By Clint Thompson If farmers want to achieve high corn yields this growing season, they’ll need to consider five factors, according to Ron Heiniger, professor and Extension specialist in corn at North Carolina State University. He highlighted the importance of light, water, nutrients, genetics and temperature during a presentation at the University of Georgia (UGA) Corn Short Course meeting held …
Florida House Eyes Environmental Money
From the News Service of Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis would get more than the $625 million he requested for environmental projects, Florida Forever would see a funding cut and Visit Florida would be shuttered, under parts of a House budget proposal released Tuesday. The House and the Senate began releasing budget proposals Tuesday as they prepare to negotiate a final …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on 2020 Legislative Priorities
(FDACS) — Today marks the start of Florida’s annual 60-day legislative session. Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried released a video highlighting a number of her top legislative priorities for the 2020 session. Following a highly successful first legislative session, Commissioner Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services look forward to additional legislative successes in 2020. Improving Concealed Weapons Licensing: The bills, SB 1566 by Senator …
Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner Wraps Up 2019
The iconic brand continues to celebrate beef as Americans’ favorite protein by highlighting its great taste, nutritional benefits, and stories about the people who raise it (NCBA) — Two years after it was relaunched, the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand has had a reach of more than 1 billion consumers with drool worthy and informative digital marketing and social media content. …
Food Trends 2020: Meal Kits, Convenience Store Nutrition and Drinkable Collagen
(UF/IFAS) — Most people think of collagen as a protein used for cosmetic purposes that you get in a jar, but prepare for drinkable collagen. If you think that’s interesting, try going online to order meal kits – full of just-the-right ingredients for the dishes you want to prepare. Those are a couple of the fearless forecasts from UF/IFAS faculty …
Plant Pathologist to Study Blueberry Disease
A plant pathologist at the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton campus is using a grant to study a bacterial disease affecting blueberry crops. According to a story from the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES), Assistant Professor at UGA-Tifton, Jonathan Oliver, says the $7,000 grant from Georgia Farm Bureau will fund his studies of a new strain of the bacterial …
Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Legislation to Expedite Water Quality Improvements
Jupiter, FL (EOG-Oct. 16, 2019) — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced proposed legislation for the 2020 legislative session that will expedite water quality improvements throughout Florida. The legislation incorporates recommendations of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force, which the governor created shortly after taking office to aid the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in protecting, conserving and managing the state’s natural resources. …
National Chicken Council Unveils New Sustainability Resources
Videos, infographics, farmer testimonials, FAQs highlight chicken’s environmental journey WASHINGTON, D.C. (NCC-Oct 2, 2019) — With the help of technology, modern breeding, nutrient management, feed conversion and improved animal husbandry practices, chicken producers in the U.S. have significantly reduced the use of water, farmland, electricity, greenhouse gas emissions, and other valuable natural resources. In fact, producing the same amount of chicken …
Biosolids Produce Less Nitrogen and Phosphorus Runoff than Inorganic Fertilizer
GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS-September 17, 2019) — New research from University of Florida scientists found that some nutrients from inorganic fertilizers enter surface water more easily than those from biosolids. Maria Silveira, a professor in the UF/IFAS department of soil and water sciences, led the study that collected runoff from a common pasture grass to determine its nitrogen and phosphorus content. …
UF Hosts Meeting of Blue-Green Algae Task Force
GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — The University of Florida will host the next meeting of Florida’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force on August 30 at 9 a.m. at the UF Levin College of Law. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed live on the Florida Channel. Two UF/IFAS researchers are members of the six-person task force. Tom Frazer, …