Category: Agriculture

An image of an orange grove with a tree branch full of ripe oranges in the foreground and rows of trees in the background.

Tiny Indicators of Soil Health in Florida’s Citrus Groves

by Mike Loizzo
February 12, 2025

In the citrus groves of southwest Florida, a team of researchers is investigating the hidden power of soil nematodes. These tiny organisms with enormous ecological impact offer key insights into soil health. This study investigates how cover ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Allan Bacon, Citrus, Cover Crops, Gabriel Maltais-Landry, Nematodes, Sarah Strauss, Soil Health, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Yaslin Gonzalez, Zane Grabau
Argentine black and white tegu - FWC photo

Where do invasive species spread and why? UF/IFAS researchers take a novel approach to find the answer

by Lourdes Mederos
February 12, 2025

Science tells us invasive species — like the spotted tilapia — are always on the move, making it difficult for scientists to simulate their spread and predict where they will go next. Researchers at the University of Florida Institute ... READ MORE

Category: Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: Climate, Environmental Resistance Modeling, ER Modeling, Invasion Science Research Institute, Invasive Plants, Invasive Species, Journal Of Biogeography, News, Plants, Tegu, Temperature, Tilapia, UF-IFAS, Yunpeng Liu

Bird flu concerns in the Florida Keys?

by Alicia Betancourt
February 12, 2025

We hear a lot about Avian Influenza, or H5N1, and the price of eggs in the news recently. That got me thinking, should we be worried about bird flu here in the Keys? As it turns out, we should.  Although Florida Fish and Wildlife has not ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Home Landscapes, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Atlantic Flyway, Avian Influenza, Backyard Poultry, Biosecurity, Bird Feeders, Bird Flu, Blue Discoloration, Bottle-nose Dolphin, Cows, Crows, Dead Bird Reporting, Diarrhea, Domestic Cats, Domestic Poultry Protection, Eagles, Falcons, FDACS, Feces, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Florida Fish And Wildlife, Florida Fish And Wildlife Commission, Florida Keys, Game Birds, Great Egret, H5N1, Hawks, Lack Of Energy, Migration, Mucus, National Wildlife Disease Program, Neurological Signs, Owls, Poultry, Reduced Egg Production, Respiratory Distress, Saliva, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Snowy Egret, Sudden Death, Swollen Head, Virus Spread, Virus Transmission, Vultures, Wild Birds, Wildlife Health

From problem to on-farm solution: The journey of one UF/IFAS AI technology

by Brad Buck
February 11, 2025

A few weeks after Yiannis Ampatzidis started working at the University of Florida in 2017, Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on the Florida peninsula and its citrus groves. Growers needed to count their trees with precision to get crop insurance, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS
Tags: #aiatuf, Agricutural And Biological Engineering, Agroview, Artificial Intellgience, Citrus, Counting, Crop Insurance, Diseases, Farms, Insurance, Inventory, Lab, Pests, Prec-ag, Southwest Florida Research And Education Center, Trees, Yiannis Ampatzidis
Drone flight

UF/IFAS study identifies trust in science as key for supporting AI use in agriculture

by Megan Winslow
February 11, 2025

Trust in scientific experts – even more than understanding their work – is the strongest predictor of support for artificial intelligence applications in agriculture. The finding is among conclusions reached by a new UF/IFAS study exploring ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agriculture, AI, AI-supported Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence, Center For Public Issues Education, Cheng-Xian Yang, Crop, Database, Food, Germ Contamination, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Megan Winslow, Perception, PIE Center, Policymakers, Research, Study, Survey, Technology, Trust, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida

Implementing Best Pest Management Practices

by Julia Sirchia
February 11, 2025

What is IPM? Integrated Pest Management, known as IPM, is a sustainable approach to managing pests. This method includes preventative, cultural, physical, biological, and chemical control tools to manage pests in your garden. These steps were ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Biological Pest Control, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Gardening, Gardens, Horticulture, Integrated Pest Management, Landscaping, Low-toxicity Pest Management, Pest Control, Pest Prevention, Physical Control, Resilient Landscaping
Cacao pod researchers

UF/IFAS researchers work to prevent a disease threatening your favorite chocolate

by Megan Winslow
February 10, 2025

As you nibble on a chocolate truffle or bite into a chocolate-dipped strawberry on Valentine’s Day, consider the elongated, ribbed pods of the cacao tree, which made that sweet treat possible. A group of UF/IFAS plant pathologists has partnered ... READ MORE

Category: Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Africa, Black Bottom Rot, Black Pod Rot, Cacao, CATIE, Chocolate, Costa Rica, Disease, Erica Goss, Farming, IFAS, Inoculate, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Jeremy Brawner, Lab, Lesion, Mariana Herrera Corzo, Mars, Megan Winslow, Phytophthora, Phytophthora Megakarya, Plant Pathology, Plant Pathology Department, Research, Tropical Agricultural Research And Higher Education Center, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Valentine's Day

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