Liz Felter gazes at the tomato plant and considers it quietly for a few seconds. Stroking the discolored leaves, she sticks two fingers in the soil and pushes the dirt down. “My gut tells me it’s not Erwinia,” says Felter, a University of Florida IFAS Extension regional specialized agent. The visitor to the UF/IFAS Diagnostic Plant Clinic in Apopka merely …
UF/IFAS Researcher to Experiment with Algae in Space
A University of Florida scientist will use the International Space Station to see if algae can help recycle carbon dioxide and eventually be used to help make plastics, resins and even food. Initially, researchers want to improve algae’s ability to use light to capture carbon, and in turn, help support animal and plant life in space, said Mark Settles, a …
New Lantana Plants Protect Native Flora and Enhance Landscapes
Home and property owners often enhance their landscapes with the beautiful lantana, but some of the plant’s varieties may escape yards, spread to areas where they shouldn’t go and cross-pollinate Florida’s native lantana. That’s why, in 2004, the head of the Tampa Bay Wholesale Growers Association asked University of Florida plant scientist Zhanao Deng if he could breed sterile, non-invasive …
Consumers Willing to Pay More for Fresh from Florida Plant Products, UF Study Finds
Florida consumers see value in and are willing to pay more for locally-grown products, especially when it comes to landscape and ornamental plants, according to a new study conducted by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty member Hayk Khachatryan. Khachatryan, who leads the Consumer Behavior & Insights Lab at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center …
Researchers Awarded Grant to Improve How Plants Get Nitrogen, Reduce Pollution
A team of researchers at the universities of Florida and Wisconsin-Madison will use a $7.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to pinpoint genes that could improve plants’ ability to access nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plant growth. Enhancing plants’ nitrogen uptake could increase food security by promoting crop growth in poor soils and could reduce the need …
Funding to Train More Than 100 Future Agricultural Science Professionals
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced $12.6 million to support the training of 55 doctoral candidates and 52 postdoctoral scholars. Funding is made through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “Agricultural science depends on new ideas and new perspectives,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “NIFA …
Funding for Research on Plant-Biotic Interactions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced 10 grants totaling $7.2 million for research on the interactions of plants, microbes, and invertebrates. This is the first round of grants awarded through the Plant-Biotic Interactions program, a joint funding opportunity established through a partnership between NIFA and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NIFA …