives in February. John Harrell, University of Georgia College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Having
Surgery To Lose Weight |
1:38 |
Some people are considering
surgery to help them lose weight. |
Weight loss surgery, also
know as stomach stapling, has gained a lot of attention the
last few years. Reports indicate there were around 62,000 weight-loss
surgeries performed in the United States last year. But a nutrition
specialist with the University of Georgia Extension Service
says weight loss surgery is not for all people who are overweight.
"Weight loss surgery is only recommended for people who are
considered morbidly obese, and by that, that means that they're
a hundred percent over ideal body weight or they have a BMI
or body mass index of forty or above. So this is for someone
who is extremely obese who cannot move around very easily, who
cannot take off the weight." That was Kelly Cordray with the
College of Family and Consumer Sciences, who adds a candidate
for weight loss surgery must also be fully evaluated by a medical
doctor, psychiatrist, and a dietitian. After surgery the person
must not overeat, which could lead to serious intestinal problems.
Lifelong follow-up and regular monitoring must be carried out
to prevent nutritional problems, and increase the chances of
desired weight loss. John Harrell, University of Georgia College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Farmers
Could See Higher Peanut Prices |
1:33 |
Peanut farmers could see higher
market prices in 2003. |
Many farmers must think
long and hard to find anything positive about the 2002 peanut
crop. Drought and the tomato spotted wilt virus caused most
of the crop to wither away in the fields. A wet fall also made
it hard to get what was left of the crop harvested. But an agricultural
economist with the University of Georgia Extension Service says
there are some early signs that may cause market prices to move
up. "However carry over stocks will be drawn down by over a
third thus, if we do have an increase in demand above USDA projections
or a decrease in production in 2003, that should prove positive
for peanut prices." That was Nathan Smith with the College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. To get better-than-average
prices in 2003, the university economist advises growers to
watch the markets closely. Like other commodities, peanut market
prices are easily swayed by the latest news on supply and demand.
Farmers are also hoping for an increase in foreign demand for
peanut products, which could also increase their paychecks next
fall. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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