A First: Scientists Grow Plants in Soil From the Moon
Scientists have grown plants in soil from the moon, a first in human history and a milestone in lunar and space exploration. In a new paper published in the journal “Communications Biology,” University of Florida researchers showed that plants can successfully sprout and grow in lunar soil. Their study also investigated how plants respond biologically to the moon’s soil, also known as lunar regolith, which is radically different from soil found on Earth.
Rob Ferl Receives NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal
Rob Ferl, distinguished professor in the UF/IFAS horticultural sciences department and assistant vice president for UF research, has received one of NASA’s most prestigious honors, the Exceptional Public Service Medal.
Pushy Plants? Student Discovery ‘Adds New Dimension to Plant Biology’
A new University of Florida study conducted by mathematics and botany senior Camille Sicangco, has been accepted for publication in Current Biology and shows the plant exerts force on its own, not just in response to external forces such as climate and soil. It is rare for an undergraduate student to publish research in such a prestigious journal — let alone to do so using new methods of discovery — but advisor Dr. Francis E. “Jack” Putz encouraged the naturally creative and inquisitive Sicangco to follow her curiosity.
Atlantic Beach Trying Traps Designed for Military To Swat out Mosquitos at Local Parks
Mosquito season is here, and it’s only going to get worse as we head into the wetter months. Before it gets too bad, one local city is taking steps to take out as many mosquitos as it can. Crews are putting up INZECTO mosquito traps in Atlantic Beach that were actually created by a University of Florida professor.
Scientists and Farmers See Ways To Make AI Useful to Agriculture
In a groundbreaking, first-of-its kind event, university scientists, engineers, producers, government agencies and industry officials from throughout the South met at Auburn University to brainstorm ways to use artificial intelligence to help farmers.
An Aromatic Tomato Could Be Looming – A La Heirloom Varieties, Say UF Scientists
You can scarcely find a tasty, heirloom tomato in the grocery store. But University of Florida scientists helped discover a way to enhance tomato smell and taste.
New Context for Understanding Citrus Greening Renews Commitment to Finding a Viable Solution
Sometimes in science, a new perspective brings an “a ha!” moment. That’s what one senior researcher at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences believes happened with his latest research on Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening.
Mosquitoes That Transmit West Nile Virus Love To Bite Non-Native Lizards: What’s Next?
A new study published in Frontiers by faculty at UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology finds that Culex mosquitoes prefer to feed on lizards. This finding might help researchers find ways to reduce the number of West Nile-carrying mosquitoes within an ecosystem.
UF Study Shows How Climate Change Can Worsen Impact of Invasive Plants
Scientists have long hypothesized that climate change, by intensifying stressors like drought or wildfires, would make an ecosystem more vulnerable to invasive plants. Those invasive plants may in turn alter the environment in ways that amplify the impacts of climate change, explained Luke Flory, a professor of ecology in the UF/IFAS agronomy department.
Grant Helps UF Researchers Expand Income Opportunities for Small-Scale Farmers in Africa
Innovation Lab’s research engagement to Nigeria in addition to its 8 previous target countries, and it includes Syracuse University and the Boston Consulting Group as new collaborators.
