Category: Natural Resources

A group of men and women stand in a row near a field in Zambia.

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
close up view of mycorrhizal fungi on plant roots in a sandy soil.

The Hidden Work of Mycorrhizal Fungi in Agriculture and Forests

by Mike Loizzo
November 17, 2025

Mycorrhizal fungi play an often unseen but vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. These small, subterranean powerhouses sustain both agricultural productivity and forest resilience through their partnerships with plants. Two recent UF/IFAS ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Ecosystems, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Ectomycorrhizal Fungi, Forest Ecosystems, Holly Andres, Kaile Zhang, Mycorrhizal Fungi, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Sunny Liao
Aquatic plants at the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie.

UF Professor Named Fellow Of SSSA

by Mike Loizzo
October 10, 2025

Patrick Inglett, a professor of biogeochemistry in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Department of Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES), is a 2025 Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water
Tags: Patrick Inglett, Soil Science Society Of America, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Wetland Biogeochemistry
A field of a flooded rice crop rotation after a sugarcane harvest.

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
a bunch of ripe oranges hanging in a tree.

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
Turtles sunning on a log on the Santa Fe River.

Wading into National Estuaries Week: Research and Extension

by Mike Loizzo
September 21, 2025

Estuaries are vital for clean water, fisheries, coastal protection, and recreation. They are essential to ecosystems and communities. National Estuaries Week (Sept. 20–27, 2025) invites people to celebrate the places where rivers meet the ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Apalachicola, Ashley Smyth, Estuary, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Laura Reynolds, Love Kumar, Mark Clark, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences
decorative image

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
Lake Okeechobee in Florida was used by scientists to test a new method for estimating lake volumes.

Estimating Lake Volumes from Space with AI

by Mike Loizzo
August 26, 2025

How do you measure the volume of a large lake when detailed maps of its underwater topography aren't available? A new study led by Golmar Golmohammadi, assistant professor in the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences, offers ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Genetic Algorithm, Golmar Golmohammadi, Lake Okeechobee, Normalized Difference Water Index, Rangle Cattle Research And Education Center, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

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