Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences

Boosting Florida Farm Productivity with Soil Health & Cover Crops: Strategies from UF/IFAS

by Mike Loizzo
April 8, 2026

Soil health and cover crops are central to the future of sustainable agriculture in Florida. A recent UF/IFAS Soil Health and Cover Crop Workshop highlighted how those two strategies can improve productivity, enhance environmental stewardship, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Bivek Bhusal, Cover Crops, Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Research And Education Center, Florida Agricultural Soil Moisture Sensor Network, Gabriel Maltais-Landry, Jango Bhadha, Jehangir Bhadha, Matthew VanWeelden, Sarah Strauss, Soil Health, Soil Microbiology, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Suraj Melkani, Susan Crow, Water Management

SWES Research Featured at the UF Water Institute Symposium

by Mike Loizzo
February 20, 2026

Members of the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES) will have a strong presence at the UF Water Institute Symposium. SWES students, faculty, staff, and alumni are contributing more than 40 oral and poster presentations. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Events, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Agriculture, Hydrology, Irrigation, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, UF Water Institute, UF Water Institute Symposium, Water

Featured New Faculty: Paul White

by Mike Loizzo
February 10, 2026

Paul M. White is one of the newest members of the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES). He is an associate professor of soil science and coordinator of the UF/IFAS Agricultural Nutrient Management Program. Based in ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Best Management Practices, Farming, Fertilizer, Nutrient Management, Nutrient Management Program, Paul M White, Precision Agriculture, Soil, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Sustainable Agriculture, Water

Phosphorus Management in Florida Must Be Soil-Specific

by Mike Loizzo
February 6, 2026

Phosphorus is one of the most essential nutrients for plant growth. It also is one of the most challenging to manage responsibly. When applied efficiently, it supports lawns and landscapes as well as healthy crops. But when it moves off-site ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Dinesh Phuyal, Entisols, Histosols, Lilit Vardanyan, Mehlich, Nutrient Management, Nutrient Management Program, Phosphorus, Soil Chemistry, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Spodosols, Vimala Nair

SWES Faculty, Staff, and Student Recognized with Superior Accomplishment Awards

by Mike Loizzo
February 4, 2026

The Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES) is proud to celebrate three outstanding members of our community. All three represent UF/IFAS in different ways, but each demonstrates exceptional service worthy of a 2026 Superior ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS, Work & Life
Tags: Brittney Monus, Emily Colson, P. Chris Wilson, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Superior Accomplishment Award

Fertilizer Source Matters: A Comparison of Alternatives for Nutrient Content

by Mike Loizzo
January 27, 2026

Fertilizer source is one of the four Rs of fertilizer management (Right source, Right place, Right time, and Right placement). Mineral fertilizers are typically synthesized (i.e., nitrogen from the Haber-Bosch process) or mined from mineral ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Best Management Practices, BMPs, Cheryl Mackowiak, Conservation, Fertility, Fertilization, Field Crops, Forage & Pasture, General Agriculture, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

What Winter Crops Can – and Can’t – Deliver for Corn on Sandy Soils

by Mike Loizzo
January 21, 2026

Winter crops are often talked about as a win–win for agriculture. In general, they protect the soil by replacing bare winter fallow. By recycling nutrients, they set the stage for better yields in the next crop. Overall, winter crops should ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Chris H Wilson, Fertilizer, Gabriel Maltais-Landry, Julia Barra Netto-Ferreira, Nitrogen, Nutrient Management, Soil, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Southern SARE

Register Now for the 2026 FL-AGSOIL Conference

by Mike Loizzo
January 19, 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

Remembering a Global Soil Scientist Whose Life’s Work Helped Feed the World

by Mike Loizzo
January 13, 2026

Dr. Pedro A. Sánchez, an internationally renowned soil scientist, visionary leader and tireless advocate for food security, passed away Monday morning, Jan. 12, 2026. He was 85. Born Oct. 7, 1940, in Cuba, Sánchez grew up on his family’s ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS
Tags: Agroforestry, Cheryl Palm, Federal University Of Lavras, Jack Payne, Pedro Sanchez, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, World Food Prize

Experiential Learning Lab Bridges Art and Soil Science

by Mike Loizzo
January 5, 2026

Graduate students from the UF School of Art and Art History gathered at the Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences’ Experiential Learning Lab (ELL) throughout 2025. They were in Professor of Art and Technology Katerie Gladdys’ ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Ann Wilkie, Art, Ceramics, Clay, Experiential Learning Lab, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

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