News

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.  

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.

That pile of soil you bought at the home improvement store may contain more than just dirt, according to new research from the University of Georgia. A new UGA study found high levels of multidrug-resistant fungi in commercially available compost, soil and flower bulbs. Aspergillus fumigatus is a widespread fungus that thrives in soil. But it also poses a serious risk to human health if inhaled. People with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to the opportunistic fungus.

With record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather escalating, the threats posed by climate change are intensifying — but the plants of tomorrow could help us meet the massive challenges of our warming planet. Plant genetics research at the University of Georgia spans schools, departments, disciplines and centers. From the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, UGA faculty with genetics expertise are seeking plant-based solutions to societal challenges.

In most respects, May 6, 2022, was a typical school day for Amy Paulk Grist. Tift County High School buzzed with end-of-the-year activities. Tift County is the only high school serving Tifton, Georgia, a mostly rural community off I-75, just an hour north of the Florida border. A veteran economics teacher of more than a decade, Amy was wrapping up another successful year at the high school of nearly 2,300 students when her vision started to blur. Something wasn’t right.

Pearl millet, an annual grass used for grain and forage, can be a good food source for honey bees and hover flies, according to a recent study. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service and University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences researchers studied the impact of pearl millet as a source of insect food by surveying insects collecting and consuming the sucrose-rich pollen of this crop.

For Joseph McHugh, a career as an entomologist was never in question: He became fascinated by insects and their diversity in grade school and his passion never wavered. This year, his internationally recognized leadership in the field he loves was rewarded as he was named the Herbert H. and Jean A. Ross Memorial Distinguished Professor of Insect Systematics and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Situated on 250 acres in Perry, Georgia, next to the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter and at the heart of the state's agricultural landscape, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Grand Farm are coming together to build the University of Georgia Grand Farm, a working innovation farm with plans to deploy the first field projects in 2025.

In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly established June 7 as World Food Safety Day to bring awareness of foodborne risks and “to celebrate the myriad benefits of safe food.” With 25 faculty members involved in food safety microbiology, the University of Georgia has one of the largest teams of food safety researchers of any university. Their research and collaboration efforts contribute to a growing body of knowledge that ensures producers and consumers have the latest information about food safety.