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Released: 23-Feb-2017 8:05 AM EST
Repellant Could Keep Dangerous Beetles Away From Avocado Trees
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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.

Released: 22-Feb-2017 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Researchers Find Potential Bugs to Eat Invasive Cogongrass
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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.

Released: 16-Feb-2017 8:55 AM EST
UF/IFAS Helps ‘Keep the (Blood) Pressure Down’
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

New UF/IFAS Extension program aims to help people around Florida maintain healthy blood pressure.

Released: 15-Feb-2017 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Entomologist Gets $200,000 to Help Develop Rapid Zika Detection
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Barry Alto, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of medical entomology, said scientists need better diagnostic tools to detect Zika virus to meet challenges to public health. He is working with collaborator Steven Benner at Firebird Biomolecular Sciences LLC to develop methods they hope should take about an hour – far less time than current testing methods.

   
Released: 10-Feb-2017 9:05 AM EST
How About Another Sweet, Juicy Strawberry, Courtesy of UF/IFAS?
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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.

Released: 8-Feb-2017 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Researchers to Launch New Plants-in-Space Mission
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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.

Released: 6-Feb-2017 12:05 PM EST
UF/IFAS Researcher: Cats, Dogs Teaming Up Is Best Way to Keep Rodents Away
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Cats and dogs may be longtime enemies, but when teamed up, they keep rodents away, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher says.

Released: 6-Feb-2017 10:05 AM EST
Valentine’s Day Means More Than Roses; UF/IFAS Breeds, Suggests Other Plants to Give
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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.

Released: 1-Feb-2017 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Faculty Lead Contest That Connects Insects, Art
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

An interdisciplinary team of undergraduate students from across UF is helping to lead the contest. The team generates 3-D files -- based on real ants and spiders. For the contest, UF students in any discipline use the 3-D files of the insects and spiders to create three-dimensional sculpture and animation.

Released: 31-Jan-2017 9:05 AM EST
Four with UF/IFAS Ties to Be Inducted Into Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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.

Released: 30-Jan-2017 9:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Citrus REC Starts Centennial Celebration
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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.

Released: 26-Jan-2017 2:05 PM EST
UF/IFAS Breeder Develops Genetic Path to Tastier Tomatoes
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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.

Released: 19-Jan-2017 3:05 PM EST
UF/IFAS Findings Could Help Prevent Crop-Killing Pathogen From Coming to U.S.
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

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.

Released: 18-Jan-2017 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Model Delivers Growers Severe Weather Data Specific to Their Farms
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

“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.

Released: 17-Jan-2017 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Celebrates Arbor Day with Research, Extension Activities, Including Tree Giveaways
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

“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.

Released: 13-Jan-2017 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Experts to Stress Environment, Immigration, Production at AG Policy Conference
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

“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.

Released: 11-Jan-2017 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Researchers Show Potential Market for Locally Grown Asian Vegetables
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Asian-Americans in three East Coast states, including Florida, yearn for more of their native vegetables, and those crops can be grown in the East, say two University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers.

Released: 9-Jan-2017 10:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Researchers Find 2 Virus-Carrying Mosquito Species; 9 New Ones in a Decade
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

UF/IFAS researchers find two more non-native mosquito species in Florida that transmit viruses that cause disease in humans and wildlife. That makes nine new mosquito species found in Florida in the past decade.

Released: 5-Jan-2017 8:05 AM EST
Longtime Duda Executive Named UF/IFAS Champion for 2016
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Hugh English helped launch southwest Florida’s fledgling citrus industry. He started his career as a citrus grove manager at A. Duda & Sons in 1965, and through his work, English began many citrus research and Extension demonstrations in the Duda groves. He retired in 2001 as a corporate vice president.

Released: 4-Jan-2017 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Researcher to Lead $1 Million Study to Increase Global Wheat Production
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Md Ali Babar, a UF/IFAS agronomy assistant professor and his team of researchers, hope to increase the harvest index from 45 to 60 percent, which translates to much more wheat. The harvest index quantifies a crop’s yield versus the amount of biomass – shoots and roots – that it produces.

Released: 3-Jan-2017 9:00 AM EST
Learn More About Florida’s Water Resources with New UF/IFAS Website
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Are you concerned about how your water tastes? Do you want to know how much you use, or whether we’ll have enough water for the next generation? A new UF/IFAS website links users with UF/IFAS programs on how to preserve and, perhaps improve the quantity and quality of water in Florida.

Released: 20-Dec-2016 3:05 PM EST
2016’s Top 10 UF/IFAS Extension Publications Cover Snakes, Avocados, Vegetable Gardening, More
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Faculty at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences write Extension documents that bring top-notch, science-based information to the public for free. Topics cover myriad issues from reptiles to rivers and from crops to food safety. These documents are found on a website, www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

Released: 14-Dec-2016 1:05 PM EST
UF/IFAS Scientists: Commercially Grown Strawberries Are Not Genetically Engineered
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

“In recent years I have been frequently contacted by the public with questions about genetic engineering, and Florida strawberry growers have frequently reached out to me to help answer questions they have received from the public as well,” said Vance Whitaker, a UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences and a strawberry breeder.

Released: 12-Dec-2016 7:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Early Career Scientists to Use Grants to Study Greening, Pests, Environmental Issues, More
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

The faculty members will receive about $50,000 each as part of UF’s Early Career Scientist Seed Fund program to help develop new faculty research, said Jackie Burns, UF/IFAS dean for research.

Released: 9-Dec-2016 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Extension Program Has Five Tips for Fresh, Healthy Holiday Eating
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Want to eat healthy and save money this holiday season? Including fresh, seasonal produce in your family meals and party platters may be a good place to start.

Released: 6-Dec-2016 9:00 AM EST
UF/IFAS Extension Offers Way to Avoid Post-Holiday Shopping ‘Sticker Shock’
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

The key is to make a budget and stick to it. But UF/IFAS experts share numerous other tips.

Released: 5-Dec-2016 9:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Extension Agent: Baking Blunders to Avoid This Holiday
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Heidi Copeland, family and consumer sciences agent with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Leon County, has these tips for avoiding common baking blunders during the holidays.

Released: 5-Dec-2016 9:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Citizen Scientists Find Microplastics Have Big Presence in Coastal Waters
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

A little over a year ago, McGuire began the Florida Microplastic Awareness Project, a citizen science project that has trained volunteers throughout Florida to gather data about microplastics in coastal waters. So far, volunteers have collected and analyzed 770 water samples at 256 locations. These citizen scientists found an average of eight piece of plastic per sample. 82 percent of plastic found was microfiber, an unexpected finding.

Released: 30-Nov-2016 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Survey Shows Homeowners Want Incentives to Conserve More Water
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Respondents to a UF/IFAS online survey of 3,000 homeowners in Florida, Texas and California said reducing the price of water-efficient equipment would be the most effective strategy. That was followed by more practical information on household water conservation, easier identification of water-efficient appliances and better landscape irrigation ordinances.

Released: 28-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
UF Receives Mosquito Traps for Graduate and Family Housing
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

While there are no cases of locally transmitted zika virus on the UF campus, Gainesville or Alachua County, Sharon Blansett, assistant to the associate vice president for UF student affairs, welcomes the mosquito traps as a virus-prevention measure for students living in graduate and family housing.

   
Released: 22-Nov-2016 8:05 AM EST
Habitat for Humanity, UF/IFAS Extension Program Work Together for New Homeowners
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

As they prepare to be new homeowners with help from Habitat for Humanity, program candidates learn home maintenance, how to save energy and how to get along better with home occupants through the Homeflow program.

Released: 21-Nov-2016 9:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Researcher: Neighborly Conversations Can Help with Water Conservation
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

“You may not notice the ways someone conserves, but they may already be taking action to not waste water by using good irrigation practices, and they may be open to some new ideas if you strike up a conversation about how you save water in the home landscape,” said Laura Warner, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of agricultural education and communications.

Released: 21-Nov-2016 9:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Extension Helps Floridians ‘Take Charge’ of Diabetes
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Take Charge of Your Diabetes covers most aspects of diabetes self-care, and is offered by UF/IFAS Extension county faculty in collaboration with local health professionals who specialize in diabetes management. Participants attend nine weekly sessions and at least two follow-up meetings to encourage their continued adherence to best practices for good blood glucose control and to check their progress.

Released: 17-Nov-2016 8:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Tips for Safe Holiday Meal Preparation
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

With the holidays approaching, you want the turkey and stuffing – or whatever you’re preparing – to be safe to eat, and consume again as leftovers.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 5:00 PM EST
UF/IFAS Researchers Awarded Grant to Build Up Ecological ‘Resilience’ in Big Bend
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Thanks to an award of up to $8.3 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences research team will work to restore these shrinking oyster reefs and help coastal ecosystems — and economies — become more resilient in the face of climate change and rising tides.

Released: 16-Nov-2016 11:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Study Documents Nutritional Risk in Florida’s Older Adults
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Older adults who eat at congregate meal-serving sites may come to the meals with significant nutritional deficits. Congregate meals are delivered through the Area Agencies on Aging, administering state and federally funded meal and nutrition education programs with outreach services. Collectively, about 425 congregate sites in Florida serve thousands of meals daily.

Released: 14-Nov-2016 9:05 AM EST
Veteran UF/IFAS Economist Named Interim Director of UF/IFAS Tropical REC
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Edward "Gilly" Evans is taking on the leadership role as the center is hiring seven new faculty members.

Released: 10-Nov-2016 3:05 PM EST
Nature Already Dramatically Impacted by Climate Change, Study Reveals
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

A study led by UF/IFAS researcher Brett Scheffers shows that every aspect of nature has been affected by climate change.

Released: 10-Nov-2016 10:05 AM EST
UF/IFAS Expert: Five Tips for Avoiding Common Holiday Health Pitfalls
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Have you ever reached the end of a holiday buffet with a plate filled with more food than you intended? The holiday season is primetime for overeating, said Nan Jensen, family and consumer sciences agent with University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Pinellas County. Jensen has these tips for avoiding common holiday health pitfalls.

Released: 9-Nov-2016 3:05 PM EST
UF/IFAS Study: People Who Know About Genetically Modified Food Agree with Science: They’re Safe
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

On the other hand, those who know plenty about global warming are cautious about the science that says humans cause the phenomenon, a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study shows. Furthermore, the study showed some people still make what researchers call “illusionary correlations,” such as “genetically modified foods cause autism.”

Released: 9-Nov-2016 9:05 AM EST
Tropical Bed Bug Reappears After 60-Year Absence
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Biologically, tropical bed bugs mirror common bed bugs in that they feed on human blood. So they’re likely to cause similar health problems if you get a severe infestation: fear, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and itchy, blistery reactions on some people.

Released: 7-Nov-2016 8:05 AM EST
‘Dine in’ with Family, Friends and Co-Workers on Dec. 3
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

According to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences experts, sharing food around the dinner table also helps us feel more connected, make healthier choices and save money along the way. UF/IFAS Extension is encouraging families, friends and coworkers to experience the benefits of “dining in” by share a meal together on Dec. 3 for National Dine In Day.

Released: 4-Nov-2016 11:05 AM EDT
UF/IFAS Researcher Hopes to Bolster Pollinators, Reduce Water Use, Other Inputs on Golf Courses
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

According to Adam Dale, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, golf courses could be used to conserve pollinators while reducing water consumption and management inputs such as pest control.

Released: 3-Nov-2016 8:05 AM EDT
UF/IFAS Gets $5 Million to Help Families Strengthen Relationships
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

About 160,000 people got divorced in 2014 in Florida, according to the state Department of Health. UF/IFAS Extension faculty hope to help lower that number a bit through a program called SMART Couples.

Released: 3-Nov-2016 7:05 AM EDT
UF/IFAS Imaging System Can Detect Citrus Greening Before Symptoms Show
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

A time-lapse polarized imaging system may help citrus growers detect greening before the plant’s leaves show symptoms, which should help growers as they try to fend off the deadly disease.

Released: 2-Nov-2016 8:05 AM EDT
UF/IFAS study: Food safety knowledge – or lack thereof -- passed from one generation to next
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

The real issue, as assistant professor Joy Rumble found in her newly published study, is that few Floridians bother to find out the safest ways to prevent food-borne illnesses. And it’s not that they don’t care, said Rumble, an assistant professor in agricultural education and communication. “They’ve just never had a reason to care. They don’t know they are doing something wrong, or they’ve never knowingly gotten sick from something they made.”

   
Released: 27-Oct-2016 8:05 AM EDT
Longtime UF/IFAS Administrator Retires After Outstanding Career in Research, Outreach
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Chris Waddill came to UF/IFAS as Dean for Extension and later directed the Everglades, Southwest Florida and Everglades research and education center for UF/IFAS. She hired many outstanding faculty and helped bridge the gap between science and growers.

Released: 26-Oct-2016 8:05 AM EDT
With Halloween Candy, It’s a Matter of Moderation, UF/IFAS Expert Says
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

As with any sugary food, consuming too much Halloween candy is not good for you, said UF/IFAS associate professor Karla Shelnutt. “I don’t think kids should be eating more than one to two pieces of candy a day.”

Released: 24-Oct-2016 11:05 AM EDT
UF/IFAS CALS Students, Faculty Host Stop Hunger Now on Nov. 4 to Feed International Communities in Need
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Nearly 800 million people globally do not receive the necessary amount of food to survive, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This is why the University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) has continued its partnership with Stop Hunger Now to package meals for families in need. The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 4



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