News Stories - Page 8

For some students, heading back to school feels like entering a pressure cooker. Parents can ease anxieties by helping their students develop strategies for handling stressful situations. CAES News
Families should make a plan to manage back-to-school stress
As summer draws to an end, both students and parents need to prepare for the return to school. While a new backpack and a collection of notebooks and pens might top their to-do list, students also need to prepare emotionally, said Diane Bales, a human development specialist for University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and a professor of human development and family science in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Local 4-H students helped install more than 500 plants in the 400-square-foot plot below the mural. (Photo by Sara Ingram) CAES News
Public art helping to revive rural communities
In Buena Vista, a vibrant mural at the corner of North Broad Street and Fifth Avenue catches the eyes of passers-by with its bright blue border. Funded by Flint Energies, the mural tells the story of the longleaf pine forests that once dominated Marion County and the turpentine industry, flora and fauna that the trees supported — from gopher tortoises to bobwhite quail.
SoilMoistureSensorTech CAES News
UGA Extension program helps farmers adopt sustainable irrigation methods
Georgia's leading industry is agriculture, which relies significantly on irrigation — approximately half of the state's cropland is irrigated. For most farmers operating on razor-thin profit margins, irrigation is essential as insurance against drought and extended dry periods. In a concerted effort to address water conservation in agriculture, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Ag Water Team helps farmers adopt water-saving practices that boost yields, lower production costs and conserve water for future generations.
groundnuts CAES News
UGA supports African research network breeding climate-adapted peanuts
More than 4,000 miles separate the capital cities of Senegal in West Africa and Uganda in East Africa. Yet both countries grow peanuts and, like other countries across Africa, farmers there rely on peanuts as a food and cash crop. Five years ago, the researchers who help those farmers – plant breeders from Uganda, Senegal and seven other African countries – formed an organization called the Groundnut Improvement Network for Africa, or GINA, to develop peanut varieties that help African farmers deal with plant diseases and climate change.  
Using the Fulton Fresh Mobile Market truck, Eric McIntosh and Shirley Dodd get ready to hand out free produce bags to attendees of a nutrition class at St. Mark AME Church on June 18. The area is considered a “food desert” because there are no grocery stores. (Photo by Miguel Martinez/AJC) CAES News
Fulton Fresh Mobile Market brings free vegetables to food deserts
The parking lot at St. Mark AME Church on Campbellton Road began to fill up well before 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Fulton Fresh Mobile Market, a white box truck with “Follow me to freshness” painted on the side, was already parked outside as people filed into a large room in the church basement. About 100 people, mostly older adults, came for the presentation and a bag of fresh food. Only half a dozen raised their hands when asked if it was their first visit to Fulton Fresh Mobile Market.
Poison ivy in a forested area. CAES News
Detect and protect: Expert tips to identify and control poison ivy
Poison ivy is a common poisonous plant in Georgia and is infamous for causing allergic reactions for as many as 50 million Americans annually. To manage it effectively and safely, it's important to understand its traits and use the right control methods to deal with this troublesome plant. Mark Czarnota, an associate professor in the University of Georgia Department of Horticulture, provides helpful tips to distinguish poison ivy from common look-alikes and shares several ways to control the irritating plant.
40 Under 40 CAES News
UGA announces 40 Under 40 Class of 2024
The University of Georgia has unveiled the 40 Under 40 Class of 2024, a group of young alumni that includes a deputy national intelligence officer, a senior entertainment writer for Variety, an AI innovator at Microsoft, and more. The 40 Under 40 program celebrates the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful UGA graduates under the age of 40. The latest cohort of young alumni leading the pack includes College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences graduates Chris Chammoun and Tiffany Woods.
The Asian tiger mosquito has been recognized among the world's top 100 worst invaders according to the Global Invasive Species Database. It has an aggressive daytime human-biting behavior and can vector many viruses, including dengue fever and West Nile virus. CAES News
Help prevent the spread of dengue fever
As overnight temperatures increase during the summer, so do mosquito populations, bringing with them the risk of mosquito-borne diseases. In late June, the Centers for Disease Control warned that the U.S. is seeing an increased risk of dengue fever, a sometimes fatal viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes. This disease has been across much of South and Central America and the Caribbean, and with about 1,500 cases, the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has declared a public health emergency over dengue.  
(L-R) Peggy Ozias-Akins and third-year Ph.D. student Yuji Ke working with Pennisetum (pearl millet) hybrids plants in the greenhouse. CAES News
The Plant Center: A nexus for plant research at UGA
The University of Georgia Plant Center is a collection of faculty and scientists from across multiple campuses who share common interests in plant science. From basic science in plant biology and genomics to highly applied projects in genetics and plant breeding, researchers run the gamut of plant-based research. More than 60 faculty are affiliated with the center, hailing from seven departments across four colleges and schools and three separate campuses in Athens, Tifton and Griffin.