By developing a simple, $50 trap, University of Florida scientists can gather spores from a pathogen of pine trees and hopefully help prevent diseases from causing more harm to the multibillion-a-year forest industry. Millions of pine trees dot the southern landscape, and they’re susceptible to many diseases, including pitch canker, said Tania Quesada, an assistant research scientist with the UF …
UF/IFAS Study Illustrates Value Floridians, Others Place on Springs
Thousands of people take the cool plunge into one or more of Florida’s 1,000-plus springs each year, and each person derives $20 to $43 in recreational value beyond their travel expenses per visit, a new University of Florida study shows. Springs are ideal destinations for swimming, snorkeling, canoeing, picnicking and diving, and they’re one of the oldest tourist attractions in …
Benefits of the Annual Peanut Butter Challenge
by Dr. Nick Place We hear a lot about hunger. You’ve no doubt seen public service announcements on television, asking you to give to charitable organizations to help feed people. You’ve probably even seen crowdfunding efforts on digital media. It’s a fact of life: Some people around the world are starving – and not just in third-world nations. Some hungry …
UF Study: Large Termite Colonies Less Vulnerable to Sprays Than Baits
Liquid sprays don’t control large subterranean termite colonies as well as baits, giving more credence to the benefits of baits as a way to minimize the bugs’ damage to structures, a new University of Florida study shows. Formosan and Asian subterranean termites are responsible for most of the $32 billion in economic damage to structures worldwide, UF Institute of Food …
Crayfish Personalities May Be Key to Understanding Water Ecosystems
Just like people come in different personalities, animals vary in their behavior. For example, some crayfish can be shier while others are bolder, a University of Florida scientist says. While crayfish are known as those little, lobster-like crustaceans eaten by some as a delicacy in soups, bisques and étouffées and are used by others as fish bait, Lindsey Reisinger and …
New Bee Lab for UF/IFAS
Last month, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) opened a brand new bee lab mini-campus at its Entomology and Nematology Department in Gainesville. Jack Payne, UF/IFAS senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, is excited about this new edition. New Bee Lab for UF/IFAS
UF Industrial Hemp Program Promotes Industrial Partnerships to Grow
The University of Florida’s pilot research program to explore the potential to grow industrial hemp across the state is advancing, with the engagement of an inaugural private partner. The initiative was supported and encouraged by the state but was not appropriated any funding. To move forward, the project needs sponsorships from private industry. Green Roads Inc. has invested $1.3 million …
Alachua County Team Wins 3rd in National 4-H Forestry Invitational
What is the principal softwood used for lumber in Massachusetts? On what continent are maples most abundant? What is a liquid product of wood that is used in mixing paints?* At the 39th National 4-H Forestry Invitational, a team of four local high school students went head to head with teams from across the country to answer these questions and …
UF/IFAS, Communities to Team Up Again for Annual Peanut Butter Challenge
Start spreading the news – and the peanut butter! From Oct. 1 to Nov. 21, you can donate unopened jars of peanut butter to hungry Panhandle families through the Peanut Butter Challenge, a project coordinated by UF/IFAS Extension faculty and volunteers. During those dates, you may drop off jars at your UF/IFAS Extension county office. UF/IFAS Extension works with the …
Florida Dairy Production Conference is Next Week
The 54th Florida Dairy Production Conference will be held September 26 at the Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center in Gainesville. The program starts at 9:00 a.m. and will include topics like team building to maximize performance and animal welfare, the economics of animal welfare, how to implement a successful milk quality program, the impact of transition disorders on production …