Seeking a New Pest Solution, UF Scientists Study Fruit Fly’s Gut Bacteria
In the home, they seem to appear out of nowhere. A piece of fruit is placed on the kitchen counter, and suddenly there’s a fruit fly. But the bug commonly referred to as a fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, may more accurately be called a vinegar fly, with an appetite for rotting fruits. Instead, it’s a […]
US Biologic/Caes Report Field Trials of Orally Delivered Anti-Lyme Vaccine Targeting the Field Mouse
Florida homeowners have some relief from pests which makes it perfect to shop for a pest control service, according to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experts. “Florida’s pest pressure tends to be higher due to multiple factors including our climate, rainfall and more,” Faith Oi, UF/IFAS Extension entomology and nematology […]
Drone Images Detect Two Tomato Diseases With 99% Accuracy
New technology being developed by University of Florida scientists identifies two dangerous tomato diseases with 99 percent accuracy. This finding is critical because diseases can cost growers millions of dollars annually in the state’s third most valuable crop. Thus, the earlier farmers detect those ailments, the better their chances of treating them before the diseases […]
Specifying Irrigation Needs for Container-Grown Plants
A study at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences examined the efficiency of irrigation schedules used for container-grown plants to determine if they could be improved with specific daily adjustments. Jeff Million and Tom Yeager conducted two experiments to monitor the effect of irrigation schedules on plant growth and water usage. […]
Exotic New Crop Could Put Florida on World Spice Map
Vanilla has an undeserved reputation for being blah, as in plain vanilla, the flavor for people who consider chocolate too daring. The truth is a vanilla bean is an exotic thing — the only edible fruit of the orchid family — and an essential ingredient in a host of everyday favorites. Most natural vanilla comes […]
Inner to Outer Space: Studying Biological Changes With Plants on Rockets
What happens to the genes of organisms as they travel from the ground, through Earth’s atmosphere, and into space? Does their expression change? Are the changes subtle or dramatic? Do they happen quickly or gradually? Answering such fundamental research questions is essential to our understanding of the impact of space travel on humans and other […]
Six UF Researchers Named 2019 AAAS Fellows
Six researchers from across the University of Florida have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. UF’s new Fellows include three UF/IFAS researchers, Senthold Asseng, a professor with the department of agricultural and biological engineering, Karen Garrett, a professor with the plant pathology […]
New Pumpkin, Calabaza Breeds Make Headway at UF
Pumpkin’s popularity for holiday decor, healthy snacking and recipes during fall and winter months, has given rise to innovative research led by Geoffrey Meru, an assistant professor of vegetable breeding, genetics and genomics at the Tropical Research and Education Center of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The goal is to develop varieties of […]
Taller, Higher Soil Bed Design Can Help Save Farmers Thousands of Dollars
From Florida to Virginia, farmers are enjoying the fruits of Sanjay Shukla’s labor. His compact-bed geometry system allows growers to plant crops in tall soil beds, and the result is thousands of dollars in annual savings. New research by Shukla and his team shows that with savings of up to $102,000 per crop annually for […]
Growers, Researchers Seek Citrus Varieties Resistant to Citrus Greening
UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Services hosted citrus growers, packers, processors, gift-fruit shippers, and others the chance to taste, feel, and smell the latest varieties they’ve bred at their Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. Guests sampled more than 50 varieties of citrus fruits. They then filled out a survey gauging their […]