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 Gainesville, his research and Extension work will take him across Florida. We asked White about his career path and what he hopes to accomplish in his new role.
Can you tell us about your background?
I am originally from Arkansas. I grew up on a soybean, rice and cotton farm before attending the University of Arkansas (B.S., 1999; M.S., 2002). Much of my time there was spent researching bio- and phytoremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils. While pursuing a Ph.D. in agronomy at Kansas State University in 2006, I studied soil carbon sequestration in grain sorghum, field corn and restored prairie agroecosystems.
I spent the next two years in Tifton, GA, at the USDA Agricultural Research Service Southeast Watershed Research Unit, Pesticide Residue Laboratory, studying agrichemical fate in soil and water in Georgia and Florida farming systems, as well as the effects of pesticides on soil microbial ecology.
In 2009, I joined the USDA Agricultural Research Service Sugarcane Research Unit in Houma, LA. As a soil scientist, I focused on cultural practices. That included billet planting and row spacing, and the use of mill processing byproducts, including filter press mud and bagasse-derived biochar, to improve soil health. We also established an eddy covariance network to study the sugarcane carbon cycle.
In 2023, I became research leader of that unit before joining UF/IFAS SWES in January 2026.
What led you to be a soil scientist, specifically one focused on soil health and soil fertility?
My first interest in soil science began as an undergraduate at the University of Arkansas. I remember taking my first soils course, Introductory Soil Science, and realizing how complex soil systems are. Initially, I was most interested in environmental soil science and preventing soil erosion.
However, once I began conducting research, soil biochemistry, and especially soil microbiology, became particularly interesting to me. Through these experiences, I learned to view soil as an integrated system of physical, chemical and biological processes.
I have worked extensively with soils in Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Kansas and Florida. While these soils have unique strengths and weaknesses, intensive agriculture has a similar degrading effect on each. Improving and maintaining soil health is a critical step in reversing soil degradation and sustaining agriculture.
Managing soil fertility is also essential as the demand for food, fiber and fuel continues to increase. The Earth’s population is now more than 8 billion. At the same time, it is important to minimize environmental damage by reducing nutrient loss into lakes, rivers, aquifers and marine ecosystems. This is where my focus on soil health and soil fertility intersects.
What is your vision for your research and Extension projects in IFAS?
My overall research and Extension goal is to develop nutrient recommendations and management options that improve crop yields and profitability while reducing negative off-site impacts on Florida’s water resources. Florida’s diverse soils support a wide range of row, turf, vegetable and fruit crops. Each requires nutrient guidelines, or best management practices, to maximize yields while preventing off-site agrochemical loss. Many of these practices need updating.
My initial research plan is to focus on gaps in modern best management practices for specific nutrients, such as phosphorus, needed in vegetable crops, including tomato, sweet corn and snap bean. I also want to evaluate fertilizer additives that improve nutrient retention and plant uptake, as well as new strategies to assess plant-available nutrient levels in soil.
A key part of my program will be sharing this information with stakeholders, including growers, industry representatives, and Extension agents. Through adoption of improved best management practices, I hope our work will support both agricultural production and conservation of natural resources.
What do you foresee as being the biggest challenge ahead?
One of the biggest challenges will be earning the trust of stakeholders, including growers, industry, and government colleagues, conservationists, and fellow IFAS staff. That will take time and dedication, particularly as we work to improve nutrient best management practices for Florida’s diverse soil types and crops while also reducing negative impacts to waterways.
Meeting both goals will not be easy, and it will not happen quickly. However, UF/IFAS and SWES are world-class institutions with faculty, staff, and students who are well-positioned to meet that challenge, and I am glad to be part of the team.
Featured image: UF/IFAS Photo by Cristina Carrizosa
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