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 conventional fertilizers.
• Results could guide soil management in warm, humid farming regions across the South and irrigated landscapes nationwide.

Florida’s soils present unique challenges for growers, land managers and residents. The state’s year-round tropical weather and vast agricultural acreage create ideal conditions, but its soils vary widely from nutrient-poor sandy to highly organic soils, depending on location, prompting research into soil amendments such as volcanic rock dust.

These conditions make it difficult to sustainably manage agriculture in a way that supports food production, environmental health and maintains a strong economy.

To address these challenges, University of Florida researchers are leading a four-year study supported by a $749,999 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The collaborative research effort led by scientists at UF’s Institute of Food and Agriculture and Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), will assess the potential of using several types of basaltic rock dust as an amendment to improve soil quality, boost crop growth and support sustainable farming across Florida.

For more on this research, please use this UF News Link.

Para accesar a este contenido en español, por favor utilice este enlace.

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By Lourdes Mederos, rodriguezl@ufl.edu

ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. ifas.ufl.edu  |  @UF_IFAS

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