Tag: News

PIE Center and Florida EDEN to Host Hurricane Readiness Webinar

by Karlibeth Leitheiser
June 25, 2026

On Aug. 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT, join us for an engaging webinar, titled "Tropical Season Readiness," featuring Angela “Angie” Enyedi, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Jacksonville, Florida. ... READ MORE

Category: Events, UF/IFAS
Tags: Event, FL EDEN, Florida EDEN, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Season, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, PIE Center, Storm Season, Tropical Storm, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS PIE Center, Webinar

Media Alert: UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center Hosts Blackberry Field Day

by Jamie Groh
June 11, 2026

What: UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center hosts a free blackberry field day to demonstrate production practices such as proper planting, pruning, and fertilization.  Where: UF/IFAS North Florida Research & Education ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Events, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Research, Backyard Gardening, Blackberry Field Day, Blackberry Production, Blog Community, Crop Management, Disease Management, Farming Education, Featured, Fertilization Practices, Florida Agriculture, Florida Growers, Horticulture, News, NFREC, NFREC-Q, North Florida REC, Plant Breeding, Pruning Techniques, Quincy, Quincy Florida Events, Small Fruit Crops, Specialty Crops, Sustainable Farming, UF Extension, UF-IFAS

Study finds early-life biological signals may predict obesity risk decades later

by Jamie Groh
June 10, 2026

Clues to who may develop obesity later in life can be found within the first year after birth, according to new long-term research and co-authored by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences experts.   The ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Health & Nutrition, UF/IFAS
Tags: Angelica Ahrens, Biomarkers, Blog Community, Childhood Obesity, Department Of Microbiology And Cell Science, Early Childhood Development, Featured, Gut Microbiome, Infant Health, Long-term Cohort Study, Machine Learning Health, Metabolic Health, Microbiology Research, News, Obesity Research, Pediatric Health, Preventive Health, Public Health, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Research
A brown and white cow stands in a field filled with small white flowers, facing the camera, with a line of trees in the background under soft natural light.

$9.5 million gift boosts UF efforts to protect cattle from disease-carrying pests

by Jamie Groh
June 10, 2026

The University of Florida announced a $9.5 million estate gift establishing the Carrie W. Earls Mosquito and Pest Eradication in Beef Cattle Fund, supporting work across UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and College ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Livestock, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Research, Biting Flies, Blog Community, Cattle Research, College Of Veterinary Medicine, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Donor Gift, Entomology, Entomology And Nematology, Extension, Featured, Florida Agriculture, Livestock Health, Livestock Producers, Mosquitoes, News, Pest Management, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Veterinary Medicine
This image, featuring the heads of individuals from the soldier caste, is meant to highlight the similarities of appearance across both parental species, the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus), the Asian subterranean termite (Coptotermes gestroi), and hybrids. Visual identification of hybrid termites can only be done under magnification by experts that are familiar with identification characteristics. Submitting a sample to the UF/IFAS Termite ID Service (TermiteIDServices@ifas.ufl.edu) remains the best option to confirm any suspected samples. Credit: Thomas Chouvenc

Here’s what homeowners need to know about hybrid termites in Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
June 8, 2026

Alarming reports of hybrid “super” termites have fueled misinformation, while flooding news outlets across the United States for months. University of Florida scientists are stepping in to help property owners separate fact from fiction. In ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Home Management, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Asian Subterranean Termite, Ask IFAS, Coptotermes Formosanus, Coptotermes Gestroi, Entomology, Entomology And Nematology, Faith Oi, Formosan Subterranean Termite, Hybrid Termites, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Johnalyn Gordon, Nan-yao Su, News, Termite Damage, Termites, Thomas Chouvenc, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida
A spectacled caiman juvenile. UF/IFAS Photo by Jemeema Carrigan

Invasive caiman may pose new challenges for Everglades restoration

by Lourdes Mederos
June 4, 2026

UF researchers pieced together the first comprehensive review of the spectacled caiman, a small invasive crocodile-like reptile. Introduced into South Florida more than 45 years ago, researchers have suspected caimans compete ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Colombia, Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Crocodilians, EDDMaps, Environmental DNA Tools, Español, Exotic Pet Trade, Guayana, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive Species, Native Wildlife, News, Research, South Florida, Spectacled Caiman, The Croc Docs, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Wetland
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

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