heat-related

Avoiding Heat-Related Deaths

Dan Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Dairy, Field Crops, Fruits, General, Hemp, Herbs, Labor and Immigration, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Research, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables, Weather

A new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) report showed 215 people in Florida died from heat-related causes in the last 10 years. The fact that heat-related deaths happen throughout the year surprised the researchers who wrote the report. Serap Gorucu, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, helped write the report. She and …

agriculture

Agriculture Dangers Revealed in Research

Dan Citrus, Field Crops, Research

New research suggests that the agriculture industry is more dangerous than previously believed. The research revealed that from 2015 to 2019, more than 60,000 people across the United States were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal, agricultural-related injuries. Significantly, nearly a third of those injured were youths, according to study author Judd Michael. Michael is a professor of agricultural and …

size

Making Sense of Biologicals: Improve Fruit Size and Quality

Dan Citrus, Grapefruit, Research

Citrus growers need as many tools in their toolbox as possible. With the Florida citrus industry decimated in recent years, mainly due to citrus greening disease, growers are exploring all options to help them succeed. CYAN 365®, a biostimulant from C Green Ag Biotechnology, is one tool that has proven to help enhance the quality and size of citrus crops, …

orange juice

Study: Beverage Labels Confuse Parents

Dan Citrus, Orange Juice, Research

Beverage labeling regulations appear to fall short of helping parents identify the ingredients of drinks they purchase for their children, a recent study published in Pediatric Obesity suggests. This has researchers calling for changes to labeling regulations to increase transparency and help consumers choose healthier beverages. The online study included more than 1,600 parents who had healthy 1- to 5-year-old children. Parents were shown …

fruit

OJ Could Address Fruit Shortfall in Adult Diets

Dan Citrus, Orange Juice, Research

While whole fruit consumption increased in adults between 2003 and 2016, the intake of several key nutrients decreased over time, a new study shows. Adding 100% orange juice (OJ) to the diet could help address this shortfall and bolster the intake of other key nutrients found in OJ. A cross-sectional analysis using the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination …

honney bees

Protecting Honey Bees in Citrus Groves

Dan Citrus, Pollinators, Research

When people think of Florida, the first thing that comes to mind is Fresh From Florida oranges. Florida accounts for 44 percent of total U.S. citrus production. Citrus, like many other fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops, require certain inputs to grow and produce fruit. But how are pollinators and the production of citrus related? Many citrus varieties grown in Florida …

hlb

HLB Control: A New Potential Method

Dan Citrus, Huanglongbing (HLB)/Citrus Greening, Research

A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher has found a material that can be used to silence essential genes within Asian citrus psyllids and in the HLB-causing bacterial pathogen that the psyllids spread. The material is  2’-deoxy-2’-flouro-d-arabinonucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (FANA ASO), small-sized single-stranded nucleic acids.  The discovery was made by Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski, an associate …

field

Field Trials for Cultivar Evaluation; Soil and Root Health

Dan Citrus, Huanglongbing (HLB)/Citrus Greening, Research

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus researchers are collaborating on ground-breaking research projects to fight against HLB. They are working with researchers at the University of California-Riverside (UC-Riverside), Texas A&M, and Washington State University on a project to field-test new citrus cultivars for tolerance or resistance to HLB. The research is funded by the U.S. …

fertility

Florida Growers Wanted for Rootstock Trials

Dan Citrus, Florida, Research

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) is establishing a new project to evaluate the most promising citrus rootstocks in grower field trials. The rootstock trials are projected to be planted in the spring or summer of 2022. The goal will be to identify plant material with the traits needed for growers to realize the highest possible pound solids per …