Category: Conservation

Innovative tool offers palm owners, growers new line of defense against trunk rot, protecting iconic trees

by Lourdes Mederos
November 13, 2025

Ever wonder why some palm varieties flourish while others suddenly bend at the trunk or topple over completely? From the iconic coconut palm to towering royal palms, these signature features of Florida’s landscapes are facing a silent ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Advancement, Biological Controls, Braham Dhillon, Canary Island Date Palms, Coconut Palm, Conservation, Date Palms, Disease, Disease Resistance, Entomology And Nematology, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Fronds, Fungicides, Germplasm Collection, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive, Leaflets, Lethal Fungus, Monica Elliott, News, Palm, Palm Landscape, Pathogens, Plant Pathology, Plant Pathology Department, Research, Resilient, Royal Palms, Thielaviopsis Trunk Rot, Trunk Rot, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research And Education (USDA-SSARE), UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Usda, USDA-ARS, Wahingtonia Palms

Nov. 5: UF’s palm tree team brings science, solutions to South Florida at Palm Short Course in Davie and online

by Lourdes Mederos
October 28, 2025

Florida’s palm trees don’t just define the Sunshine State’s skylines. They are a cornerstone of the state’s environment and economy. Yet, pests, diseases and nutrient issues can make it tough to keep the many varieties healthy. To ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, EVENTS, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Arborists, Conservation, Entomology And Nematology, Environmental Horticulture, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Growers, Horticultural Sciences, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Mica McMillan, News, Nutrients, Palm, Palm Disease, Palm Tree Short Course, Property Managers, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida

Grow local, join UF/IFAS Extension Broward County Master Gardener Volunteer Program Open House on Nov. 15

by Lourdes Mederos
October 14, 2025

Whether you are a seasoned green thumb or just beginning to dig into the seeds of gardening, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has the perfect way to cultivate that passion. Mark your calendars ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Blog Community, Conservation, EVENTS, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Environmental Horticulture, Extension Broward Master Gardener Volunteer Program, Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program, Garden, Green Thumb, Horticultural Sciences, Horticulture, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, Open House, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Broward County, UF/IFAS Urban Horticulture Broward, Urban Horticulture

Can Robigus be the new crop guardian? This app tracks plant diseases globally

by Lourdes Mederos
September 8, 2025

Named after the Roman god who once guarded wheat fields from blight, Robigus is the newest tech ally in the fight against plant diseases. Developed by a scientist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agriculture, App, Braham Dhillon, Cavendish Bananas, Crops, Disease Outbreaks, Farms, Fields, First Reports, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Fruit, Fungal Pathogen, Gardeners, Global, HiPerGator, Homeowners, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Molecular Plant Pathologist, News, Nursery, Palms, Plant Disease, Plant Pathology, Plants, Robigus, Roman God, Scientists, Tropical Race 4 Of Fusarium, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Supercomputer, Vegetable

Is seaweed aquaculture the next big crop for Florida?

by Lourdes Mederos
August 27, 2025

Florida’s coastline may one day host more than oysters, clams, fish and shrimp. Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and Florida Sea Grant are asking whether seaweed could be the ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Andrew Ropicki, Angela Collins, Aquaculture, Ashley Smith, Dail Laughinghouse, Economics, Extension, Florida, Florida Sea Grant, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Gabrielle Foursa, Growers, Harvest, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Lourdes Mederos, Macroalgae, News, NOAA National Sea Grant, NOAA National Sea Grant Aquaculture Program, Seaweed, Seaweed Aquaculture, Seaweed Farming, Sponge, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Water Quality

Researchers use AI to turn park reviews into science; findings reveal secret to parks people love

by Lourdes Mederos
August 21, 2025

Your five-star review of a park may have more weight than you think. Scientists just turned it into data, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). Researchers at the University of Florida based in Fort Lauderdale used machine learning ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: #AI, Artificial Intelligence, Cultural Ecosystem Services, Ecosystem Services, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Greenspaces, Jiangxiao Qiu, Nature, Parks, Sustainability, Wildlife

From Peru’s wild landscapes to Florida’s farms: Scientist harnesses microbes to protect agriculture, environment

by Lourdes Mederos
August 17, 2025

For Florida growers, Jose Rolando’s research is focused on promoting healthier soils, reduced input costs and crops able to withstand droughts, heat and shifting weather patterns. For consumers, it aims at more sustainable food production ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Amazon Rainforest, Andes Mountains, Coastal Wetland, Crops, Department Of Microbiology And Cell Science, Droughts, Ecosystem Services, Farmer, Fertilizer, Florida Bay, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Georgia Institute Of Technology, Grower, IFAS, Indian River Lagoon, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, José Rolando, Lima, Lourdes Mederos, Mangroves, Microbiologist, Microbiology, National Institute Of Agricultural Innovation, News, Peru, Public, Sea Level Rise, Sechura Desert, Sustainable Food Production, Tropical Zones, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Weather

Back by popular demand: UF/IFAS Extension offers 2025 Sustainable Urban Food Production Short Course

by Lourdes Mederos
August 13, 2025

From backyard gardens to commercial-scale rooftop farms, sustainable urban food production is reshaping how we grow and access food in cities. That’s why leading scientists from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, EVENTS, Farm Management, Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Aquaponics, Broward, Chefs, Compost, Eco-friendly, Ecofrendly Farming, Entrepreneurs, Environmental Horticulture, Food, Food Forest, Food Handling, Food Safety, Food Waste, Garderners, Harvest, Hydroponic, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Jiangxiao Qiu, Large-scale Composting, Local Food Movement, Lorna Bravo, Management Strategies, Miami Dade, Monroe, News, Nutrient-rich Soil, Organic Fruit, Palm Beach, Rooftop Farms, Rooftop Gardens, Soil Regeneration, Sustainable Agricultural, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida, Urban Agriculture, Urban Food Production, Vegetables

Scorching temps from California turf raises questions about artificial turf, xeriscaping in humid states like Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
July 30, 2025

While artificial turf and rock-heavy xeriscapes are marketed as low-maintenance, drought-resistant alternatives to traditional lawns, research by University of Florida scientists shows it comes at unexpected environmental and public safety ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Artificial Turf, Drought, Drought-resistant, Enrvironmental Horticulture, Environmental Costs, Florida Law, Florida-friendly Landscaping, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Heat, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Marco Schiavon, Natural Turf, News, Public Safety, Rock-heavy Xeriscape, Surface Temperatures, Synthetic Turf, Traditional Lawns, Turfgrass Science, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Weeds

Science by the millions: How everyday people are revolutionizing global biodiversity research with tech

by Lourdes Mederos
July 28, 2025

A frog croaks from a walking trail. A hiker snaps a photo and uploads it to iNaturalist. That single act — one person, one amphibian and one click — feeds into a growing global dataset that scientists now use to map shifting species ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agencies, Agricultural Technology Firms, Aquatic Invasives, Biodiversity, BioScience, Brittany Mason, Citizen Science, Conservation, Corey Callaghan, Dataset, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Fungi, Global Ecology, High-resolution Maps, INaturalist, INaturalist App, Invasive, Lourdes Mederos, Map Shifting, Modeling, News, Observations, Organisms, Photo, Plants, Research Grade, Scientists, Species Ranges, Study, Technology, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation

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