What’s a bee to do when there are very few flowers available and it needs a sugar fix? Wild bees may be responding to climate change and urban expansion by relying on insects to get the sweet stuff, according to a study by Joan Meiners, a Ph.D. student at the University of Florida IFAS School of Natural Resources and Environment. …
Florida Congressman Discusses GMO’s
Despite studies showing that GMO’s are safe, efforts continue to control or ban them. During a recent listening session held in Washington D.C. that was a topic discussed by U.S. Congressman Ted Yoho from Florida, who also serves on the House Agriculture Committee. More information about GMO’s can be found at www.GMOanswers.com. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities to …
Nearly $1 Million Grant Will Help Struggling Blue Crab Industry
A researcher at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences wants to study the blue crab and a viral pathogen that infects it. Now, a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation will help Donald Behringer and colleagues study the disease along the entire western Atlantic seaboard. In Florida, several disasters—including hurricanes in 2004, 2005, …
Ronald Cave Named Director of UF/IFAS Indian River Research Facility
An entomologist recognized internationally as a specialist in biological control of insect pests has been named the director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center. Ronald D. Cave will serve as the sixth leader of the Indian River REC. From the Indian River REC’s 1947 start as the Indian River …
It’s Tougher to Reproduce When You Change Diets – Just Like a Bug
With the constant introduction of invasive species worldwide, thousands of types of wildlife eat new food, weakening their ability to reproduce, says a University of Florida scientist. That, in turn, could lead to a reduction in our wildlife populations. Scientists already know that when wildlife feed on invasive species, they can get sick, but until now, no one had studied …
UF Scientists Work on the ‘Essence’ of Better-Tasting Tomato Juice
If you’re yearning for a better-tasting tomato juice, University of Florida scientists in their labs, working on satisfying your palette. Essence, usually extracted from a plant to add flavor or provide a scent, according to a new UF/IFAS study, can be used to improve juice flavor. Using volatile capture, UF/IFAS scientists obtained the essence from the tomatoes, said Paul Sarnoski, …
Agri View: Honey Bee Update
Everett Griner talks about honey bee losses declining in today’s Agri View. Well, finally, here is some positive news about Honeybees. We lost fewer colonies of bees last year than in 2015. As a matter of fact, the survey showed that the number of lost colonies to insects and disease has been in a slow decline since …
UF Scientists Trying to Control Avocado Pathogen
University of Florida experts are trying to find ways to prevent Laurel Wilt, the pathogen endangering the state’s $100 million-a-year avocado industry, from spreading. They recently took their data to California to talk with scientists, growers, and regulators there. AgNet Media’s Taylor Hillman talked with Jonathan Crane, UF/IFAS professor of horticultural sciences and tropic fruit extension specialist, about the disease …
Controlling Weeds in a Way that Saves the Soil and Costs Less
An onslaught of the weed Palmer amaranth in the southeastern United States has left many farmers wondering if they should continue using environmentally friendly cover crops and conservation tillage, or switch to conventional tillage. Palmer amaranth is aggressive, drought tolerant, a prolific seed producer, and capable of developing resistance to glyphosate, known as “Roundup.” Because of that, thousands of acres …