ars

ARS Microscopy Research Helps Unravel the Workings of a Major Honey Bee Pest

Dan Industry News Release, Pollinators, Research

Research by scientists at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the University of Maryland released today sheds new light — and reverses decades of scientific dogma — regarding a honey bee pest (Varroa destructor) that is considered the greatest single driver of the global honey bee colony losses. Managed honey bee colonies add at least $15 billion to the value of U.S. …

avocado

UAV-based Remote Sensing Can Help Avocado Growers by Detecting Asymptomatic Pathogen

Dan Florida, Fruits, Research

Remote imaging can effectively detect a pathogen that endangers the $100 million-a-year Florida avocado industry – even before the trees show symptoms — University of Florida scientists say. Yiannis Ampatzidis, an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, led recently published research that shows that multispectral cameras can detect laurel wilt …

researchers

UF Researchers to Breed a New Variety of Florida-Friendly Hops

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Research, Specialty Crops

Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have been awarded a two-year grant for $194,000 to breed varieties of hops that can grow in Florida. The researchers, based at the UF/IFAS Mid Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, Florida, said the grant will help continue their work to bring an alternative crop to the …

plant

UF ‘Plant Whisperer’ Helps Floridians Keep Produce Lush, Green and Safe

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Nursery Crops, Research, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

Liz Felter gazes at the tomato plant and considers it quietly for a few seconds. Stroking the discolored leaves, she sticks two fingers in the soil and pushes the dirt down. “My gut tells me it’s not Erwinia,” says Felter, a University of Florida IFAS Extension regional specialized agent. The visitor to the UF/IFAS Diagnostic Plant Clinic in Apopka merely …

genome

Genome Published of the Small Hive Beetle, a Major Honey Bee Parasite

Dan Industry News Release, Pollinators, Research

Beekeepers and researchers will welcome the unveiling of the small hive beetle’s genome by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their colleagues. The small hive beetle (SHB) is a major parasite problem of honey bees for which there are few effective treatments. The SHB (Aethina tumida Murray) genome—a genome is the sum total of all an organism’s DNA; a gene codes …

arboriculture

Arboriculture Society Donation to Help Fund UF/IFAS Tree Expert

Dan Education, Florida, Research

UF/IFAS will hire a new tree scientist, at least partially with funds donated recently by the Florida Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. During a campus visit on Dec. 3, Florida ISA chapter CEO Norm Easey and President Scott Shultz provided a pledge payment to help the UF/IFAS department of environmental horticulture inits search for a new faculty member, …

professor emeritus

UF/IFAS Professor Emeritus Wins International Award For Cattle Reproduction

Dan Cattle, Education, Florida, Research

A University of Florida animal sciences graduate research professor emeritus has won the 2018 International Ruminant Reproduction Symposium Pioneer Award (IRRS), given to scientists who have trained students and made major contributions to understanding reproductive biology in cattle. Bill Thatcher won the award at the 10th IRRS, held in Iguacu Fos, Brazil, Sept. 16-20. This award is one of the …

protein

UF/IFAS-led Global Group Seeks Traits for Wheat with More Protein

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Research, Wheat

When consumers buy wheat products, such as bread or pasta, they expect to get protein with their purchase. But in a warming world with high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, the genes required to keep wheat production high are the same ones that keep grain protein down, a University of Florida scientist says. By breeding wheat with specific traits, scientists can …