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| This Week's Titles: |
| Blood
Pressure Levels Rising In Children |
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Protect Yourself From The
West Nile Virus |
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| Internet
Technology Coming To Georgia Farms |
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| Thirsty
Corn Plants May Need Irrigation |
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| Soybean
Market Prices Stage Big Rally |
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| Blood
Pressure Levels Rising In Children |
1:41 |
A lot of children may be getting
an early blood pressure warning about their health. |
Over the past several years,
several doctors have noticed an increasing number of children
with higher blood pressure levels. Connie Crawley, a nutrition
and health specialist with the University of Georgia Extension
Service says one reason for the rise in blood pressure is more
children are overweight, and obese. She adds this should be
an alarming sign to everyone, because these children could face
serious health problems when they become adults. "Yes, we probably
are really going to have a whole generation now that may start
having heart attacks and strokes at very early ages instead
of having them when they're fifty, sixty, or seventy, they're
going to start having them when they're thirty, forty, and fifty
so we may see a lot of change in the incidence of heart attack
and stroke in the next twenty years." Connie Crawley with the
College of Family and Consumer Sciences, who adds there are
several simple but effective steps that can be taken to lower
a child's blood pressure. The university specialist says children
should eat more fruits and vegetables, and cut back on snacks
that contain a lot of sugar, sodium, and fat. Children that
take part in an hour of active play everyday are also less likely
to have elevated blood pressure at an early age. 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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| Protect
Yourself From The West Nile Virus |
1:33 |
Georgian's will need to protect
themselves from the threat of West Nile Virus again in 2004. |
Many people assume this
year's dry weather will knock back mosquito numbers, since a
lot of standing water has dried up. But an entomologist with
the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences says species of mosquitoes that cause West Nile Virus
can still find plenty of water to reproduce, and remain a threat.
"Species that transmits it seems to be developing in the storm
drains primarily or very commonly. And so when it doesn't rain
the water stands and we actually get more of that species, the
Southern house mosquito." That was Elmer Gray with the College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds so far,
only one bird infected with the West Nile Virus has been found
along the coast in Southeast Georgia. The peak season for infection
normally extends from mid-August through mid-September. Georgian's
can protect themselves from mosquitoes by applying a repellent
that contains deet, when sharing an area with mosquitoes. Also
dump water out of buckets, birdbaths, and other containers so
mosquitoes won't be able to breed into large numbers. 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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| Internet
Technology Coming To Georgia Farms |
1:30 |
The internet may soon be working
on farms in the state. |
Many Georgian's now use
the internet to shop on line, and find answers to problems and
questions. Stuart Pocknee, a scientist with the University of
Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
says farmers may soon call up the internet with a computer when
they need a job done on the farm. "Let's say you have a pump
out there that you need to turn on well you just send it a digital
message say turn on, or maybe what you want to do is say ok
maybe it's not an electric pump maybe it's a diesel powered
pump and you want to see how much fuel's left in the tank well
you just sort of browse your web browser over that diesel tank's
web page and it can have what the level of the amount of diesel
left in the tank is." Stuart Pocknee with the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Many variables still have to be
overcome on a farm with wireless technology, such as trees,
hills, and extended distances. But newer wireless technology
products are more versatile, and could help make farming easier
and more efficient in this century. 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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| Thirsty
Corn Plants May Need Irrigation |
1:26 |
Much of Georgia's 2004 corn
crop is wilting to the sky, as it calls out for rain. |
Growers had hoped the days
of seeing thirsty corn plants twisting in the mid-spring air
got washed away with last year's rainfall. But an engineer with
the University of Georgia Extension Service says much of the
state's corn crop could face more dry weather stress in the
coming days. "Ah, yes, it's going to get worse in the next couple
of weeks, particularly as the corn goes from the vegetative
to the reproductive stage, starts tasseling, we'll increase
that daily water use to easily point three inches per day."
Kerry Harrison with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, who adds corn that needs the most moisture is in Central
and South Georgia, since it was planted earlier. Corn in North
Georgia still has several weeks before it enters its critical
periods of growth. Much of the North Georgia corn crop has also
benefitted from rains in early to mid-May. 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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| Soybean
Market Prices Stage Big Rally |
1:30 |
Soybean farmers may finally
have a chance to make a good profit. |
Market prices for soybeans
have nearly doubled since last August, creating a lot of talk
and speculation among growers. George Shumaker, an agricultural
economist with the University of Georgia Extension Service says
the spurt in prices went beyond everyone's expectations. "Prices
made a seasonal low back on August 1, of 03 at about $5.32 and
have since rallied to over $10.00 in early April and have remained
near or above that level since then. Hopefully our farmers have
been able to take advantage of the rally and sell their stored
soybeans at prices well above what we all expected to get for
them." George Shumaker with the College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences. The university economist adds growers
can take advantage of these good market prices by forward pricing
a portion of their 2004 soybean crop. This would allow them
to have the other portion available to sell later in case the
rally continues and bumps prices even higher. 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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