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| This Week's Titles: |
| Training
Front Line Disaster Defenders |
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Turning Down The Heat In
Onions |
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| Keeping
Adult Halloween Parties Safe |
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| College
Scientists Working With Wasp Hounds |
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| University
Project Helps Teach Science |
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| Training
Front Line Disaster Defenders |
1:36 |
The University of Georgia is
training people for front line defense if a disaster threatens
the states's food production. |
Georgian's were shocked
and horrified when they saw the widespread and quick destruction
of food supplies along the Central Gulf Coast caused by Hurricane
Katrina. It also brought home the importance of being prepared
before a disaster strikes. Scientists with the University of
Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
have been training farmers, public health officials, and other
emergency management personnel about the importance of agro-security
awareness. Dana Lynch, a county extension agent in Monroe County
says a lot of people would feel serious effects if the state's
food supply takes a direct hit. "That in turn could devastate
our economy, every way of life because agriculture is so intensive
to everything that we do that we would definitely see major
things happen just like we did from Katrina." That was Dana
Lynch with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Training was also held concerning
food supply threats from terrorists, and accidental contamination.
This important training will help ag workers and emergency responders
be ready to respond rapidly and effectively to an emergency
situation, before it chokes off the state's food supply. 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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| Turning
Down The Heat In Onions |
1:31 |
Consumers could soon feel less
heat when they bite into onions, thanks to college research. |
A lot of onions, including
the sweet Vidalia onions turn up the heat inside the mouth of
an onion lover. Scientists with the University of Georgia's
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences found high
levels of sulfur in the soil helps add the heat to onions. They
also found applying calcium chloride in the soil could reduce
sulfur levels in onion fields. "We find out that calcium more
specifically chloride competes with uptake of sulfur by the
onions and when that happens you don't get the burning. This
gives the farmer now, who is trying to produce a mild onion
another tool in their arsenal so that they can grow a sweeter,
more mild onion." That was Bill Randle with the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Results of the research have been
positive. By using calcium chloride, local sulfur taken up by
onions was reduced up to forty-five percent. This helped bring
the heat down in onions by about thirty-five percent. So onion
lovers should soon be enjoying sweet, milder onions. 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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| Keeping
Adult Halloween Parties Safe |
1:28 |
Adults that are involved with
Halloween parties need to also keep safety as a top priority,
to reduce the chances of getting spooked by an accident. |
When the Halloween season
arrives, we always hear about safety concerns for children that
are out in the streets trick-or-treating. With Halloween parties
for adults increasing, safety is now a concern for adult party
goers. Don Bower, a Human Development Specialist with the University
of Georgia Extension Service says there are safety concerns,
especially on Halloween night, when adults are having parties,
and children are out trick-or-treating. "Many of the adult parties
of course include alcohol of some sort. When the adult parties
fall on the same night that trick-or-treating goes on and lots
of kids are out walking the streets, of course it's a dangerous
combination if people have been drinking and then choose to
drive and there are lots of pedestrians out at the same time."
Don Bower with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Adults that plan to host a Halloween party this year should
monitor the amount of alcohol served. Also, make sure designated
drivers are available. When the partying ends and it's time
to drive home, use extra caution to keep Halloween night safe
for you and the young ghosts and goblins out on the streets.
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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| College
Scientists Working With Wasp Hounds |
1:32 |
College scientists are using
wasp hounds to sniff out problems in certain row crops. |
You won't see these wasp
hounds flying low over fields sniffing for problems. The wasp
hound is a portable nose that works with a computer to monitor
the behavior of parasitic wasps. Glen Rains, a scientist with
the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences says these wasps have been trained to respond to a
scent emitted by certain disease organisms and insects that
cause a lot of problems for farmers. "So far we've trained them
to scent the odor associated with fungal pathogens that grow
on plants or the fungal pathogens that create aflatoxin They
go out searching for caterpillars like the cotton boll worm,
or corn earworm. So in their natural environment they're actually
using odors to navigate towards these hosts." Glen Rains with
the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who
started his research with wasp hounds in the late nineties.
More research is still needed so these wasp hounds can be trained
to detect even more problems in a safe way that won't harm the
environment. 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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| University
Project Helps Teach Science |
1:35 |
A project at the University
of Georgia is helping young students learn the importance of
science at an early age. |
Project FOCUS, which stands
for Fostering Our Community's Understanding of Science, was
created to expose elementary students, from kindergarten through
fifth grade, the excitement of science. The project partners
undergraduate students at the University studying science with
elementary school teachers. The students spend three hours a
week teaching science for an entire semester. David Knauft,
a scientist with the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences says when it's time for science class,
young students show up ready to learn. "First of all they're
excited because a university student has come to visit their
classroom. And then they're pretty well assured that when student
shows up they're going to do something fun and exciting so most
of the time they're on their best behavior." David Knauft with
the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Teachers
in the schools have reported that project FOCUS has allowed
them to teach more science than they would have without the
program. Reports indicate that children also focus harder in
other areas, and improve their scores in math and reading. 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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