Most termites don’t kill trees, but Asian subterranean termites are slaying some pine trees in South Florida and damaging the rest of the local urban tree canopy, a new University of Florida study found. “Our beloved native slash pine is lethally stressed by this termite, which is unexpected,” said Thomas Chouvenc, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of urban entomology. Not only …
How Much Seafood Did You Eat? Photos Jog Memory, Aid Scientific Recommendations
Seafood can be a tasty source of protein that supports a healthy, balanced diet. But too much of anything is not always beneficial, said Anne Mathews, a food and human nutrition scientist with the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences. To assess health risks versus benefits of consuming certain seafood products, scientists analyze seafood for nutritional value …
Georgia Peanut Commission Increases Funding for Research Projects in 2018
The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) board of directors has approved $581,896 in research project funding for the 2018-19 research budget year. This action was taken during the commission’s March board meeting. The research projects approved include 34 project proposals submitted from the University of Georgia and USDA Agricultural Research Service. “As a peanut grower, I’m proud to invest in the …
Register Now for Ona Field Day
Producers interested in seeing the many features of laboratories that will soon open at the University of Florida/IFAS Range Cattle Research and Education Center in Ona are urged to register for their Annual Field Day. The event will be held April 5 at the new facility, which now totals over 2,500 square feet. The Field Day runs from 8 a.m. …
UF Board of Trustees Approves Industrial Hemp Research Project
Florida’s farmers may have a new crop to grow if the University of Florida is successful in a pilot project to grow industrial hemp across the state. Researchers with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) received approval from the UF Board of Trustees to develop hemp management and cropping systems that could be economically viable for the …
Opening of New Labs Highlights Field Day at Range Cattle REC
New vials, beakers, test tubes and sinks. More room. Those are just some of the features of laboratories that will open at the annual Field Day on April 5 at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Range Cattle Research and Education Center. “These spaces greatly advance our efforts to modernize our research laboratory and graduate student …
Crops Hold Onto Harmful Mutations That Reduce Productivity
Limits on improving yield and other critical traits in maize likely are due to rare harmful mutations genetically linked to a beneficial gene combination that were selected for during domestication and breeding, according to a study published in the journal Nature. These so-called deleterious genetic mutations result from errors in the DNA that occur randomly every generation and accumulate from ancient mutations right …
Consumers Willing to Pay More for Fresh from Florida Plant Products, UF Study Finds
Florida consumers see value in and are willing to pay more for locally-grown products, especially when it comes to landscape and ornamental plants, according to a new study conducted by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty member Hayk Khachatryan. Khachatryan, who leads the Consumer Behavior & Insights Lab at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center …
UF/IFAS Researcher Hopes to Breed, Grow Nutritious Pumpkins in Florida
Pumpkins and their seeds are good for you. For example, the flesh of the fruit is a good source of many vitamins and fiber, and its seeds provide unsaturated fats that help reduce cholesterol, among their other health benefits. The pumpkin’s nutrient values are driving Geoffrey Meru, a fruit and vegetable geneticist at the University of Florida Institute of Food …
Study Finds Breakthrough in Glyphosate Resistance Research
Kansas State University researchers have discovered how weeds develop resistance to glyphosate, which researchers say could have broad future implications in agriculture. Researchers say they found how weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate over a short period of time. The research shows resistance to glyphosate in Palmer amaranth “appears to have occurred very rapidly.” Researchers say glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth plants …