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| This Week's Titles: |
| University
Research That Could End Pump Pain |
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Irrigation Technology Studied
In Other States |
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| Early
Fall Adtivites For Landowners |
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| E-Coli
Outbreak Concerns the Nation |
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| Contest
Helps Children Learn About Radon |
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| University
Research That Could Ease Pump Pain |
1:31 |
Research at the University
of Georgia may help potatoes make a comeback in Georgia, and
help ease gas pains when our vehicles are running on empty. |
Most of us have experienced
pump shock when we pay around three dollars a gallon to gas
up our vehicles. At the University of Georgia, research is underway
to find ways to convert products from row crops into ethanol.
The research could also provide Georgia farmers a reason to
once again grow sweet potatoes. "And we used to be a big producer
of sweet potatoes at one point, about eighty years ago in this
state and it's since dwindled. And one of the reasons was we
didn't produce real good potatoes for the fresh market that
were appearing to be good potatoes, so the ethanol from potatoes
is a good thing to do with some of the culls that we have and
diseased potatoes so, that kind of launched that effort." That
was Tom Adams with the faculty of engineering at the University
of Georgia. Research is also taking place that is studying ways
to produce ethanol from peaches, watermelons, and other fruit
crops. Early results are encouraging, but much more research
must be conducted before motorists can expect relief at the
pump from renewable fuels from potatoes and other row crops.
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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| Irrigation
Technology Studied In Other States |
1:28 |
Irrigation technology developed
at the University of Georgia's Tifton Campus is being studied
in several states throughout the South. |
Variable-rate irrigation
uses computer maps, sensors, and software to control where and
how much water the nozzles on a center pivot system sprays on
crops. Calvin Perry, an engineer with the University of Georgia's
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences says this
technology can help farmers improve yields, and conserve water.
"Conserve water while actually increasing yields, possibly increasing
quality, maybe reduce disease in crops like peanuts where you're
managing water better it's certainly a win-win situation. You
certainly don't want to be wasting water where you don't have
crops planted, you want to put it where it'll do the most good."
Calvin Perry with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. Studies are currently underway in South Carolina and
Arkansas using variable-rate irrigation. Scientists in Mississippi,
Florida, and Texas have also expressed an interest in studying
this technology, to help farmers in their states manage water
better, while making sure crops get the moisture they need to
produce good yields. 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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| Early
Fall Activities For Landowners |
1:27 |
Landowners need to take care
of several activities in their timber stands during early fall. |
Fall is the season when
cool, winds blow through pine trees in timber stands, and chase
away the summer heat and humidity. David Moorhead, a forester
with the University of Georgia's Warnel School of Forestry and
Natural Resources says fall is the time to order pine seedlings,
to be ready when the time arrives for planting. "First off it's
time to order those pine seedlings from the nursery so you won't
run low when it comes time to plant later on this season. For
those of you planting long leaf pine or need to replant stands
from last year this is a perfect time to begin. Seedlings are
available from the nurseries and planting containerized seedlings
in the fall helps capture the value of a container grown seedling."
David Moorhead with the University of Georgia. Landowners that
plan to conduct a control burn in late fall and winter should
begin making early preparations. Walk through the stand you
want to burn, and locate areas where fire breaks may be needed.
Also, check the condition of previous fire breaks, and determine
if they can provide adequate protection to keep a fire from
spreading. 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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| E-Coli
Outbreak Concerns The Nation |
1:39 |
Many people across the nation
continue to express concern about the recent E-coli outbreak. |
One death has been confirmed,
and more than 170 people have become sick because they ate spinach
contaminated with an E-coli pathogen. Mike Doyle, Director of
the Center for Food Safety with the University of Georgia's
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences says the
source of this E-coli outbreak appears to be bagged, raw spinach.
He adds the spinach has been traced to farms in California near
Sacramento. Reports indicate this is not the first time an E-coli
outbreak has been associated with raw vegetables. "Since 1998
we've had at least twelve foodborne outbreaks associated with
pre-packaged lettuce and tomatoes and melons and spinach. So
this is not new. We've know about E-coli 0157 in vegetables
for quite some time now." Mike Doyle with the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, who adds commercial vegetable growers
in Georgia are not affected by this outbreak, since very little
lettuce and spinach are grown in the state. Most of the greens
grown in Georgia are collards, turnips, mustard, and kale. The
food safety expert, along with the FDA advises consumers to
avoid eating raw, bagged spinach and fresh spinach while the
current E-coli outbreak is being investigated. 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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| Contest
Helps Children Learn About Radon |
1:41 |
A national poster contest is
helping children learn about the dangers of a silent killer. |
Radon is the second leading
cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is an invisible,
odorless, and tasteless gas that can easily enter any type of
home. Radon kills more Americans than drunk drivers. Many children
have little knowledge about this dangerous gas. The National
Radon Poster Contest helps students ages nine to fourteen learn
about the hazards of radon. Becky Chenhall, a county extension
agent in Walton County says students anywhere in the state can
make a poster, and enter the contest. "And all they have to
do is to either draw a poster about radon or make a poster on
the computer about radon, there's two categories, the computer
and the hand drawn. Becky Chenhall with the University of Georgia's
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who adds
each poster must be a specific size, eleven by seventeen inches.
National winners will receive an all expense paid trip to Washington,
D.C. State winner will receive cash prizes, trophies, and certificates.
The deadline for submitting posters is around Friday, October
6. Students interested in creating a poster for the National
Radon Poster Contest can get more information from their local
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Office. 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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