Organic farmers can use a combination of cover crops and no-till methods to improve soil health, suppress weeds, and retain moisture.
Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories, The University of New Mexico and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology will adapt previously developed sensors to monitor root function and plant health in new, noninvasive ways.
The Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP) announced the launch of four new multi-disciplinary teams aimed at tackling global issues including land use, soil carbon, conservation offsets, and human health and the environment.
“We really look at this study and South Korea as information to see if we can increase younger consumers in other countries,” said Lisa House, a UF/IFAS professor of food and resource economics and a study co-author. In addition to eating grapefruit, South Koreans also use grapefruit in beer, tea and ice cream, so marketing opportunities abound.
Using living organisms such as bacteria or fungi, as an alternative to chemical fertilisers, can improve the soil biodiversity of green roofs, according to new research from the University of Portsmouth.
The Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University has found that finer raw cotton in loose form performs best for absorbing oil, according to a study in the March/April 2017 issue of the AATCC Journal of Research.
Discovery of the genes that the insect parasite Wolbachia uses to control its hosts' reproduction provides a powerful new tool for enhancing biological control efforts for mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, Zika and malaria.
A study by scientists at Indiana University has found that the master gene that regulates differences between males and females plays a complex role in matching the right physical trait to the right sex. The research, published Feb. 27 in the journal Nature Communications, reveals new details about the behavior of the gene called "doublesex," or dsx.
New Iowa State University research outlines how the genetic pathways that govern growth and stress response in plants sometimes clash. The research could lead to better performing crop varieties.
Florida avocados bring a $100 million-a-year impact to Florida’s economy, UF/IFAS economists say. They grow almost entirely in southern Miami-Dade County, but growers have battled the laurel wilt fungus, which can kill redbay and avocado trees, since it arrived in Georgia in 2003.
Because of the increasing severity of forest fires in New Mexico and Arizona in recent years, there are approximately 118,000 acres of high severity devastation that need reforestation, according to a white paper by the U.S. Forest Service.
Canola and camelina are cool-season crops that produce oilseeds. Soon they may find a home in California fields as a rotational crop with smart water use and high demand.
In January 2017, at the Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG) in San Diego, the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) presented Forrest Chumley with a Certificate of Appreciation for his vision and 10 years of dedication to and support of the IWGSC.
Cogongrass displaces pasture grass, golf course greens and valuable ecosystems. UF/IFAS professor James Cuda and his team are focusing on the Orseolia javanica midge that causes cogongrass to produce linear galls at the expense of leaves.
Some global models underestimate the mean age of soil carbon. This underestimation results in an overestimation of soil’s carbon sequestration potential.
A new study analyzed close to 4,500 maize varieties to identify more than 1,000 genes driving large-scale adaptation to the environment.
Researchers from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Kentucky College of Public Health create bilingual safety guides for horse farm workers.
Future outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) can be controlled effectively and quickly with vaccinations – saving millions of pounds and hundreds of thousands of livestock – according to research by the University of Warwick.
This infographic presents key facts about wheat: production, cultivation, consumption, export value.
Snow is fun for sledding and skiing, but what is its role in soil protection? The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) February 15 Soils Matter blog post explains the crucial role of snow for healthy soils.
Eating popcorn has long been synonymous with watching movies. But soon you might find yourself reaching for another popped snack option—popped sorghum.
Climate change will bring worsening droughts that threaten crops. One potential way to protect crops is by spraying them with a compound that induces the plants to become more drought resistant. Now, by identifying the key molecular mechanism that enables a plant to minimize water loss, researchers may be one step closer to that goal.
When you bite into a Florida strawberry for Valentine’s Day or National Strawberry Day on Feb. 27, you savor sweetness and juice. That’s what you’ll find in all varieties bred by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers.
A team of researchers is developing a robotic system of all-terrain rovers and aerial drones that can quickly and accurately gather and analyze data on the characteristics of crops.
Through May 31, 2017, The Thomas Reuters Foundation and Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition are calling all journalists, bloggers, freelancers, and individuals covering a variety of food issues to enter for a chance to win nearly US$11,000, an all-expenses paid media training program, and access to an audience one billion strong.
Can grassy lawns affect carbon and nitrogen in the soil? Researchers found grass species and mowing habits can make a difference.
People put on sweaters when they’re cold. Plants on the other hand, have to essentially knit one on the fly. Plants “knit” with their genes, and when University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers launch their Feb. 14 space experiment, they want to know more about how gene expression helps plants to adapt themselves to outer space.
A new study probes the origins of carnivory in several distantly related plants — including the Australian, Asian and American pitcher plants, which appear strikingly similar to the human (or insect) eye.
A plant always makes for a nice gesture on Valentine’s Day, and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are breeding flora that may emit alluring aromas to your sweetheart.
When do erosion and rebuilding of soil equate with outdoor beauty? The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) February 1 Soils Matter blog post explains how the wind and water forces at Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park work in a constant cycle of erosion and rebuilding.
Each was born and raised on a Florida farm, and each has made outstanding contributions to Florida’s agriculture industry and mentored future leaders in the field.
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), and the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) sent an open letter today to President Trump, asking that he “protect and defend the scientific integrity of federal scientists.”
When the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense visited Kansas State University for a series of agrodefense discussions, the university cemented its status as a national leader in animal health, biosciences and food safety research.
While scientists and policy experts debate the impacts of global warming, the Earth’s soil is releasing roughly nine times more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than all human activities combined. This huge carbon flux from soil, which is due to the natural respiration of soil microbes and plant roots, begs one of the central questions in climate change science. As the global climate warms, will soil respiration rates increase, adding even more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and accelerating climate change?
Nearly a century ago, a group of Polk County citrus growers raised about $14,000 to buy land for a research station. Now, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center.
In a study published today in the journal Science, Harry Klee, a UF/IFAS professor of horticultural sciences, led an international research team that included scientists from China, Israel and Spain. Researchers identified chemicals that contribute to tomato flavor.
Demand for ecosystem protection is increasing.
College freshmen and sophomores interested in agriculture can learn about precision livestock production through a new training program aimed at recruiting minority students to the field.
HHMI scientists develop a much-needed genetic resource that is aiding development of wheat plants with improved traits.
It is of interest, not only because it is a staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, but because grain sorghum yields have been flat or declining due to the lack of sufficient investment in the development of new improved varieties. Sorghum is very resilient to drought and heat stress. Natural genetic diversity in sorghum makes it a promising system for identifying stress-resistance mechanisms in grasses that may have been lost during the domestication of related cereal crops. It is among the most efficient crops in conversion of solar energy and use of water, making it an ideal crop to target for improvement to meet the predicted doubling of global food demand by 2050.
These findings may provide further evidence to help researchers solve the $6 billion-a-year disease that continues to evolve and torment potato and tomato growers around the world.
Profits in stocker production can be as green as winter pastures when conditions are right and producers apply correct stocking strategies, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Research expert. And research trials at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Overton are focusing on identifying optimal strategies and stocking rates for producers.
“Growers kept asking us, ‘What is the probability of getting an extreme weather event on my farm when my crop is ready to harvest,’” said Caroline Staub, a post-doctoral researcher in the UF/IFAS agricultural and biological engineering department.
West Virginia University researcher is uncovering critical information about tiny organisms under our feet, which although small, can have a huge impact on the environment.
“Arbor Day is a great time for everyone to be reminded of the importance of trees and forests in their everyday lives and to contribute to the approximately 70 million trees that are planted each year in Florida for reforestation,” said Tim Martin, professor and co-interim director of the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation.
Fishing communities can survive ― and even thrive ― as fish abundance and market prices shift if they can catch a variety of species and nimbly move from one fishery to the next, a new University of Washington study finds.
“Our goal is to bring industry experts, researchers, policy and business leaders together to discuss the current and emerging challenges related to Florida as an engine of innovation, policy related to food, nutrition and consumer decision making, water quality and management, agricultural labor and the prospects for our fruit and vegetable industry.” -- Spiro Stefanou, chair of the UF/IFAS food and resource economics department.
A new UdeM study of the flora "Down Under" breaks new ground by showing that soil biota play an important role in the maintenance of plant diversity in species-rich ecosystems.
In a new study, researchers used digital techniques to predict how one vital soil characteristic, soil organic carbon, may be altered by climate change.
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