Category: Agriculture

Florida experts break down the buzz on the myth of mosquito-repelling plants

by Lourdes Mederos
August 6, 2025

As we enter the heart of Florida’s summer in July and August, we’re at the peak of both rainy season and mosquito season, with daily downpours creating ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes across the state. If you’ve ever wondered ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Basil, Beach Sunflowers, Beneficial Wildlife, Birds, Candles, Citronella, Dragonflies, Entomology And Nematology, Environmental Horticulture, Eucalyptus, Eva Buckner, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticultural Sciences, Insects, Jennifer Pelham, Ladybugs, Lavender, Liah Continentino, Marigolds, Mint, Mosquito, Mosquito Control, Mosquito Season, Natural Predators, News, Rain, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension Broward County, UF/IFAS Extension Monroe County, University Of Florida

Chinch bug challenges continue in 2025

by Adam Dale
August 6, 2025

2024 was arguably the most challenging year in the past decade for Florida chinch bug management. Phone call after email after meeting, I was hearing pest control professionals describe their struggles to control chinch bugs in lawns. None of ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Lawn, Pest Control, Resistance, Southern Chinch Bug, St. Augustinegrass, Turf

Graduate Student Spotlight with Gabriella Dickinson: Exploring Plant Metabolism through Biochemistry

by Eva Sailly
August 5, 2025

Gabriella Dickinson, our student spotlight, is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (PMCB) program at the University of Florida. Working in Dr. Gilles Basset’s lab, she studies the biosynthesis of prenylated ... READ MORE

Category: Curriculum, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Basset Lab, Graduate Student, Horticultural Sciences, Ph.D., Plant Breeding, Plant Molecular And Cellular Biology, Plant Science, PMCB, Student, Teaching, UF/IFAS CALS

New EDIS/Ask IFAS Document Published by Entomology and Nematology During May and June

by Susan Gildersleeve
August 5, 2025

Discover the latest research and practical solutions from UF/IFAS experts. These are the new EDIS/Ask IFAS documents published by Entomology during May and June. Stay informed and inspired with our updates! Striped Sod Webworm (Larva), Changeable ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease
Tags: Ask IFAS, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, EDIS Journal, Featured Creatures Collection

Reclaiming Water: Reclaimed Water Usage, Part 2

by Jacob Burris
August 5, 2025

What is ‘Reclaimed Water’? According to the USEPA and UF/IFAS, reclaimed water is recycled wastewater that has been thoroughly treated, at least to the secondary level, for reuse. This treatment removes harmful organisms and substances, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Recreation, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, , Water
Tags: Alternative Water Supply, Florida Water, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Irrigation, Irrigation Calibration, Irrigation System, Residential Irrigation, Sustainable Landscape, Wastewater, Wastewater Treatment

The Birds and the Bees and the Fruit Trees

by Jeff Wasielewski
August 5, 2025

Remember that classic talk about “the birds and the bees”? Well, these are the birds and bees they were talking about. The ones that pollinate. Well, it’s mostly bees…and flies, and beetles, and butterflies, but birds and even bats can ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension

Nitrogen Reduction in Sweet Corn: On-Farm Successes with One of the Suwannee Valley Region’s Leading Producers

by Sydney Williams
August 4, 2025

In recent years, sweet corn production has gained momentum in the Suwannee Valley and Gilchrist County, as rising costs in South Florida have pushed growers north and local producers look to diversify beyond traditional staple crops such as ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture,
Tags: Agriculture, Best Management Practices, Controlled Release Fertilizer, Corn, NFREC-SV, Nutrient Management Program, Sydney Williams

Create a Buggy Yard!

by Maria Quirico
August 4, 2025

Insect populations are on the decline. This is a serious problem because insects are a primary source of food for any ecosystem. Birds, reptiles, and small mammals rely on insects as a major part of their diet. There are TEN simple things ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water, Wildlife

Fundamentals in growing vanilla as a cash crop (Part II): Best management practices

by Qingchun Liu
August 4, 2025

Qingchun Liu and Xingbo Wu Vanilla is a relatively new crop south Florida, particularly Miami-Dade County. Information on how to grow a productive crop, particularly at the commercial level, is needed for potential growers. This article ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Horticulture
Tags: Disease_management, Nutrient_management, Vanilla_production

Scientists to share latest hemp production research during free Aug. 13 field day

by Megan Winslow
August 4, 2025

What: Hemp Field Day, presented by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). When: Aug. 13, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Where: The UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit, 2556 Co. Hwy. 318, Citra. About: ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Cannabis Sativa Plants, Citra, Drone, Economic, Emerging Crop, FDACS, Fertilizer, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Free, Hemp, Hemp Field Day, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Lunch, Marijuana, Megan Winslow, Mulch, Pilot Project, Plant, Plant Science Research And Education Unit, Psreu, Research, Tour, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Weed

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