Tag: Soil Health

A satellite orbiting above the illuminated night side of Earth in space.

Thanks to NASA, farmers may ask, ‘Hey Alexa, what’s the best way to keep my soil healthy?’

by Brad Buck
March 6, 2026

Someday soon, farmers might use technology equivalent to Siri or Alexa to check the status of their soil’s quality. Anastasia Kritharoula, a doctoral student in the Soil Science Artificial Intelligence lab of the University of Florida, ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Anastasia Kritharoula, Artificial Intelligence, Farmers, Generative AI, Grant, NASA, Nikolaos Tziolas, Non-expert Users, Prec-ag, Soil, Soil Health, Soil Science Artificial Intelligence Lab, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Southwest Florida Research And Education Center, Water
close up of eggplant, carrots, green onion and white onion

Florida Gardening 101: Composting at Home

by Calvin Gardner
April 24, 2026

Have you ever dreamed of turning the plants, leaves, and food scraps around your home into a nutrient‑rich garden compost? Below I’ll walk you through the simple steps to create a thriving compost pile right in your backyard or a community ... READ MORE

Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
Tags: Backyard Composting, Brown Waste, Community Garden, Compost, Eco-friendly, Florida Gardens, Gardening Tips, Green Waste, Kitchen Scraps, Organic Waste, Pest Control, Soil Health, Soil Nutrients, Sustainable Gardening, Urban Horticulture
mountains in puerto rico

Researchers study phosphorus limitation in soils of Puerto Rico

by Mike Loizzo
April 13, 2026

Soil phosphorus (P) is commonly thought to limit primary productivity and microbial activities in humid tropical forests. Many soils in these forests experience frequent low oxygen conditions. Dr. Yang Lin, assistant professor of soil health ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Archive, Phosphorus, Soil And Water Sciences Department, Soil Health, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Yang Lin
drone photography image of grassland in Florida

UF/IFAS researchers to conduct eco-assessment of DeLuca Preserve, create open database

by Mike Loizzo
April 13, 2026

A team of UF/IFAS researchers plans to characterize the soil, water, and microbiome features of the DeLuca Preserve, a roughly 27,000-acre parcel of land in Florida’s southern Osceola County. The property, donated to UF in November 2020, includes ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Archive, DeLuca Preserve, Jehangir Bhadha, Sam Smidt, Soil Health

Growing a Greener Future: Exploring Agroecology at School and at Home

by Rolando Negron
April 9, 2026

What does it look like when farming works with nature instead of against it? That’s the question at the heart of Growing a Greener Future: Agroecology Activity Book, a hands-on resource developed by Zach Brym, Associate Professor with the ... READ MORE

Category: , UF/IFAS Communications, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Agriculture Education, Agroecology, Agroecology Activity Book, Biodiversity Education, Classroom Resources, Compost Education, Ecosystem Activities, Elementary Science Activities, Environmental Education, Farm To School Resources, Florida BEST Standards, Food Systems Education, Homeschool Science, Pollinators, Rolando Negron, School Garden Curriculum, Science Activity Book, Soil Health, STEM For Kids, Sustainable Farming, UF IFAS Bookstore, Zach Brym
Cluster of unripe green tomatoes on the vine amidst leaves.

UF scientists receive grant to study fumigation impacts on soil health

by Brad Buck
April 2, 2026

Soil health is an important aspect to strawberry and tomato production. Farmers often apply a type of pesticide called fumigants to the soil months before planting to manage soil health. Fumigants reduce harmful diseases such as Fusarium ... READ MORE

Category: Pests & Disease
Tags: Crops, Fusarium Wilt, Gary Vallad, Grant, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Mary Lusk, Nathan Boyd, Nitrogen, Root-knot Nematodes, Sarah Strauss, Soil Health, Soil Microbes, Soil Microbiome, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Soil-borne Diseases, Southwest Florida Research And Education Center, Strawberries, Tomatoes, USDA-NIFA
Aerial view of green agricultural fields with rectangular plots, separated by narrow paths and patches of water.

New public-private partnership allows UF/IFAS scientist to work on growing plants, storing carbon in clay soil

by Brad Buck
March 27, 2026

In a new, public-private partnership, University of Florida scientist Zachary Brym wants to see if he can utilize plants to store carbon in clay soil in Polk County. Eventually, he’d like to see how collections of crops and other plants can ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Agroecology, Agronomy, Carbek, Carbon, Carbon Sequestration, Crops, Ecosystem Services, Plants, Polk County, Regenerative Agriculture, Soil, Soil Health, Tropical Research And Education Center, Zachary Brym
Golden Gate community marker sits within the roadway median recognized as a Florida-Friendly Landscaping Gold project. The recognition flag is displayed.

FFL in Martin County: Golden Gate Median

by Yvette Goodiel
January 21, 2026

Introduction Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM (FFL) promotes nine principles to protect water resources in designing and maintaining landscapes. The practices can be applied at scales ranging from individual yards to parks to communities. Landscapes ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, UF/IFAS Extension, , Water
Tags: Agribusiness, Commercial Horticulture Digest, Ffl In Martin County, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Green Industry, Horticulture, IFASwater, Martin County, Soil Health, UF/IFAS Extension
Rows of peanut plants at the North Florida Research and Education Center - Suwannee Valley

Register Now for the 2026 FL-AGSOIL Conference

by Mike Loizzo
January 20, 2026

Florida’s agricultural community is invited to attend the Florida Agronomy and Soil Initiative and Learning (FL-AGSOIL) Conference. It takes place February 19–20, 2026, at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center–Suwannee ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: BMP, Corn, Cotton, FL-AGSOIL, Florida Agronomy And Soil Initiative And Learning Conference, Irrigation, Lakesh Sharma, Nitrogen, Nutrient Management, Nutrient Management Program, Phosphorus, Soil Fertility, Soil Health, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Water Quality

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