Normally, phosphate or table salt is used to retain moisture in meat and seafood. But adding salt to the food puts more salt in a person’s diet, and that’s unhealthy. Additionally, phosphates are relatively expensive. Phosphate alternatives such as polysaccharides – a type of carbohydrate often used as a food additive – can help retain water in shrimp.
Just as the Zika virus is causing concern worldwide, a University of Florida biologist Jorge Rey has been named director of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory. “We continue to work on all aspects of the biology of the more likely vector species, Aedes aegypti, and Aedes albopictus,” Rey said. “These species are also involved in transmission of other important arboviruses such as dengue and chikungunya, so we have been conducting research on them, from populations to individual genes, for some time now. Currently we’re developing grant proposals to work on Zika, including a collaborative grant involving several faculty.”
The journal Marine Resource Economics recognized James Anderson for his 1985 paper, “Market Interactions between Aquaculture and the Common-Property Commercial Fishery.” Most articles written 30 years ago have been forgotten, but some researchers are still looking at this one, Anderson said.
"The finding also suggests that rural households may be seeking out farmers’ markets as a travel destination rather than as part of a multi-stop shopping trip, as would often be the case with urban consumers," said Alan Hodges, an Extension scientists in the UF/IFAS department of food and resource economics.
If you’re a consumer in the market for a fruit-producing plant, you’re more likely to buy one if it’s locally grown or organic, an important finding for those making their living in the approximately $280 million-a-year niche U.S. market, new University of Florida research shows.
Opportunity awaits American and Florida marketers who want to sell 100 percent Florida orange juice in China if they take a cue from American restaurant giants like Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, a new University of Florida study shows. Chinese consumers drink mostly 10 percent orange juice drink.
Major issues threaten American agriculture, but few outside the industry understand the gravity of these problems. University of Florida students are learning how to tell these stories.
Among other outcomes, this work will provide real-time information about the involvement of the Asian tiger mosquito in the outbreak, as most scientists are focusing on involvement of the yellow fever mosquito. Information gathered UF/IFAS researchers would improve the ability of mosquito control officials to respond to these viruses ahead of human cases
Liliana Cano's research will involve genome analyses of the most important pathogens affecting citrus in Florida toward the identification of key molecules secreted by these microbes and the elucidation of the mechanisms used by these pathogens to cause disease in citrus.
University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences faculty and staff members honored as teachers and advisers of the year use innovative methods to get the best from students. “Promoting excellence in teaching is one of the highest priorities for CALS,” said CALS Dean Elaine Turner. “These outstanding teachers and advisers find creative ways to engage students and inspire success. We are proud to recognize them with CALS awards.”
Mark Hostetler, a professor of wildlife ecology and conservation, sees educational signs in neighborhoods as a way to nudge people to change their landscape practices, among other activities. Hostetler is confident the signs can work in any urban subdivision in America.
How long do you shower? Would you be willing to set a timer for yourself while you bathe? That may be something to consider as you try to reduce your water consumption, say University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers. In a study that used an online survey of 932 Floridians, UF/IFAS researchers sought to identify characteristics of so-called “high-water users,” based on residents’ perceived importance of plentiful water and their water conservation behaviors.
More than three quarters of Florida’s strawberries are shipped to American markets east of the Mississippi River. Most of those out-of-state consumers enjoy the fruit, but some mistakenly think Sunshine State strawberries aren’t available at their grocery stores, a new University of Florida study shows.
To draw lipids out of algae, scientists must starve the algae of nitrogen. Among the hundreds of proteins modulated by nitrogen starvation, the synthesis ROC40 was the most induced when the cells made the most oil. Such information is of great importance for the development of superior strains of algae for biofuel production.
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are studying how to preserve pollinators and wildflowers along the state’s roadsides. The best-known pollinators are bees, but UF/IFAS researchers are studying butterflies as roadside pollinators. Among their other benefits, butterflies serve as indicator organisms. Florida Department of Transportation officials supported UF scientists in the study and appreciate the results because they want to create an environment that fosters biodiversity and conserves critical ecosystem services like pollination.
This year’s theme is ‘Savor the Flavor of Eating Right.’ UF/IFAS experts Linda Bobroff and Karla Shelnutt can talk about many areas in which individuals and families can eat to live healthier lives.
The world’s fisheries are a great source of protein, but even with the best management, they won’t be able to meet the needs of a global population expected to exceed nine billion by 2050, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences resource economics expert said. Therefore, aquaculture must grow, said James Anderson, a UF/IFAS food and resource economics professor and director of the UF/IFAS Institute for Sustainable Food Systems.
Want to know how to differentiate between an Asian tiger mosquito and a yellow fever mosquito? Such knowledge may be worth your while because both mosquito species can transmit dangerous viruses such as chikungunya, dengue and zika if they bite you. The UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Lab teaches this course now and in April, to students from around the world.
Farmers or those who aspire to grow fruits and vegetables crops can attend the third UF/IFAS Regional Small Farms Conference on April 1-2 in Fort Myers, Florida. This event provides an opportunity to share practical farming knowledge that can help growers across the region.
“Plant diagnostic labs and specialists are your plant emergency room, family doctor and physical therapist all in one," said Carrie Harmon, a UF/IFAS Extension specialist in plant pathology and director of the UF/IFAS Plant Diagnostic Center. "Our connection to anyone who works with plants is built on the Extension system, supporting the state and federal departments of agriculture goals to protect crops and livelihoods across the country."
Figure this: Asian and Formosan subterranean termites cause about $32 billion in damage annually, worldwide, when you combine harm to structures and measures to control them. UF/IFAS entomologists estimate half the structures in South Florida will be at risk of infestation by subterranean termites by 2040.
Do you want to know if it’s the right time of year to plant a vegetable? Want to buy Florida produce but you don’t know whether it’s in season? UF/IFAS has a new app to guide you. It’s called the “Florida Fresh” veggie app, and you can now download it for free on your mobile device.
Hops would not only help growers looking for another alternative crop, it would help quench the thirst of the micro-brewing industry, which is growing by leaps and bounds in Florida and across the United States. Craft beer produced and sold in Florida accounted for $875.9 million in 2013, Deng said. Production of Florida craft beer has increased nearly 10-fold in the last two years, from about 100,000 barrels per day to more than 1 million, Pearson said. Craft breweries have nearly tripled in Florida in the last two years – from 66 in 2013 to 182 in 2015.
As National Strawberry Day approaches on Feb. 27, you can bite into a Florida strawberry, and you might taste the tang of the fruits bred through the combined efforts of University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers.
The web-based tool, known as the Strawberry Advisory System (SAS), uses data such as temperature and leaf wetness to tell growers when to spray fungicide to ward off diseases. Most strawberry growers treat for fungi every week. Natalia Peres, a UF/IFAS associate professor of plant pathology, helped develop the SAS in 2012 to give producers more precise times to chemically prevent two potentially deadly fungi.
Science can provide facts, but it is the business of the creative arts to envision the future, and how all of humanity will be impacted by man-made changes to our planet.
A common toxin used to kill yellow fever mosquito larvae – the most prevalent transmitter of dengue, chikungunya and zika viruses – is highly effective. While there are some fitness advantages to surviving adults, this is still an effective way to control the damaging health impacts of these mosquito-borne diseases, a new University of Florida study shows.
Today’s students will be the world’s leaders in 2050, when the population is expected to reach 9 billion people; they will face issues like overcrowding, food security, energy and water management, and climate change. UF's ONE WORLD summit addresses these issues by bringing together a diverse group of educators and students, Extension professionals, community development personnel, corporate partners and policy makers.
Public concerns about Zika triggered UF/IFAS scientists to write a new Extension document to explain the virus. The paper can be found at http://bit.ly/1QTLDqO. FMEL scientists also have crafted a new question-and-answer document for their website, http://bit.ly/1O0eLbi.
“Citrus greening has affected more than 75 percent of Florida citrus crops and threatens production all across the United States,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The research and extension projects funded today bring us one step closer to providing growers real tools to fight this disease, from early detection to creating long-term solutions for the industry, producers and workers.”
Roses are red; violets are blue, and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are developing better breeds of Valentine’s Day plants just for you.
Once you learn to take care of and nurture yourself, only then can you be in a healthy, positive relationship. And it is perfectly fine to be by yourself on Valentine’s Day – or any day of the year.
Florida hives are on the rise. According to statistics with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as of Feb. 1, Florida has 3,957 registered beekeepers and more than 500,000 hives. That is a substantial increase from 10 years ago, when Florida reached an all-time low of only about 150,000 hives and just 650 registered beekeepers.
The "Green Industry" has recovered from the recession. It includes sod, flowers, bedding plants, tropical foliage, trees and shrubs, among other types of plants as well as many businesses that provide services such as landscape design, installation and maintenance, plus firms -- such as lawn and garden stores -- for wholesale and retail distribution of horticultural products
UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Ron Cherry and his team discovered that shallow flooding of rice fields can help reduce rice water weevil populations during Florida’s growing season, between April and September. Previous studies of the effect of flood depth on the pest have been inconsistent.
UF/IFAS researchers say the main implication of their finding is that producers and retailers could take steps to improve consumer awareness of the promotional program, which in turn, would help to increase sales.
This rare orchid is unique for several reasons. First, it resembles a ghost when its white flower moves at night; hence, it is known as the Ghost Orchid. It is also leafless, and its roots attach to the bark of the host tree. About 2,000 ghost orchids remain in Florida, all the more reason to step up efforts to stabilize the current populations. Ghost orchids became more famous through a popular book, “Orchid Thief,” about a man arrested for stealing them from trees in a forest in Collier County, near the Everglades.
More than 100 industry executives, association leaders, elected local and state policy makers, private and public sector economists, and other allied professionals are expected to attend
The inductees are Joe Joyce, Tom Braddock, Chip Hinton and Billy Kempfer
Scientists now want to know how a real – meaning, imperfect – 10-day weather forecast will affect farmers’ decisions on when to plant and fertilize. They may apply their new findings on a fresh study that would predict crop yield based on 10-day forecasts in the United States.
This finding is key as UF/IFAS and other agencies conduct studies involving citizen scientists. Good entomological research often relies on collecting and preserving the genetic material in specimens.
During the five-year grant, Christine Miller, UF/IFAS assistant professor of entomology, will investigate the evolution and diversification of elaborate animal weapons, such as antlers, horns and spurs, which males use to compete for females. Together with hundreds of students, Miller will determine how fighting behaviors have led to diversification of these weapons.
Their next class is scheduled for January 22 at 9:00 a.m. at the Clay County Extension office in Green Cove Springs. The February class is set for the 12th in Duval County.
The FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act covers produce safety, preventive controls for human and animal food and foreign supplier verification.
Their work will concentrate on culturing - or growing - the greening bacterium in the laboratory in order to be able to conduct experiments on it.
New insights into how phosphorus leaches into groundwater could help reduce its potential impact on water and the environment, a UF/IFAS scientist says. In a newly published study in the Vadoze Zone Journal, Gurpal Toor examined phosphorus that percolated into soils in Maryland and Delaware.
The University of Florida Gator Collegiate Cattlewomen took second place in the recent College Aggies Online scholarship competition that recognizes outstanding use of social media and community involvement to promote agriculture.
Your next step is going to be whether to take an annual payment or one lump-sum payment.
PLANT CAMP offers a unique, behind-the-scenes look at invasive plant management through hands-on activities that will keep participants moving from start to finish each day.
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