Category: Agriculture

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
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
An image of a strawberry field with plastic mulch bedding that has a mini-revolver sprinkler system running for the Florida groundwater research.

Tiny Sprinklers, Big Impact on Florida Groundwater

by Mike Loizzo
May 12, 2026

One of agriculture’s biggest environmental challenges may have a surprisingly practical solution: changing the type of sprinkler used in the field. A new UF/IFAS-led study examines how to maintain crop productivity while dramatically reducing ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Carlene Chase, Davie Kadyampakeni, Eutrophication, Florida Groundwater, Irrigation, Josue St Fort, Michael Dukes, Precision Agriculture, Shinsuke Agehara, Strawberries, Vivek Sharma
A field of a flooded rice crop rotation after a sugarcane harvest.

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
A large ballroom full of people sitting at tables listening to a speaker at the 2024 Water Institute Symposium.

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
A large red tractor with extended arms on each side runs through a corn field, applying fertilizer.

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
A potato field in Hastings, FL, where scientists collected soil samples for a phosphorus management research program.

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
A tractor spreads liquid manure biosolids over a pasture field.

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
An aerial view of corn growing in 24 research plots after winter crops grew.

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
Rows of peanut plants at the North Florida Research and Education Center - Suwannee Valley

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

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