Category: Farm Management

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

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

Cover Crops Can Get Young Citrus Trees Off To A Good Start

by Mike Loizzo
December 16, 2025

Florida citrus growers continue to battle declining yields, citrus greening disease, and increasingly nutrient-poor soils. As a result, they are taking a closer look at soil-building practices such as cover crops. But how and when the cover ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Citrus, Gabriel Maltais-Landry, HLB, Huanglongbing, Sarah Strauss, Soil Fertility, Soil Health, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Yaslin Gonzalez

Cover Crops in Sandy Soil: Legumes and Grasses Differ in Nitrogen Cycling

by Mike Loizzo
October 29, 2025

Florida’s sandy soils typically have low organic matter and high permeability. That means a greater risk of nutrient leaching before a plant or tree can use what it needs. Cover crops are an option for improving soil fertility because they ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Carbon, Cover Crops, Inorganic Nitrogen, Juma Bukomba, Legumes, Mary Lusk, Nitrogen, Sandy Soils, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Sorghum, Sudangrass, Sunn Hemp

Unlocking Nutrients In Florida’s Rice Fields

by Mike Loizzo
October 13, 2025

The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) boasts organic-rich soil, ideal for farming. Rice producers, however, must deal with phosphorus and iron tightly bound in the soil, making them unavailable to plants. New University of Florida Institute ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Research And Education Center, Flooding, Iron, Jango Bhadha, Nutrient Management, Phosphorus, Rice, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Sugarcane, Suraj Melkani

Flooded Rice Crop Rotation May Slow Carbon Loss, Subsidence in Everglades Organic Soils

by Mike Loizzo
October 8, 2025

South Florida’s muck soils store carbon built over thousands of years. However, decades of drainage for agriculture have resulted in a shift in redox condition resulting in soil, organic matter, and subsequent carbon losses. A new University ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Dynamic Soil Properties, Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Research And Education Center, Histosols, Jango Bhadha, Jehangir Bhadha, Rice, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Xue Bai

Protecting Florida Citrus and Groundwater

by Mike Loizzo
September 29, 2025

Florida’s citrus groves have faced enormous challenges over the last two decades. The Asian citrus psyllid has spread citrus greening disease, known as Huanglongbing, or HLB, to trees across the state. The result is a decline in citrus production ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Aquifer, Citrus, Davie Kadyampakeni, HLB, Huanglongbing, Imidacloprid, Qudus Uthman, Sandy Soils, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Water

Students Gain Hands-On Experience through Summer Internships and Research

by Mike Loizzo
September 14, 2025

Undergraduate students in the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES) spent Summer 2025 turning class lessons into real-world practice. Through internships, research experiences and fieldwork, they gained skills for ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Farm Management, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water
Tags: Environmental Management In Agriculture And Natural Resources, Internship, Nature Coast Biological Station, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Summer Experience

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