UF/IFAS scientists zeroed in on the Florida mosquitoes because most of the studies done on “vector competence” to date have been conducted on species in Africa and Asia.
Researchers have worked for four years, growing grapefruit under protective screens on a 1-acre experimental plot of trees at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and they’re seeing encouraging results.
The iTAG website will help researchers throughout the Gulf and in neighboring regions track their animals. Electronically tracking animals over large distances allows scientists to better understand biodiversity hotspots and ecosystem processes.
Andrew Koeser, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of environmental horticulture, led a newly completed study that looked at 43 cities in Florida. Researchers showed that Florida cities with tree ordinances that protect large trees have 6.7 percent more tree canopy coverage than those that don’t.
Although cane toads are more abundant in the spring and summer months, when there’s more rainfall, they can be found just about any time of the year in South Florida, said Steve Johnson, an associate professor of wildlife ecology and conservation at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
The research team studied seed systems in Africa. Seed systems are composed of people and businesses that make seed available, and farmers who use that seed. As a result of the research, scientists developed a model that will help them find seed-borne pathogens and provides recommendations for how to stop the pathogens from spreading.
Five years after the initial funding, the National Science Foundation has renewed the center’s grant funding at $150,000 per year for each of the next five years. CAMTech, as the center is known, is a collaboration among researchers at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the University of Kentucky and private partners.
In new research published in the journal Scientific Reports, Alan Chambers and Elias Bassil led a group of researchers that established a Vanilla collection with 112 potentially unique individuals.
March marks National Nutrition Month, a time to recognize the value of developing healthful eating patterns. Looking for motivation to heed the advice of UF/IFAS registered dietitian Laura Acosta? How about obesity. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevent reports that nearly 40 percent of American adults are considered obese.
As National Strawberry Day approaches on Feb. 27, University of Florida scientists have found another variety that can grow in South Florida. It’s largely unknown to American consumers, it’s temptingly tasty and it’s good for local markets, UF researchers say.
By taking a more holistic approach to challenging issues facing Florida, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers will share more and better information about water and land use, including farming and urban landscapes, with the establishment of a new center.
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professors Senthold Asseng and Frank Asche co-wrote an article published in the journal Science Robotics in which they say: “the farmers of the future are likely to be data scientists, programmers and robot wranglers.”
Imagine using a robotic arm to grip and puncture the trunk of a citrus tree to deliver chemicals into the vascular parts of the plant, reducing its susceptibility to the citrus greening disease.
Nian Wang, a professor of microbiology and cell science with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, will help an investigation in which researchers take the best genes from one plant and transfer them into another. With that combination, Wang and the research team believe they’ll move closer to growers’ goal of citrus that copes better with greening.
As we enter February, which is American Heart Month, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences nutrition expert gives several suggestions to help you keep your heart pumping blood as it should.
Commercial citrus growers will soon see a new seedless mandarin variety that stays on the tree longer, two traits farmers seek, say University of Florida scientists.
The research from the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences focused on using Strava, a GPS-based app, to analyze bicycling patterns in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
For years, University of Florida scientists looked for a few characteristics in a more desirable strawberry. Among those traits was a higher yield in November and December -- the early part of the Florida season when prices are highest. They also sought better fruit for the consumer. That meant a longer shelf life, better flavor, improved shape and other traits, said Vance Whitaker, an associate professor of horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
In newly published research, scientists including Jamie Foster at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences studied the genome of the bobtail squid to find out how the cephalopod’s symbiotic organs evolved. Such findings give them clues about how microbes have helped shape the evolution of animals, she said.