South Georgia Ag Scene January 2019 the Moultrie Observer • the Tifton Gazette • the Valdosta Daily Times • Thomasville Times-Enterprise

South Georgia Ag Scene January 2019 The Moultrie Observer • The Tifton Gazette • The Valdosta Daily Times • Thomasville Times-Enterprise Research vital to solving ag issues...Page 5 194235-1 Page 2 Ag Scene January 2019 January 2019 Ag Scene Page 3 BX Series B Series © Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2018 www.southerntractorandoutdoors.comKubotaUSA.com Optional equipment may be shown. Ready To Work... When You Are! y N. Ready To Work... When You Are! BX Series B Series BXBX Series Series B SeriesSeries BX Series1205 VeteransB Series Parkway N. 2815 Gillionville Rd. Moultrie, GA Albany, GA (229) 985-3882 www.southerntractorandoutdoors.comwww.southerntractorandoutdoors.com (229) 435-2212 193944-1 Ready To Work... When You Are! 195538-1 Ready To Work... When You Are! M Series L Series BX Series B Series BX Series BB Series Series BX Series B Series M Series L Series M Series L Series M Series L Series M Series L Series M Series L Series M Series L Series M Series L Series M Series L Series Page 4 Ag Scene January 2019 January 2019 Ag Scene Page 5 UGA-bred blueberry plants now grow across the globe Multistate research projects vital to solving broad agricultural issues By ClinT ThoMPSon UGA College of Agricultural By ShAron DowDy and Environmental Sciences UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences In agricultural research, scientists across disciplines often find themselves A tried and true Georgia “boy,” Univer- working to address the same issues as sity of Georgia blueberry breeder Scott Ne- colleagues at other institutions. To help ad- Smith takes pride in creating new blueberry vance and streamline this important work, varieties for farmers in Georgia and across funding from the U.S. Department of Agri- the Southeast. Now he can boast that blue- culture (USDA) allows land-grant university berry varieties he’s bred through the UGA scientists to work collectively to answer College of Agricultural and Environmental questions with a broad scope. Sciences have gone global. “It allows us to bring together a critical Two southern highbush blueberry va- mass of people to investigate a problem rieties bred by NeSmith in research plots with broad impact or implications,” said on the UGA Griffin campus are grown in Joe West, assistant dean on the UGA Tifton territories in Europe and several countries campus. “Rarely does one institution have in Africa, including Namibia and Zimbabwe, the resources or scientists to address a he said. broad issue from multiple different angles. These UGA-bred blueberry plants grow The projects generally have multiple objec- well in the Southeastern United States and tives and scientists from participating insti- will now be grown by African farmers “pri- tutions contribute to the issues they can ad- marily for export to Europe and some parts dress, so each project has a varying degree of Asia,” said NeSmith, who was named of participation from member institutions. UGA Inventor of the Year in 2013. Thus, you are able to muster the resources Partnerships like this one benefit con- from all over the country.” sumers by extending the amount of time Approximately 2.7 percent of all research fresh blueberries are available on supermar- money generated by UGA CAES in 2018 ket shelves. MAp CoUrtESy thE UnIVErSIty oF GEorGIA was dedicated to multi-state projects. Last “Berries grown in Africa won’t be com- UGA-bred blueberries feed the Georgia market during the blueberry growing season here and when they are licensed to be grown in other year it was 3.2 percent and in 2016, it was 2.5 peting directly with Georgia berries as they countries they provide berries to Georgians and others in November, December and January. percent. are producing berries from September until West serves as administrative adviser for February and we harvest our berries April “The beauty is that when we license blue- a project titled “Genetic Improvement of through June,” he said. berries in China or Japan or even in south Adaptation and Reproduction to Enhance Marketing the UGA plant material to Africa and Europe, we aren’t competing Sustainability of Cow-Calf Production in farmers outside the United States also with Georgia growers,” he said. “We are the Southern United States,” which has brings valuable revenue back into NeSmith’s feeding the global demand for blueberries brought together scientists from Arkansas, research program. This is done through the with berries that don’t compete with the ber- Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Kansas, Mis- UnIVErSIty oF GEorGIA UGA Research Foundation, which assists ries grown by Georgia farmers. South Amer- sissippi, South Carolina, Texas and the U.S. Assistant Dean Joe West serves as administrative adviser for a multi-state research project called ‘Genetic Improvement of Adaptation and the transition of UGA inventions into the ican (growers in) Chile, Peru, Argentina and Virgin Islands to research genetic aspects of Reproduction to Enhance Sustainability of Cow-Calf Production in the Southern United States.’ marketplace. Colombia ship berries into the U.S. when we beef production. The UGA Office of Research created its can’t get berries from our Georgia growers.” The project investigates beef produc- faculty members who are involved in multi- tion tillage, different fertilizer technologies es of onion, specifically center rot, which Innovation Gateway to streamline the licens- Since becoming head of the UGA blue- tion issues such as hair coat, thickness of state projects that received APLU regional or modified fertilizer applications to help is prevalent in different onion-growing re- ing and startup of UGA inventions. berry-breeding program in 1998, NeSmith the hair coat, how the animal sheds in the recognition. plants uptake nutrients better to prevent gions of the country. The bacterial species Thus far, more than 675 products have has released and patented 16 new commer- spring and how that contributes to heat Gary Hawkins, a CAES scientist who excess nutrients in drainage water. that causes center rot in Georgia, however, been introduced into the marketplace cial blueberry varieties and five ornamental stress. specializes in water resource management, “Involving multiple states allows the re- is different from that found in western or and more than 160 companies have been blueberry varieties. “A variety of breeds of cattle are used is part of a project titled “Drainage Design searchers to communicate what we are do- northern areas of the country. launched based on UGA research through These include several southern highbush because of effects of coloration. White-faced and Management Practices to Improve Wa- ing in a more formal manner, present ideas “For example, the bacteria that affects Innovation Gateway. varieties such as Georgia Dawn, Rebel and breeds are especially susceptible to pink eye ter Quality,” which focuses on improving to each other and learn from each other … Georgia onions is Pantoea ananatis, where- “Regardless of where they are growing, Suziblue, as well as Alapaha and Ochlock- because they reflect more intense sunlight drainage management on agricultural lands ways the same issue may be addressed in as the bacteria in Washington or in Michi- UGA-bred blueberries feed the Georgia mar- onee, rabbiteye blueberry varieties named into the eye. These qualities are related and was recognized for National Excellence different regions of the country,” Hawkins gan is Pantoea agglomerans. The symptoms ket during our season and, when they are after south Georgia rivers. to the animal’s adaptation to the environ- in the North Central Region. said. are similar, but they are caused by different licensed to be grown on in South America, NeSmith says his work fulfills UGA’s ment,” West said. “Diseases interact with Hawkins is one of 22 land-grant re- UGA Cooperative Extension vegetable organisms and they survive in different eco- we can have blueberries to eat in November, mission while strengthening and expanding the environment, and scientists are working searchers who are developing new technol- disease specialist Bhabesh Dutta is part of systems,” Dutta said. “Being able to collabo- December and January,” said Brent Mar- global demand for blueberries. to identify genes that turn on and turn off ogies and strategies to improve agricultural a team of scientists working on a project rate with other scientists allows us to work able, associate director of plant licensing in “The university mission is to reach the an animal’s response to the environment. drainage systems. titled “Biology and Management of Iris Yel- together to find a holistic solution.” UGA’s Innovation Gateway. “Consumers ben- world, so we are definitely fulfilling the mis- Since environments vary greatly across the In Georgia, he is monitoring drainage low Spot Virus, Other Diseases and Thrips USDA support for multistate projects is efit and the royalties from those blueberries sion,” he said. “I like to think that if some- country, we include scientists from multiple water and trying to determine, if nutri- in Onions” that was recognized by APLU authorized for five-year terms. Upon com- go back in to the university to fund more re- one buys a Georgia-bred blueberry variety states.” ent levels in the drainage water are high, for National Excellence in the North Cen- pletion of a five-year project, researchers search into breeding the next blueberries.” in December, they might search for it again The project was recognized for regional whether scientists can implement the same tral Region. The research focuses

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