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| This Week's Titles: |
| Slowing
The Advance Of Tropical Spiderwort |
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Helping Football Teams
Beat The Summer Heat |
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| Scratching
Heads About Head Lice |
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| Wet
Weather Problems In Home Gardens |
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| Concerns
About Declining High School Graduates |
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| Slowing
The Advance Of Tropical Spiderwort |
1:37 |
College scientists are working
to stop the advance of a destructive weed that invaded the state. |
Tropical spiderwort is
a noxious, invasive weed that was first observed in the United
States in the 1920's. The weed has also moved into Georgia,
and has spread into a large part of the state. The weed can
cause a lot of problems and yield reductions in corn, cotton,
and peanuts. Eric Prostko, a scientist with the University of
Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
says controlling tropical spiderwort will also increase chemical
costs, especially in corn fields. "This weed is going to cause
us to do some things we're not normally used to doing, in the
fall of the year after corn's harvested we're getting ready
to pick peanuts and cotton, and for a grower to think about
either using tillage or herbicides to control tropical spiderwort
after corn harvest is sort of unusual." Eric Prostko with the
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Herbicides
are on the market that will provide some control of tropical
spiderwort in Georgia's row crops, but they do not land a knockout
punch. University scientists continue to test several new control
techniques that could provide complete control of this troublesome
weed, which could save farmers as much as thirteen million dollars
annually. 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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| Helping
Football Teams Beat The Summer Heat |
1:40 |
College scientists have developed
a way to help high school football coaches and players beat
the heat during summer practice. |
When high school football
practice starts up in early August, the heat index, or combination
of temperature and humidity can soar well above one-hundred
degrees. So coaches and trainers have to do all they can to
avoid heat related illnesses. Scientists with the University
of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
implemented a wet bulb globe temperature index. "That it could
have some type of indication about the conditions outside and
when it would be good conditions for the players to go out in
the field and on what times they need to bring them back in
when the conditions were less favorable, and this information
is posted on our web site and it's updated continually as we
download the weather data from our weather stations." That was
Gert Hoogenboom with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. There are currently over sixty cities in Georgia where
the wet bulb globe temperature index can be called up on a computer
at all times during the day. The information will let coaches
and trainers know when hot, humid conditions are unsafe for
football practice. The website for the web bulb globe temperature
index is www.georgiaweather.net. 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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| Scatching
Heads About Head Lice |
1:17 |
Many students and school officials
will once again butt heads with a tiny insect that causes a
lot of frustration. |
Every year a large number
of students are sent home because they were diagnosed carrying
head lice. Gretchen Pettis, a Program Coordinator with the University
of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
says sharing certain items with children with head lice can
spread the tiny creatures. "You know direct head to head contact,
sharing of hats, brushes, combs, headphones are the most likely
ways that children are transmitting these head lice amongst
themselves." Gretchen Pettis with the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, who adds any student can get head
lice; the insects are not choosy when it comes to moving into
a child's hair. To treat head lice, use a medicated shampoo
specifically labeled for head lice. Then comb each section of
a child's hair from the root all the way to the tip with a nit
comb, to remove eggs left behind. Schools should not spray pesticides
in an effort to control head lice. Spraying chemicals will expose
children to more serious health risks, and won't reduce head
lice 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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| Wet
Weather Problems In Home Gardens |
1:18 |
Home gardeners have faced some
challenges this year different from the past several summers. |
In recent years worried
gardeners fought to prevent drought conditions from drying up
plants, and vegetables. This summer above normal rainfall has
put garden plants under stress. Bob Westerfield, a horticulturist
with the University of Georgia Extension Service says gusty
winds associated with Hurricane Dennis in Early July also caused
problems. "We've seen some wind damage on everything from large
trees down to small plants, shrubs, and even out in the vegetable
garden, in fact we've had a time this year having planted a
lot of corn watching it get kind of sideways from the winds."
Bob Westerfield with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, who adds disease pressure always increases in a garden
during a wet spring and summer. Also, home gardeners need to
check their gardens for weeds, since most weeds love the wet
conditions. Weeds pull nutrients from the soil and will stunt
vegetable growth if they get out of control and take over a
garden. 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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| Concerns
About Declining High School Graduates |
1:20 |
New concerns are being expressed
about the falling rate of high school graduates in Georgia and
the Southeast. |
According to a recent report,
high school graduation rates dropped by an average of five percent
in the Southeast from 1992-2002. Diane Bales, a Human Development
Specialist with the University of Georgia Extension Service
says the problem starts before dropouts become adolescents.
"People dropping out of high school doesn't just start with
high school, the educational experiences a child has from early
childhood and certainly from early elementary school on help
to shape their attitude about school." Diane Bales with the
College of Family and Consumer Sciences. The report further
states educational leaders need to attack this problem quickly,
so the graduation rate won't take another drop. This means starting
early, making sure young children are ready for the challenges
they will face when they start that first grade. Parents also
need to get involved, and know what roles they should play to
help children begin the important process of learning with a
positive attitude. 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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