Written by: Hanley Renney
Contact: Hope Miller, miller.hmarie@ufl.edu
UF/IFAS researchers are spearheading new innovations and technology for agricultural, natural resources, and human systems. Faculty teams received awards at UF Innovate’s Standing InnOvation Showcase on October 30th for licensing, patenting, and disclosing stakeholder-centered solutions.
A forecast for better farming
Dr. Clyde Fraisse, Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and his colleagues in the Southeast Climate Consortium (SECC) developed AgroClimate, a web-based collection of climate tools, information, and forecasts to make climate-friendly agricultural practices more accessible to producers. AgroClimate’s database contains tools such as current climate indicators, advisory systems for pests and diseases, crop yield data, and projected climate variables. AgroClimate is currently used during training events and workshops to keep producers up to date on best management practices and necessary climate information for their particular crops.
Smarter sweets
Dr. Linda Bartoshuk and Dr. Charles A. Sims, Professors in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, have collaborated with Dr. Thomas A. Colquhoun, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Horticulture, to develop a sweetness-enhancing compound that offers a healthier alternative to traditional sugar. This innovative solution boosts the perceived sweetness of foods and beverages, potentially allowing manufacturers to reduce sugar content without compromising flavor. With its potential to address rising health concerns like obesity and diabetes, this advancement represents a significant leap forward in creating tastier and more nutritious food options.
What’s in our water?
Jonathan Judy, Assistant Professor in the Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, has designed a method of removing ultrafine particulate pollutants from our water using a magnetic field. There may be billions of tiny particles of metal in our water, though we can’t see them and might never know they were even there! These nearly invisible pollutants may be harmful to humans and animals, and Judy’s technology is intended to further strip these particles from water before it is used. This practice could be extremely effective in wastewater treatment and water management.
Driving innovation and advancing solutions
The groundbreaking work of these researchers and the nearly 90 other UF/IFAS faculty recognized by UF Innovate demonstrates how creativity and entrepreneurial spirit can tackle complex challenges in agriculture, food, and the environment. From empowering farmers with climate-smart tools to improving public health through smarter sweeteners and cleaner water, these new innovations and technology represent the many impactful changes that are paving the way to a more sustainable future for communities in Florida and beyond.
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The research mission of UF/IFAS is to discover new scientific knowledge, encourage innovative study, and create applications based on sound science that address challenges facing agriculture, natural resources, and interrelated human systems in Florida, our country, and around the world. The UF/IFAS Research enterprise represents the work of nearly 600 faculty members on the main campus in Gainesville, as well as 12 research and education centers and six demonstration sites across the state.
research.ifas.ufl.edu | @UF_IFASResearch
For more stories from UF/IFAS Research, check out this page: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/research/category/uf-ifas-research/
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