Tag: News

Eastern indigo snake in typical sandy pine flatwood habitat. Photo Credit: Credit: 24510239877_2fca700f61_o GTM NERR, Kevin Enge, (CC BY-NC) FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Wildlife Watch: Why is North American’s longest snake a friend, not a foe? Ask IFAS’ bilingual guide explains

by Lourdes Mederos
May 14, 2026

About this series This month’s Wildlife Watch installment spotlights the protected Eastern indigo snake and why the species matters. As residential and commercial development expands across Florida, wildlife is adapting to live ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Conservation, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Ask IFAS, Drymarchon, Eastern Indigo Snake, Endangered Species Act, Florida, FWC, FWC Fish And Wildlife Research Institute, FWC Florida Rare Snake Registry, Hance Ellington, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Native Snake, Natural Habitats, News, Nonvenemous, North America’s Longest Black Snake, Protected, Southeastern United States, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research And Education Center, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, Wildlife Watch
La_Palma_volcano_DAF2.jpg Photo of a volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. UF/IFAS photo by David Foster

Can spreading basaltic volcanic rock dust improve crops and the health of Florida’s soils?

by Lourdes Mederos
May 12, 2026

Highlights: UF researchers are testing volcanic rock dust to improve soil health across the state’s sandy and organic farmlands. A $749,999 USDA-funded, four-year study aims to boost crop productivity while cutting reliance on ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Acreage, Agroindustry, And Geomatics Sciences, Basaltic Volanic Rock, Boost Crop Growth, CALS, CLAS, David Foster, Department Of Geological Sciences, Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Research And Education Center, Fisheries, Grant, Improve Soil Health, Improve Soil Quality, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Jehangir Bhadha, Landscapes, Mineral Soils, News, Organic Farmlands, Reduce Fertilizers, Research, Rice, Rosvel Bracho, Soil Amendments, Sugarcane, Sustainable Agriculture, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Forest Inventory And Analysis, UF College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS School Of Forest, University Of Florida, USDA-NIFA, Volcanic Rock
Geomatic technology connects the future Digital data, abstract, simple, futuristic, modern, design vertical background EP21.hi-tech communication concept innovation vector illustration background Adobe Stock 501957378

Researcher’s pioneering work in AI and mapping earns international Young Investigator Award

by Lourdes Mederos
May 7, 2026

The mobile maps people depend on every day to reach a destination, check traffic and understand their surroundings are powered by geomatics sciences, not just roads and turn-by-turn directions. It is a fast-evolving science powered by ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: 2026 Young Investigator Award, AI, Artificial Intellgience, Crowdsource, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Geomatic Sciences, Geospatial Analytics, Geospatial Science, Henry Hochmair, International Society For Photogrammetry And Remote Sensing International Journal Of Geo-Information, Levente Juhász, Mapping, Meta, News, Peter Mooney, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatic Sciences, Technology And Open Research (GATOR) Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida
Close-up photo of a fuzzy black-and-yellow bee feeding inside a small yellow flower, surrounded by dense green leaves in bright sunlight.

New research asks why do bees return to Southern crops that don’t need pollination?

by Jamie Groh
May 6, 2026

Why do bees keep returning to crops that do not need pollination? Isaac Esquivel, an assistant professor with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is investigating what draws bees to cotton, peanut and soybean ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Bee, Bees, Featured, Isaac Esquivel, News, North Florida Research And Education Center, Quincy, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida
Ph.D. student Sameerika Mudiyanselage (left) and her advisor Samuel Martins (right) sampling mushrooms with bacterial blotch symptoms in a mushroom farm in the Southern United States. Photo credit: UF/IFAS Samuel Martins

DNA analyses uncover what is hiding under the cap plaguing the white button mushroom industry

by Lourdes Mederos
May 5, 2026

UF/IFAS researchers discovered that bacterial blotch in white button mushrooms is caused by a complex of multiple bacteria, not a single pathogen as previously believed. The disease significantly impacts mushroom growers by reducing ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Bacteria, Bacterial Blotch, Beneficial Microbes, Department Of Plant Pathology, Eco-friendly, Essential Oils, Farming, Food Is Medicine, Growers, Health Benefits, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Kitchen Staple, Microbial Communities, Mushrooms, News, Nutrient-dense Foods, Pathogen, Plant‑based, Romina Gazis, Sameerika Mudiyanselage, Samuel Martins, Specialty Crop, Sustainable Farming, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, USDA-NIFA, Vegetables
An open laptop accompanied by two hands positioned in a way that indicates the holder of the laptop is speaking or teaching despite his head and face being out of view.

PIE Center to Host Webinar Exploring APR Credential for Agriculture and Natural Resource Communicators

by Karlibeth Leitheiser
April 7, 2026

For professionals navigating today’s complex agricultural and environmental communication landscape, credibility and strategy matter more than ever. An upcoming interactive webinar hosted by the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education in ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Center For Public Issues Education, Center For Public Issues Education In Agriculture And Natural Resources, Communication, News, PIE Center, Public Relations, Webinar
Blue Bird feeding on a bird feeder UF/IFAS Photo by Cristina Carrizosa.

Want to attract birds to your outdoor spaces? Ask IFAS bilingual resources offer guidance on the right approach

by Lourdes Mederos
April 2, 2026

More than 50 million Americans feed birds, putting out an estimated billion pounds of bird food each year, based on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data summarized by bird-feeding researchers. Backyard bird feeding is popular across Florida, ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Backyard Birds, Bird Feeders, Bird Food, Bird-friendly, Birds, Birdwatching, Food, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, Outdoor Spaces, Prey, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation
A close look at an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake at the Jacksonville Zoo. UFIFAS Photo Josh Wickham.

Wildlife Watch: Can you recognize Florida’s native venomous snakes? Here is your how-to with Ask IFAS’ bilingual guide

by Lourdes Mederos
April 1, 2026

About this series As residential and commercial development expands across Florida, wildlife is adapting to live closer to people. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) shares tips through ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Copperhead, Coral Snake, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Ecology, Florida, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Native Snakes, News, Nonvenomous, Pit-viper, Pygmy Rattlesnake, Snakes, Steve Johnson, Timber Rattlesnake, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, University Of Florida, Venemous Snakes, Vipers, Wildlife, Wildlife Watch
A Florida-springs fed river is center of frame with one male and one female researcher to the right wading in the knee-high water and a pedestrian raised wood bridge to the left.

Florida’s Natural Springs Janitors: Research Shows Snails Can Help Fight Algae

by Jamie Groh
March 25, 2026

What are the green globs that are sometimes seen floating in or even taking over Florida’s natural springs and waterways? Those would be algae blooms and, turns out, snail grazers have a role to play.  For 20 years, waterway ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Algae, Algae Bloom, Algal Bloom, Dina Liebowitz, Featured, Florida Waterways, Freshwater, Matt Cohen, News, Paul Donsky, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Springs, UF-IFAS
A view of several lettuce varities. Español: múltiples variedades de lechuga

On the edge of a breakthrough: UF/IFAS breeding disease-resistant lettuce for U.S. farms, kitchens

by Lourdes Mederos
March 24, 2026

University of Florida scientists are closer to a breakthrough that could safeguard the nation’s lettuce supply.  Backed by a $500,000 federal grant, the team is working to develop disease-resistant lettuce varieties built to withstand ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Arizona, Bacterial Leaf Spot, Breeding, California, Cercospora Leaf Spot, Climates, Consumers, Crop, Cultivars, Economic Engine, Economy, Everglades Research And Education Center, Florida, Florida Economy, Freshness, German Sandoya, Harvest, Iceberg, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Leaf Lettuce, Lettuce, Lettuce Breeding, Lettuce Breeding Program, Market Demands, National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, News, Postharvest, Production, Public, Resistence, Romaine, Sandy Soils, Storage, Texture, Transportation, U.S. Department Of Agriculture, U.S. Department Of Agriculture National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Plant Breeding, USDA-NIFA, Varieties

Subscribe For More Great Content

IFAS Blogs Categories