Tag: Soil water and ecosystem sciences

An aerial view of corn growing in 24 research plots after winter crops grew in a study on the effects of winter crops in Florida's sandy soils.

Testing Winter Crops to Improve Florida’s Sandy Soils

by Mike Loizzo
September 22, 2026

Florida’s sandy, nutrient-poor soils present a persistent challenge for row crop producers. After a summer corn harvest, fields often sit bare through winter. In Florida’s subtropical climate, that empty period comes at a cost. Nutrients ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Carbon, Chickpea, Corn, Cover Crops, Crimson Clover, Gabriel Maltais-Landry, Julia Barra Netto-Ferreira, Nitrogen, Nutrient Management, Rye, Soil Health, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Wheat
Digital elevation model of a deep stone canyon with a meandering and curving river in bright blue, orange, and yellow colors.

Sabine Grunwald Named 2026 ASA Fellow

by Mike Loizzo
September 18, 2026

The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) named University of Florida professor Sabine Grunwald a 2026 ASA Fellow. It is the Society’s highest honor recognizing exceptional achievement and service in agronomy. Grunwald is a professor of pedometrics ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: American Society Of Agronomy, Artificial Intelligence, ASA Fellow, Carbon Modeling, Climate Smart Agriculture, Digital Soil Mapping, GeoAI, Geospatial Technologies, Pedometrics, Sabine Grunwald, Soil Health, Soil Sensing, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences
A low-lying area of green grass with a black swath indicating diesel contamination.

Could AI Help Find Diesel Contamination in Soil After a Hurricane?

by Mike Loizzo
September 10, 2026

The aftermath of a hurricane or major storm is easy to see in an agricultural or coastal region. The physical damage includes flooded roads and buildings, downed trees and disrupted infrastructure. However, some of the biggest environmental ... READ MORE

Category: Disaster Preparation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Brierra Mack, Diesel Contamination, Disaster Recovery, Environmental Emergency Response, Hurricane, Nikos Tziolas, Soil Science, Soil Science Artificial Intelligence, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences
A close up look at a creek with a small waterfall.

New Study Reveals Challenges and Opportunities for Reducing Nitrogen in Coastal Watersheds

by Mike Loizzo
September 3, 2026

Reducing nitrogen (N) is one of the biggest challenges facing coastal communities. Too much N fuels harmful algal blooms; degrading water quality and negatively impacting seagrass. These problems continue to threaten waterways across the country. ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: AJ Reisinger, Coastal Ecosystems, Ecology, Economics, Nitrogen, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Stream Restoration, Watershed Hydrology
Soil test sample bags filled with soil.

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (Jul.–Aug. 2026)

by Gillian McGuire
September 3, 2026

Iron Oxide Strip as an Innovative Diagnostic Tool for Soil Phosphorus Management By Lilit Vardanyan and Vimala D. Nair Phosphorus (P) is essential for plant growth and productivity. However, excessive application of P fertilizers has contributed ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Horticulture
Tags: Ask IFAS, Climate Change, Edis, Soil Health, Soil Testing, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences
Dr. Jango Bhadha speaks to Phosphorus Sustainability workshop attendees at the edge of a rice field in the Everglades Agricultural Area.

Taking the Next STEPS: Renewed Funding Advances Phosphorus Sustainability

by Mike Loizzo
September 1, 2026

The Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center has received nearly $22.5 million in renewed funding from the National Science Foundation. The NSF support will continue research and collaboration focused on phosphorus ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Farm Management, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Research And Education Center, Jango Bhadha, Jehangir Bhadha, National Science Foundation-Science And Technology Center, NSF, Nutrient Management, Phosphorus, Science And Technologies For Phosphorus Sustainability, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, STEPS Center
A wet meadow wetland of possible groundwater vulnerability in Florida.

AI Offers a New View of Groundwater Vulnerability in Florida

by Mike Loizzo
August 28, 2026

Florida’s farms, communities, and natural ecosystems share a vital resource: groundwater. Aquifers support our drinking-water supplies, agriculture, springs, wetlands and rivers. But in many parts of Florida, shallow and highly permeable aquifers ... READ MORE

Category: Farm Management, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: AI, Aquifer, Artificial Intelligence, Convolutional Neural Network, DRASTIC, Farm Management, Golmar Golmohammadi, Groundwater Vulnerability, Nitrogen, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Watershed Hydrology
A woman and man do the UF "gator chomp" arm pose at the Soil Museum of China lobby.

Graduate Students Showcase Research at World Congress of Soil Science

by Mike Loizzo
August 19, 2026

Graduate students recently shared their research with an international audience at the 23rd World Congress of Soil Science (WCSS). The event in Nanjing, China, attracted thousands of scientists from around the world. Representing UF/IFAS were ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Cover Crops, Davie Kadyampakeni, Duplicate Sambani, HLB, Mary Lusk, Nutrient Management, Oluwasegun Olubisi, School Of Natural Resources And Environment, Soil Health, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, WCSS, World Congress Of Soil Science
A beach in the Florida Keys represents World Ocean Day.

World Ocean Day 2026: Protecting Our Blue Planet

by Mike Loizzo
June 7, 2026

The World Ocean Day 2026 theme is “Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet.” It renews the call for global action to protect ocean ecosystems. The international goal is to conserve at least 30% of the world’s lands, waters, and ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Ashley Smyth, Blue Carbon, Coastal Ecosystems, Indian River Lagoon, Laura Reynolds, Living Shoreline, Mark Clark, Ocean, Oysters, Partnership For Plastic-free Restoration Of Oyster Shorelines, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Todd Osborne, World Ocean Day
AI soil imaging by the LandScan.AI Digital Soil Core (TM) shows granules of soil in shades of red, orange, cream, and white.

Beneath the Surface: How AI Soil Imaging Could Change the Future of Farming

by Mike Loizzo
June 5, 2026

What happens beneath the soil surface shapes everything above it — crop productivity, water quality, nutrient efficiency and climate resilience. Yet for decades, understanding subsurface soils has depended on slow laboratory methods. Besides ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: AI, AI Soil Imaging, Arnold Schumann, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Soil Core, LandScan.AI, Perseverança Mungofa, Sabine Grunwald, Sandy Soils, Soil Intelligence Systems, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

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