UGA awarded $4 million to design farm of the future

May 17—ATHENS — It's an investment in innovations for climate-smart agriculture and forestry

Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have been awarded nearly $4 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a climate-smart "4-D Farm."

kAm%96 AC@;64E[ "%96 s:8:E2= 2?5 s2E2\sC:G6? s6>@?DEC2E:@? u2C> Wc\s u2C>Xi yFIE2A@D:E:@? @7 r=:>2E6\$>2CE 2?5 r:C4F=2C x??@G2E:@?D 7@C uFEFC6 u2C> t4@?@>:6D[" :D A2CE @7 }xup'D :?G6DE>6?E :? C68:@?2= :??@G2E:@?D 7@C 4=:>2E6\D>2CE 28C:4F=EFC6 2?5 7@C6DECJ]k^Am

kAm{65 3J AC:?4:A2= :?G6DE:82E@C v=6? #2:?D[ E96 AC@;64E :?G@=G6D 2? :?E6C5:D4:A=:?2CJ E62> 24C@DD rpt$[ :?4=F5:?8 C6D62C496CD :? DFDE2:?23=6 AC64:D:@? 28C:4F=EFC6[ 52E2 D4:6?46[ =:G6DE@4>2?286>6?E[ 8C2DD 2?5 7@C286 >2?286>6?E[ 4C@A AC@5F4E:@?[ &vp tIE6?D:@? 2?5 65F42E:@? AC@8C2>>:?8[ 2?5 2FE@?@>@FD 2?5 :?E6==:86?E C@G6C C6D62C49 2?5 56G6=@A>6?E] %H@ DF3 2H2C5D H6C6 8:G6? E@ p3C292> q2=5H:? p8C:4F=EFC2= r@==686 WpqprX 2?5 r=6>D@? &?:G6CD:EJ] %96 AC@;64E 2=D@ :?4=F56D 2 4@?EC24E65 D@4:2= 64@?@>:DE 7C@> z2?D2D $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am

kAm%96 =@?8\E6C> 8@2= @7 E96 c\s u2C> :D E@ 56G6=@A 4=:>2E6\D>2CE AC@5F4E:@? DJDE6>D =6G6C28:?8 C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J[ 2FE@>2E:@?[ :?E6==:86?46 2?5 9F>2? 42A:E2= E@ >66E E96 C6BF:C65 7@@5 2?5 7:36C ?665D @7 2 3FC86@?:?8 H@C=5 A@AF=2E:@?]k^Am

kAmtI64FE65 24C@DD >F=E:A=6 D:E6D :? v6@C8:2[ E96 c\s u2C> H:== 762EFC6 2 h_\24C6 s6>@?DEC2E:?8 pAA=:65 %649?@=@8J :? p8C:4F=EFC6 72C> @? E96 pqpr 42>AFD :? %:7E@?] (:E9 C@F89=J 92=7 E96 24C6286 F?56C 2 46?E6C\A:G@E :CC:82E:@? DJDE6>[ C6D62C496CD H:== C@E2E6 H92E :D :? E96 7:6=5 E@ E6DE G2C:@FD >2?286>6?E DJDE6>D]k^Am

kAm"(6'== DE2CE 3J 25@AE:?8 E9:?8D H6 2=C625J [ H96E96C :E :D AC64:D:@? A=2?E:?8 2?5 :CC:82E:@? @C &p'D WF?>2??65 26C:2= G69:4=6DX] xE'== 36 2 492==6?86[ 3FE H6 9@A6 E@ 36 23=6 E@ D9@H H92E EJA6 @7 >2?286>6?E AC@8C2>D A2J @77 :7 AC@5F46CD H2?E E@ :?E68C2E6 AC64:D:@? 28 :?E@ E96:C 72C>:?8[" #2:?D[ 2 AC@76DD@C :? E96 rpt$ s6A2CE>6?E @7 t?E@>@=@8J[ D2:5]k^Am

kAm|F=E:A=6 t>6C8:?8 %649?@=@8J 2?5 s2E2 $:E6D H:== 36 =@42E65 @? &vp C6D62C49 72C>D 2?5 2 s2E2 |2?286>6?E 2?5 p?2=JD:D r6?E6C H:== 36 9@FD65 @? E96 &vp %:7E@? 42>AFD 2E E96 uFEFC6 u2C>DE625 r2CC:286 w@FD6] %96 46?E6C H:== 2==@H C6D62C496CD E@ D92C6 C62=\E:>6 52E2 4@==64E:@?[ H9:49 4@F=5 36 2 82>6\492?86C 7@C 72C>6CD]k^Am

kAm"%96 8@2= :D E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4@==64E 52E2 2?5 >226 J62C[" #2:?D D2:5] "%C25:E:@?2==J H6 92G6?'E 366? 23=6 E@ 5@ >F49 F?E:= J:6=5 :D 56E6C>:?65 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 8C@H:?8 D62D@?[ E96? H6 >26 :?7@C>2E:@? E@ C65F46 C:D2?5 :?4C62D6 AFD]k^Am

kAm"%9:D AC@;64E =6G6C286D 2 H:56 3C625E9 @7 D4:6?E:7:4 6IA6CE:D6 E@ 56G6=@A 4=:>2E6\D>2CE E649?@=@8:6D 2?5 D@=FE:@?D E92E 2C6 46>6?E:?8 &vp\%:7E@?'D =6824J 2D E96 56DE:?2E:@? 7@C 2AA=:65 C6D62C49[ 6IE6?D:@? 2?5 :?DECF4E:@? AC@8C2>D[" %@6HD D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 c\s u2C> H:== 5:G6CD:7J AC64:D:@? 28C:4F=EFC6 >2?286>6?E DJDE6>D 2D H6== 2D E96 4C@AD 2?5 =:G6DE@4:? E96 7:6=5] #6D62C496CD D2J E96J 9@A6 E92E E96:C >6E9@5D H:== AC@G:56 >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE 4C62E:?8 2 5:G6CD:7:65 72C>:?8 @A6C2E:@? E92E :D >@C6 AC@7:E23=6 7@C 72C>6CD H9:=6 D9@H:?8 :?4C62D65 677:4:6?4J 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 36?67:ED]k^Am

kAm"|@DE 4FCC6?E=J 7F?565 C6D62C49 :D 5C:G6? 3J :?5:G:5F2= 4@>>@5:EJ 2?5 5:D4:A=:?6 ?665D 2?5 C2C6=J :?G6DE:82E6D :?E68C2E:?8 >F=E:A=6 28C:4F=EFC2= 6?E6CAC:D6D E@ :>AC@G6 72C> C6D:=:6?46[ D@ E92E E96 72C>6C 5@6D ?@E 92G6 2== E96:C '688D :? @?6 32D DEC2E68:6D H:== 36 :>A=6>6?E65 E@ 4C62E6 2? :?E6C56A6?56?E 2?5 5:G6CD6 4C@A 2?5 =:G6DE@4C@E2E:@? E92E 255C6DD6D E96 C65F465 67764E:G6?6DD @7 496>:42= :?AFED[ 4=:>2E6 492?86 67764ED[ 7665:?8 2? :?4C62D:?8 A@AF=2E:@?[ =@DD @7 3:@5:G6CD:EJ 2?5 A@==:?2E@CD[ H2E6C BF2=:EJ 2?5 BF2?E:EJ[ CFC2= 64@?@>:4 DFDE2:?23:=:EJ[ =23@C D9@CE286D[ 2?5 DFAA=J 492:? 5:DCFAE:@?D]"k^Am

kAm#6D62C496CD H:== 4@==64E 52E2 @? A=2?E 8C@HE9[ 2:C BF2=:EJ[ D@:= 962=E9 2?5 >@C6 E@ 56G6=@A 2?5 E6DE C6D:=:6?E 28C:4F=EFC2= AC24E:46D 2?5 2DD6DD E96 D@4:@64@?@>:4 4@?D6BF6?46D @7 E96 ?6H E649?@=@8:6D 2?5 AC24E:46D] x7 DF446DD7F=[ E96 AC@;64E 4@F=5 36?67:E 3@E9 AC@5F46CD 2?5 E96 A=2?6E]k^Am

kAmu2C>6CD 2?5 AC@5F46CD G:D:E:?8 E96 c\s u2C> H:== 36 23=6 E@ D66 ?6H E649?@=@8:6D 2?5 AC24E:46D :? 2 92?5D\@? 6?G:C@?>6?E[ 96=A:?8 E96> 56E6C>:?6 H96E96C E96J D9@F=5 :?G6DE :? ?6H >2?286>6?E DJDE6>D] %96 72C>'D >F=E:A=6 4C@A C@E2E:@?D H:== 6?23=6 AC@5F46CD E@ D66 9@H E@ >2?286 — 2?5 >2 — 2 5:776C6?E EJA6 @7 72C>:?8]k^Am

kAmqFE v6@C8:2'D }@] ' :?5FDECJ D9@F=5 ?@E 36 E96 @?=J 36?6724E@C]k^Am

kAm"x7 E96D6 AC24E:46D D9@H E96 36?67:ED H6 E9:?E96J H:== — C65F465 ?:EC@86?[ H2E6C H2DE6[ r~a 6>:DD:@?D[ 6E4] — 2?5 72C>6CD 25@AE E96>[ :E 4C62E6D 2 >F49 36EE6C 6?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 4=:>2E6 4@?5:E:@?D @G6C2==[" #2:?D D2:5] "%9:D AC@;64E 42? 96=A FD D92A6 E96 7FEFC6 @7 72C>:?8[ 2?5 x E9:?H6 92G6 E96 E62> :? A=246 E@ 56E6C>:?6 9@H E@ >2<6 :E 92AA6?]"k^Am