Georgia - Jimmy Carter Plant Materials Center Highlights

Highlights 

COVER CROPS

• A Tool for Selection Cover Crops for Row Crop Rotations in the Southeast was developed with Mississippi and Florida PMCs, to assist conservation planners and agricultural producers with cover crop species selection
• Two documents, Evaluation of Cool Season Cover Crops in the Southern Coastal Plain and Evaluation of Warm-Season Cover Crops on the Southern Coastal Plain, provide species specific information about cover crop adaptation in the region
• Studies are on-going to evaluate advanced breeder lines of Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, and Winter Peas, as well as evaluate the performance of legume cover crops at various seeding rates

NATIVE GRASSES

• Evaluation of Little Bluestem Selections for Conservation in the Georgia Coastal Plain and Evaluation of Indiangrass Selections for Conservation in the Georgia Coastal Plain have been published to assist with choosing native grasses in the region
• Evaluations of Eastern Gamagrass, Indiangrass, Little Bluestem, and Virginia Wildrye native grasses continue on the center to identify which species are selections are best adapted to the area
• Production of Foundation Seed of ‘Americus’ Indiangrass is being carried out to make it available to commercial seed producers

POLLINATOR HABITAT

• Studies and demonstrations to evaluate planting method and management techniques for commercially available pollinator habitat seed mixes are being carried out on the center
• Observational blocks of trees, shrubs, and forbs important for pollinator habitat have been established on the center for long-term evaluation