A University of Florida lab spearheaded a campaign to recruit insects as allies that can aid in reducing plant stress to enhance food security. The initial, 12-month “recruiting” effort by Jane Polston, a professor of plant pathology at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, successfully completes the first of three phases of a scheduled four-year project under the …
“i5k” is for Insects
Nearly 75 percent of all animal species are insects and other arthropods. Many profoundly impact people and the Earth’s ecology. Some insects pollinate a third of our food crops. Others destroy one-fifth of the world’s total crop production annually. Given the importance of arthropods, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) helped organize the “i5k Initiative.” The goal is to sequence and …
Kakkar Joins UF/IFAS Extension as Invasive Insect Specialist
Garima Kakkar is joining the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to help the state fight invasive pests. Kakkar, an expert in invasive insects, is a UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County Multicounty Agent. Kakkar has a diverse range of experience in managing pest insects, and will now serve growers in the world’s premier citrus production region with …