Agriculture & Natural Resources

 

Select a category:

 

Ag Pollution Prevention	Food Science	Pest & Weed Control
Agricultural Economics	Forestry & Wildlife	Small Ruminants
Animals | Aquaculture	Fruits | Small Fruits	Sustainable Agriculture
Backyard Poultry	Georgia Weather Stations	Turfgrass & Sod
Beekeeping	Invasive & Exotic Species	Urban Agriculture
Diagnostic Services	Landscape Professionals	Vegetables
Field Crops & Forages	Nurseries & Greenhouses	Wildlife Damage Control

 

 

 

Home Horticulture | Lawns, Gardens & Landscapes:

 

For publications relating to lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, fruits and nuts, vegetables, etc., please visit our Publications page and type in a keyword ('tomatoes', 'pecans'....) in the 'Search Publications' box.

 

SEARCH UGA EXTENSION PUBLICATIONS

 

Pesticide Applicator Licensing:

 

• Georgia Private Pesticide Applicator Training ($25 fee starting May 2017)
• Georgia Commercial Pesticide Applicator Testing ($45 testing fee & $90 license fee)
  • Online Training Courses for Commercial Pesticide Test Preparation ($45 for all three courses)
• Recertification Courses offering Pesticide License CEU's
• Check your license expiration and hours earned

 

Other Farm Resources

 

• Farm Service Agency Office
• Georgia Forestry Commission Office
  • Timber Selling Resources
• Small and Beginning Farmers Resource Guide for Northwest Georgia
• FAQ's for Beginning Farmers
• Farmers & Consumers Market Bulletin Ads
• The Georgia Agriculture Tax Exemption (GATE)
  • Items eligible for GATE Sales Tax Exemption
• No-Till Seed Drill Rentals (Rolling Hills RC&D)
• No-Till Seed Drill Rentals (Coosa River Conservation District)
• Small Business Development Center | Agribusiness
• Sheep and Goat References
• Georgia Drought Resources
• U.S. Drought Monitor
• Georgia Climate Information
• Southern Region Aquaculture Center

 

Commercial & Professional Services

 

• ISA Certified Arborists
• Georgia Certified Landscape Professionals
• Pond Consultants in Georgia
  • Sources of Fish for Stocking Ponds in Georgia
• Licensed Water Well Drillers and Pump Installers
• Certified Irrigation Professionals
• Nuisance Wildlife Trappers | Wildlife Control
• Consulting Foresters
  • Master Timber Harvesters
• Licensed Commercial Pesticide Contractors
• Licensed Plant Nurseries
• Licensed Structural Pest Control Companies
• Licensed Seed Dealers
• Licensed Bulk Fertilizer Distributors
• Licensed Equine Stables
• Hay Directory for Georgia | Southeastern Hay Directory
• Turfgrass Directory/Buyer's Guide for Georgia
• Local Beekeepers for Honey Bee Swarm Collection and Colony Removal
• Pine Straw Producers
• Georgia Livestock Markets

 

 

Diagnostic Services*

 

Soil Testing¹

 

Determining the fertility level of a soil through a soil test is the first step in planning a sound lime and fertilizer program. Most Georgia soils are low in pH and/or one of the essential plant nutrients. Therefore, to maintain normal plant growth, lime and fertilizer must be applied in sufficient quality to meet the crop requirement. A SOIL TEST is the best means available to determine this requirement.

 

**Effective January 1, 2009 testing prices will be as follows for Bartow County residents.

 

• Routine Soil Test.................................$9.00 per sample (includes postage):
  Includes pH, Lime Requirement, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Manganese. At least a pint of soil is needed per soil sample to be tested. The lab cannot process samples that are less than a pint. Be sure to pull the soil sample from several spots at random to get a good representative sample. You may bring samples in a pint size plastic freezer bag (filled full) if you don't have a soil sample bag. Please follow the procedures for collecting soil samples below.
  • Soil Sampling Procedures in Home Lawns, Gardens & Food Plots
  • Soil Sampling Procedures in Farms and Pastures
• Soil Test Frequently Asked Questions

 

Note: Soil sample bags and water bottles can be picked up at the Extension office.

 

Water Testing¹

 

• Water Test Frequently Ask Questions
• All well water samples should be collected from the first draw of water out of the kitchen faucet or from the faucet used most often for drinking. A first draw water sample is collected (after a minimum of 6 hours, but not more than a 12 hour period) during which time there was no water usage from that faucet prior to sampling. Either early morning or evening upon returning from home are the best sampling times to ensure a good sample. Place a clean sample container below the faucet and gently open the cold water tap to fill sample bottles. At least a 1 pint (500 mL) is needed for most samples. Water Sampling Instructions
• Expanded Water Test..........................$65.00 per sample (includes postage):
  Designed to address common well water problems in Georgia such as corrosion, high levels of iron and manganese, and nitrate from various sources. This test package should be done at least once on wells before using a less inclusive test. The Expanded Water Test is required for installation and design of home water treatment systems. This test includes the Basic Water Test (see below), Anions, Soluble Salts, and Alkalinity tests.
• Basic Water Test...................................$25.00 per sample (includes postage):
  pH and Water Hardness, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Aluminum, Chromium, Manganese, Copper, Cadmium, Iron, Zinc, Sodium, Nickel, Magnesium, Boron, Molybdenum, and Silica
• Water Lead Test Only...........................$45.00 per sample (includes postage):
  Lead testing is recommended for homes and/or wells built prior to 1985. Pipes could contain lead solder which could leach into your drinking water.
• Water Arsenic Test Only.......................$45.00 per sample (includes postage):
  Arsenic testing is recommended for wells located on old farm sites where pesticides may have been used for cotton production or fruit orchards between 1920-1940.
• Lead and Arsenic Test Combined--If you would like to have your water tested for both Lead and Arsenic at the same time, the fee is only $55 for a combined sample.
• Bacteria Test........................................$46.00 per sample (includes postage):
  The most common microbiology test checks for the presence of E. coli and total coliform bacteria. This test requires a special test kit with sample instructions available at the Extension office. This test is recommended annually on home wells. Bacteria testing is also available to local residents through the City of Cartersville Water Lab. Call 770-387-5681 for more information. Visit website for more information about disinfecting your well water through shock chlorination.
• Fish Ponds (general water quality)...........$40.00 per sample (includes postage):
  Ponds should be sub-sampled at various depths and positions across the body of water and then combined to create one sample. Requires at least a pint (500mL) sample size. Visit website for more information about interpreting Fish Pond Water Analysis Reports.
• Other Water Tests are available upon request.

 

Forage Testing..............................................$20 (basic forage analysis)¹

 

• Feed and Forage Sampling Procedures (Submit samples in 1 gallon ziploc bags)
  • Forage and Feed Testing for Cattle Submission Form
  • Forage and Feed Testing for Horses Submission Form
  • Forage Testing for Other Livestock Submission Form
• Understanding and Improving Forage Quality
• Using Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) to Categorize Hay
• Forage Nitrate Toxicity

 

Forestry or Tree Disorder Troubleshooting..$15 (only for samples sent to lab)²

 

• Tree Troubleshooting Triage

 

Insect Identification......................................no fee.²

 

• Insect Identification Reference
• Homeowner Insect Diagnostic Form
• Commercial Insect Diagnostic Form

 

Nematode Assays .......................................$15 (predictive samples sent to lab)¹

 

• Soil Sampling Procedures for Plant-Parasitic Nematodes
• Nematode Assay Form

 

Plant Disease Diagnostics............................$15 (only for samples sent to lab)²

 

• Plant Disease Sampling Procedures
• Plant Disease Identification Reference
• Homeowner Plant Disease Form
• Commercial Plant Disease Form
• Plant MDL Testing

 

Plant or Weed Identification.......................no fee.²

 

• Weed Identification Triage
• Weed Identification Reference
• Aquatic Weed Identification Reference
• Invasive Plant Identification Reference
• Native Plant Identification Reference
• Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern U.S. Reference - http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0975/ANR-0975.pdf

 

Radon Testing..............................................$15

 

• Order Radon Test Kit Online
• Radon Mitigation

 

Turfgrass Troubleshooting..........................$15 (only for samples sent to lab)²

 

• Turfgrass Troubleshooting Triage
• Homeowner Turfgrass IPM Form
• Commercial Turfgrass IPM Form

 

Wildlife Identification..................................no fee.²

 

• Fishes of Georgia Reference
• Snakes of Georgia Identification Reference

 

 

 

* Most samples are processed by our lab within 5-7 business days.

 

1 Other Special Analyses Available upon request.

 

2 No fee for in-office diagnosis.

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For more information about Agriculture and Natural Resources, contact the County Extension office at (706) 657-4116.