Two southern universities were recipients of funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It recently awarded more than $8.5 million in funding for 29 research and Extension grants that will advance solutions to critically important problems in U.S. agriculture. These grants, which are part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, include some …
New Research Finds Genetic Markers for Cattle Health, Growth
New research efforts with cattle have found genetic markers which could help to improve breeding by giving ranchers desirable traits such as faster animal growth and greater resistance against disease. In a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study, researchers uncovered links between genetic markers in beef cattle and the development of health and growth-promoting bacteria in an animal’s gastrointestinal …
UF/IFAS, FDACS to Help Teach Science, Engineering Through Aquaculture
Through a $64,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to Schools program, the University of Florida and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) will help some Florida K-12 educators who teach science, technology, engineering, math, and agriculture start or strengthen aquaculture education programs. To apply for the program, follow the steps. The deadline for applications …
Researchers Help Expand Indoor Gardening Trend Triggered by Pandemic
(UF/IFAS) — COVID-19 led many people to start gardening, and it’s no passing fancy. Recent research shows that about 80% of those who took up gardening since the beginning of COVID-19 will continue the pastime in 2021. Growing in the outdoor garden is one thing. Tending to plants indoors at home presents other challenges and opportunities. As they recognized the …
Grant Looks at Mitigating Climate Change Impacts on Florida Grasslands
(UF/IFAS) — A professor with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has been awarded a $500,000 grant to study how climate change is threatening subtropical grasslands and the ways they sustain agriculture, wildlife biodiversity, and ecosystems and their benefits to humans. Subtropical grasslands – such as those in Central-South Florida — are wide expanses of …
UF Scientist Finds Way to Reduce Greenhouse Gas in Soil
(UF/IFAS) — When soil gets saturated with water, the ground can produce nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that depletes the ozone, that the layer protects plants and animals on Earth from harmful ultraviolet light. For context, nitrous oxide is 310 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, another greenhouse gas that’s harmful to the ozone layer. That’s why it’s important to …
Global Group Recognizes UF/IFAS Engineer for Strawberry Spray App
(UF/IFAS) — Now that we’re knee-deep in strawberry season, many growers owe Clyde Fraisse and Natalia Peres a debt of gratitude. About a decade ago, Peres saw a need for a fungicide decision-support tool. Farmers sprayed about every week to control strawberry diseases known as anthracnose and botrytis during the growing season, which goes from November through March in Florida. …
New Peach Rootstocks for Florida’s Sweet Peach Season
Can UF scientists help farmers perfect the Florida-grown peach for consumers? Here’s what they are up to. (UF/IFAS) — Ricardo Lesmes-Vesga aims to help farmers grow peaches in Florida’s various production regions. To that end, he aims to develop peach rootstocks specific to those areas and he believes his research findings will help growers who harvest the fruit when the …
Global Gardeners Help UF Tomato Breeding Program
(UF/IFAS) — Normally, University of Florida scientists such as Harry Klee gauge the taste and aroma of their new tomatoes by letting volunteers test them at the UF Sensory Lab in Gainesville. But now, people from across the globe who grow tomatoes in their gardens can serve as citizen scientists and send flavor and growing data to Klee. In this …
AI: The Future of Farming is Happening Today
What was once the future of farming is happening today at the University of Florida/IFAS. Scott Angle, Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources, explains how UF/IFAS is using artificial intelligence (AI) to help producers be more efficient in their farming operations. “It’s a fascinating issue right now. The University of Florida wants to move into the top 5 for …