Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences

Finding the Right Nitrogen Rate for Sustainable Bamboo Production in Florida

by Mike Loizzo
November 25, 2025

Bamboo is emerging as a promising new specialty crop for Florida. It offers opportunities for edible shoots, timber, biomaterials, and carbon storage. But until recently, growers lacked clear, science-based guidance on how to fertilize bamboo ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Bamboo, Citrus Research And Education Center, Cyrus Januarie, Davie Kadyampakeni, Fertilizer, Nitrogen, Nutrient Management, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

The Hidden Work of Mycorrhizal Fungi in Agriculture and Forests

by Mike Loizzo
November 17, 2025

Mycorrhizal fungi play an often unseen but vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. These small, subterranean powerhouses sustain both agricultural productivity and forest resilience through their partnerships with plants. Two recent UF/IFAS ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Ecosystems, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Ectomycorrhizal Fungi, Forest Ecosystems, Holly Andres, Kaile Zhang, Mycorrhizal Fungi, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Sunny Liao

New chair chosen for Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences – from tropical Hawaii to sunny Florida

by Brad Buck
November 13, 2025

An expert in soil ecology and biogeochemistry at the University of Hawaii-Manoa has been named chair of the Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES) at the University of Florida. Susan Crow, a professor in the Department of ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching

Cover Crops in Sandy Soil: Legumes and Grasses Differ in Nitrogen Cycling

by Mike Loizzo
October 29, 2025

Florida’s sandy soils typically have low organic matter and high permeability. That means a greater risk of nutrient leaching before a plant or tree can use what it needs. Cover crops are an option for improving soil fertility because they ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Carbon, Cover Crops, Inorganic Nitrogen, Juma Bukomba, Legumes, Mary Lusk, Nitrogen, Sandy Soils, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Sorghum, Sudangrass, Sunn Hemp

Unlocking Nutrients In Florida’s Rice Fields

by Mike Loizzo
October 13, 2025

The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) boasts organic-rich soil, ideal for farming. Rice producers, however, must deal with phosphorus and iron tightly bound in the soil, making them unavailable to plants. New University of Florida Institute ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Research And Education Center, Flooding, Iron, Jango Bhadha, Nutrient Management, Phosphorus, Rice, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Sugarcane, Suraj Melkani

UF Professor Named Fellow Of SSSA

by Mike Loizzo
October 10, 2025

Patrick Inglett, a professor of biogeochemistry in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Department of Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES), is a 2025 Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water
Tags: Patrick Inglett, Soil Science Society Of America, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Wetland Biogeochemistry

Flooded Rice Crop Rotation May Slow Carbon Loss, Subsidence in Everglades Organic Soils

by Mike Loizzo
October 8, 2025

South Florida’s muck soils store carbon built over thousands of years. However, decades of drainage for agriculture have resulted in a shift in redox condition resulting in soil, organic matter, and subsequent carbon losses. A new University ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Dynamic Soil Properties, Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Research And Education Center, Histosols, Jango Bhadha, Jehangir Bhadha, Rice, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Xue Bai

UF Professor Named Fellow Of ASA, SSSA

by Mike Loizzo
October 6, 2025

Rao Mylavarapu was named a 2025 Fellow of both the American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). He is a professor of sustainable nutrient systems in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: American Society Of Agronomy, Nutrient Management Program, Rao Mylavarapu, Soil Science Society Of America, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

Protecting Florida Citrus and Groundwater

by Mike Loizzo
September 29, 2025

Florida’s citrus groves have faced enormous challenges over the last two decades. The Asian citrus psyllid has spread citrus greening disease, known as Huanglongbing, or HLB, to trees across the state. The result is a decline in citrus production ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Aquifer, Citrus, Davie Kadyampakeni, HLB, Huanglongbing, Imidacloprid, Qudus Uthman, Sandy Soils, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Water

Wading into National Estuaries Week: Research and Extension

by Mike Loizzo
September 21, 2025

Estuaries are vital for clean water, fisheries, coastal protection, and recreation. They are essential to ecosystems and communities. National Estuaries Week (Sept. 20–27, 2025) invites people to celebrate the places where rivers meet the ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Apalachicola, Ashley Smyth, Estuary, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Laura Reynolds, Love Kumar, Mark Clark, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

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