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 Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Production ResearchMay 8, 2026Florida Cattle …
NIFA Invests in Research to Solve Critical Water Problems
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced seven grants for research that will provide solutions to critical water problems across the United States. These awards were made through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Water for Food Production Systems Challenge Area. AFRI is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and administered by …
UF/IFAS Connecting Students to the Real World
University of Florida has enjoyed seeing skyrocketing enrollment at their College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Many of those students are attracted to the education that UF/IFAS offers. Dr. Jack Payne, University of Florida senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, explains how they go beyond book learning to prepare these students for the real world. UF/IFAS Connecting Students …
UF Study: Buyers Want Environmentally Safe Strawberry Production
As buyers browse strawberry packages at the supermarket, they might see labels such as “organically grown” or “locally grown.” But they’d also like to know if the fruit was produced in a way that preserves the environment, a new University of Florida study shows. Consumers say they’ll pay more for strawberries grown in a manner that is sustainable, the research …
Egypt’s Wheat Production Illustrates Global Security Issues
Scientists, including many at the University of Florida, are trying to figure out how to feed 10 billion people worldwide by 2050. As they do, some UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are studying how arid nations can produce enough crops to feed themselves and to avoid civil protests or even war. Egypt, for instance, lacks sufficient water …
UF Researcher to Study Migration Trends, Health of Emerging Farm Workers
As the University of Florida IFAS Extension director for Hendry County, Gene McAvoy has seen firsthand a sea change in the types of workers now coming to the United States to work on farms. “It used to be 95 percent or more of the workers were from Mexico,” McAvoy said. “Now, it’s about 50 percent from Haiti and the Caribbean. …
ASTA Outlines Priorities for Final Farm Bill
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) urges members of the Farm Bill Conference Committee to include several key provisions important to the seed industry within the final bill. In a recent letter to conferees, ASTA highlighted the following priorities within the Conservation, Trade, Research, Horticulture and Crop Insurance titles: Conservation: ASTA is concerned with the proposal in the House version …
UF/IFAS a Trusted Source of Agricultural-Related Information
Florida’s county commissioners look to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for reliable agricultural-related information, according to a recent study. In May 2018, the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (PIE Center) surveyed 43 county commissioners to identify the sources they use for information on agriculture, food, water and natural …
UF Study: Cool, Calm Cows Have More Meat, Dairy Production
Cattle are a little like humans: They are more productive when they are cooler. With cattle, a cooler body helps with meat and dairy production, new University of Florida research shows. Cows with shorter hair are cooler, and thus, more productive, said Raluca Mateescu, an associate professor of animal sciences at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. A …