Inside IFAS - External and Media Relations - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

News: Vimla and Indra Vasil Library and Reading Room dedicated

The University of Florida’s horticultural sciences department now boasts its own library and reading room, thanks to funds and books donated by Indra Vasil, a graduate research professor emeritus with the department, and other faculty members.

The department officially opened the Vimla and Indra Vasil Library and Reading Room with a dedication ceremony Jan. 9 at Fifield Hall on the UF main campus. The event included a seminar by Purdue University’s Jules Janick, the James Troop Distinguished Professor in Horticulture, on art as a source of information on horticultural technology.

The library and reading room is named in honor of Indra Vasil and his wife Vimla, a scientist emeritus with the department. The department already has an endowed professorship—the Vasil/Monsanto Professor—named after Indra Vasil.

News: Nan-Yao Su establishes entomology funding

Termite expert Nan-Yao Su, best known as developer of the Sentricon baiting system, has made three major gifts to support entomology research, at UF and elsewhere.

Su, an entomology professor with the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, recently donated $250,000 to establish the Nan-Yao and Jill H. Su Endowed Scholarship/Fellowship Fund for UF’s entomology and nematology department. The endowment will support student scholarships and fellowships.

According to Ken DeVries, assistant vice president for IFAS Development, “IFAS and the benefiting department greatly appreciate what Dr. Su has put in place through this wonderful gift plan.”

News: IFAS dean named interim senior vice president for agriculture

Larry Arrington, dean and director of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, has been named interim senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, UF President Bernie Machen announced today.

Arrington succeeds Jimmy Cheek, who in October was named chancellor of the University of Tennessee. Arrington will assume his new position Jan. 12.

“Larry’s long and solid track record with UF over the years makes him a perfect choice, especially as we prepare to face more budgetary challenges with the state,” Machen said.

Arrington, 55, has been at UF for 28 years. As the dean and director for the Florida Extension Service, Arrington manages the outreach arm of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or IFAS. The Florida Extension Service is supported by both IFAS and Florida A&M University.

News: Tim White chosen for FSLI leadership program

Tim White, director of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, has been named to the fall 2008 cohort of the Food Systems Leadership Institute, a two-year development program for top-tier leaders in academia, industry and government.

The program includes three week-long residential training sessions, conference calls, projects, reading assignments, mentoring, assessments, as well as development and implementation of a personal leadership plan.

“The program is unique in combining several different aspects, from advanced leadership to organizational structure and managing organizational change,” White said.

Honors: Pring, Brockman named 2008 AAAS Fellows

Daryl Pring, a longtime courtesy professor with the plant pathology department, was one of two UF faculty members named 2008 Fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The other honoree is H. Jane Brockman, a professor with the zoology department who holds an affiliate appointment with IFAS’ entomology and nematology department. Both will be formally inducted in February 2009 at the AAAS annual meeting in Chicago.

Pring was selected for the honor for his pioneering research on plant mitochondria and chloroplasts. He has focused particularly on maize and sorghum, investigating genome characterization and identification of the roles that organelle genes play in the expression of important plant traits.

Appointments: Eric Simonne named director of Northeast Extension District

Eric Simonne, an associate professor of horticultural sciences, has been named director of the 16-county Northeast Extension District. He will begin serving in the new position Jan. 5 and will be based in Gainesville.

Simonne succeeds agronomist John Baldwin, who has held the director’s position since May 2005.

The district, one of five statewide, includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Nassau, Suwannee, Taylor and Union counties.

Honors: Martha Monroe receives NAAEE's Jeske Award

Martha Monroe, a professor of environmental education and extension with the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, has received the highest honor bestowed by the North American Association for Environmental Education.

Monroe was presented with the Walter E. Jeske Award at the NAAEE annual meeting in October in Wichita, Kan. The award, given annually since 1982, recognizes outstanding service to NAAEE and leadership within the profession.

“It’s a great honor to be selected,” Monroe said. “It’s the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award, and it’s quite humbling to be in the company of people who’ve been selected previously.”

Honors: Retired chairman Carl Beeman receives E.T. York Distinguished Service Award

Carl Beeman, former chairman of the University of Florida’s Department of Agricultural Education and Communications, has received the E.T. York Distinguished Service Award, to honor his contributions to the people of Florida through UF agriculture and natural resources programs.

Beeman received the award Nov. 21 at Rolfs Hall, during a department faculty meeting. His name will be added to the plaque commemorating all recipients of the award, which has been given to only a handful of individuals since 1983.

“If it hadn’t been for Dr. Beeman, I might never have come to UF,” said Jimmy Cheek, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “Thanks to his efforts, the agricultural education and communications department had become one of the finest programs of its kind.”

News: UF releases new bahiagrass cultivar with honorary celebration

See WCTV's story and video about the celebration here

Southeastern cattle production may have just entered a new era, thanks to University of Florida researchers who’ve developed a bahiagrass that withstands cold temperatures better than other varieties and produces forage longer, saving money for ranchers and dairy farmers.

Named UF-Riata, the forage officially debuted today at a ceremony in Greenville, attended by industry leaders and officials with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. It took place on the sod farm of U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla., a fifth-generation farmer and longtime supporter of agricultural research and extension programs.

At the event, IFAS honored Boyd and his great uncle, the late Edwin Hall Finlayson, a former Escambia County extension agent who popularized bahiagrass in the 1940s.

“The state of Florida owes a huge debt to Mr. Finlayson for his efforts, which greatly enhanced our beef and dairy industries,” said Jimmy Cheek, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

News: UF researcher helps test plug-in hybrid car technology

Fluctuating gas prices and environmental concerns are leading many to electric-powered cars, and a new University of Florida partnership hopes to find out if it’s really a cleaner, cheaper and more reliable choice.

UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension researcher Pierce Jones is working with North Carolina-based companies Progress Energy, Advanced Energy and Duke Energy to test a Toyota Prius modified to use electricity delivered through a regular household electrical outlet.

“This isn’t a new idea, but it is one that now has to be closely examined because it’s likely to be a reality in just a few years,” said Jones, who is participating in the research as part of UF’s Program for Resource Efficient Communities. “There are a lot of questions to be asked and a lot of details that have to be ironed out beforehand.”

News: Evolution causes bad-tasting butterflies to share appearance

Competition for resources can cause animal species in an ecological community to evolve away from each other, becoming less similar—but University of Florida research shows that sometimes mutual benefit causes just the opposite.

Case in point: South American butterflies that discourage predators by advertising the message “we all taste bad” via similar, conspicuous color patterns.

A study published this week in the journal PLoS Biology shows that groups of butterfly species in the subfamily Ithomiinae evolved to share not only color patterns, but also preferences for habitat, including the places they fly, court and rest.

Honors: Larry Connor receives York Distinguished Service Award

Larry Connor, former dean of the University of Florida’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, has been given the E.T. York Distinguished Service Award, to honor his contributions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries.

Connor received the award Thursday, Nov. 20 at Emerson Hall, during an IFAS unit leaders’ meeting. His name will be added to the plaque commemorating all recipients of the award. Past recipients are E.T. York, Ken Tefertiller, Jim Davidson and John Woeste.

“I’m delighted to see the York award presented to Dr. Connor, who was a very significant figure in the history of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, and also very significant in my own career,” said Jimmy Cheek, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

News: Space shuttle flight to carry IFAS studies on livestock embryos, cells

Mankind’s quick trips to space haven’t had to cope with many problems that come with a longer stay off-planet, but research aboard the next shuttle mission will address one issue bound to come up in the foray to the final frontier -- extraterrestrial motherhood.

The experiment will observe the progress of just-fertilized cow embryos as they divide and develop in the microgravity environment of the space shuttle. The experiment, which is expected to go up on the Nov. 14 launch of the shuttle Endeavour, will be the first to examine how early-stage mammalian life develops under these conditions.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty about how embryos at this stage do what they do -- it’s true in cows, and ob-gyns will tell you the same thing about human embryos,” said Peter Hansen, an animal sciences professor at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “It’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do in space.”

News: Mary Ann Gosa named IFAS director of governmental relations

Mary Ann Gosa has been hired as the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ director of governmental relations. Her appointment becomes effective November 14.

Gosa is currently director of government and community affairs for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, a position she’s held since 2005. In that job, she is a liaison between Farm Bureau members, state and federal agencies, legislators and local governments.

She has been with the Florida Farm Bureau Federation staff since 1996 and, until 2005, was assistant director of government and community affairs.

Her areas of expertise include water, land use, growth management, environmental relations and endangered species.

News: Study suggests spiders, relatives older than fossil record indicates

Halloween is the only holiday when spiders and other arachnids get a little respect from humans, and a new University of Florida study suggests they deserve more, because they’ve apparently managed to survive a very, very long time.

By analyzing gene sequences in modern-day spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites, researchers have estimated that these invertebrates first appeared on Earth roughly 400 million to 450 million years ago.

The study, published online this month by the journal Experimental and Applied Acarology, is the first large-scale attempt to use genetic analysis to make projections suggesting when various arachnids evolved, said entomologist Marjorie Hoy, an eminent scholar with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

News: IFAS grad student helps fight mosquitoes in Greece

A University of Florida doctoral student from Greece is helping her country control its massive mosquito problem by using a high-tech, environmentally friendly system that uses a helicopter to spray tiny amounts of insecticide into precision-targeted areas.

Alex Chaskopoulou spent the summer overseeing an experimental mosquito control program, and now Greek government officials are pushing for the program to be rapidly expanded. She sent a formal report on her work to the Greek minister of agriculture two weeks ago.

“There was a need and I thought I could do something different that would make a difference and provide a significant help in Greece,” Chaskopoulou said. “You cannot imagine how bad the mosquitoes are in Greece.”

News: Jimmy Cheek named chancellor of UT, Knoxville

Jimmy G. Cheek, the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, has been named the next chancellor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Cheek accepted an offer from UT President John Petersen to become chancellor of the Knoxville campus today and will begin in that role Feb. 1.

Cheek, part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences for 33 years, said he’s enthusiastic about the move, but will miss the institution where he’s served for so long.

“It’s difficult to leave. I’ve worked with many fine people in Florida, from faculty and staff to agricultural producers and 4-H members, from students and alumni to legislators and stakeholders. It has been an honor to be part of IFAS and the University of Florida. I am proud of our many accomplishments in meeting the state’s agricultural and natural resource needs,” said Cheek.

News: CFDR researchers obtain $4 million contract

IFAS researchers have obtained a one-year, $4 million contract to develop better technology ensuring military rations traveling overseas arrive intact, fresh and nutritious.

Scientists with UF’s Center for Food Distribution and Retailing contracted with the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center to improve methods of distributing rations and reducing losses. The results could lead to greater efficiency, cost savings and innovations that benefit the government, and, ultimately, private industry and consumers.

The contract is the largest obtained by IFAS researchers in the past 10 years, said Jimmy Cheek, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources.

News: Percival attends prestigious nutritional symposium

It wasn’t quite a golden ticket, but an invitation to be just one of thirty American scientists invited to a symposium held by one of the world’s best known chocolate makers was just too good to pass up.

For the second year in a row, IFAS nutritional researcher Susan Percival has attended one of the most exclusive, invitation-only conferences in the world of nutritional research—the Nestle International Nutrition Symposium, which was held Oct. 23-24 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

“The field of nutritional research is a relatively small one, but this is a excellent chance to see what some of the best are doing—it’s always a learning opportunity like no other,” said Percival, whose own research focuses on how nutrition can help the body prevent cancer.

Awards: UF students take wins at national agronomy conference

No one needs to be told that Gators are winners on the national sports stage, but this past October, we got a reminder that our students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences are at the top of their game, too.

At the joint meeting of the Crop Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy in Houston, UF agronomy graduate students won three of the four prizes in the graduate student paper contest in the “forage and grazing lands” division.

“We feel this reflects well on the strength of our graduate student training program in grassland science at UF,” said Lynn Sollenberger, an agronomy professor and co-adviser for the three students. “Particularly in light of the fact that, of the past five years that the contest has been running, UF students have won first place three out of five times.”

The winners were: Miguel Castillo, first place; Phil Alderman, third place; and Tiberio Saraiva, fourth place. Additionally, Brian Schwartz took third place in the CSSA’s turfgrass science graduate student oral presentation contest.

Awards: Boote recognized with two top agricultural awards

When Robert Thomas founded what is now known as The Old Farmer’s Almanac during George Washington’s first term, he developed a secret forecasting formula to help give farmers the best advice on when and how to plant their crops.

That formula supposedly draws upon solar activity, astronomical cycles and many other weather indicators—which may or may not include whether the almanac’s year ends in the number eight.

These predictions have helped make the almanac the longest-lived periodical in this nation’s history, but farming in the information age often requires a slightly more sophisticated approach. One would guess that Thomas couldn’t help but appreciate today’s advanced methods of predicting crop growth, like those pioneered by Ken Boote, an agronomist with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

For the past three decades, Boote has melded meticulous laboratory studies with biological modeling techniques to help predict how crops perform under varying climatic conditions—work that has garnered Boote two of the most prestigious awards given by the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America at a joint meeting in Houston this October.

Honors: Maria Gallo named ASA fellow

In recognition of her work as a teaching scholar and forward-thinking researcher, Maria Gallo, a molecular biologist with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has been named a fellow by the American Society of Agronomy.

“Maria is a sterling example of what both a teacher and a researcher should be,” said Ken Quesenberry, a UF agronomy professor who will take the position of president of the Crop Science Society of America in January. “She’s been a rising star in her field for a while, and I think she’s going to be an important leader among agricultural researchers.”

Being named a fellow is commonly regarded as the highest honor the ASA can bestow upon its members.

Awards: Brian Myers receives USDA New Teacher Award

UF’s Brian Myers, an assistant professor of agricultural education and communication, has won one of two 2008 New Teacher Awards given by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The USDA award is given in cooperation with the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

A brochure outlining the 2008 Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in College and University Awards Program notes that Myers teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in teaching methods, program planning, curriculum development and supervises student teachers. He has also delivered several professional development programs across the country that focus on integrating science, math and reading into agricultural education.

IFAS in the news: UF dedicates new cellulosic ethanol pilot plant

Click here to see coverage from WCJB TV 20 (Quicktime file)

Click here to see coverage from the Gainesville Sun

Click here to see event photos taken by Thomas Wright

Florida imports all of the 10 billion gallons of petroleum consumed here every year, making it especially vulnerable to the world’s looming energy crisis. But a new cellulosic ethanol plant on the University of Florida campus may help turn part of the state’s energy demand into supply.

The plant, formally dedicated Friday, Oct. 10, will refine methods to produce fuel ethanol from the inedible cellulose of plants now just considered trash—materials such as crop residues and yard waste.

“Florida is in a double bind, because as gas costs rise, tourism and agriculture suffer,” said UF President Bernie Machen at the plant’s dedication ceremony. “Cellulosic ethanol is just one of many likely new energy sources. But with that caveat, it could be a big one. Florida is a year-round growing state, which means our crops and forest make a lot of unused cellulose.”

News: UF entomologists warn Floridians new roaches may be on the way

As if Floridians aren’t bugged enough by roaches, a growing interest among reptile enthusiasts to farm the insects as lizard food could result in several new cockroach varieties invading the state, University of Florida entomologists warn.

Phil Koehler and Roberto Pereira, researchers with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, wrote an article in last month’s Florida Pest Pro magazine, alerting pest control operators and homeowners to be on the lookout for several new species of cockroach.

Their main worry is the Turkestan cockroach, which has made itself at home in the southwest United States after being brought in by military personnel and equipment returning from the Middle East.

The other types of roach they say Floridians could soon be in danger of stepping on include the Madagascar hissing roach, the lobster roach and the orange spotted roach, none of which are known to be established in the state.

News: Tropical storm Fay leaves mold worries behind

You can’t tell a storm’s spit by its punch, the old maxim goes. Florida is used to stronger weather systems than August’s tropical storm Fay, but its seven-day deluge made it the fourth wettest storm to ever hit the state.

One month later, most of the flooding has receded, but an expert from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences warns that new problems could be rising in the form of toxic molds and mildews.

“Moisture is the No. 1 thing that molds need to grow, and this storm certainly gave us plenty of that,” said James Kimbrough, a mycologist in UF’s department of plant pathology.

News: Grants to help UF build environmental science programs

Two new grants will enable University of Florida experts to plan an institute focused on response to climate change and launch a new center devoted to carbon sequestration. Designed to help the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, these new programs will establish UF as the Southeast’s leading university in carbon sciences and climate-response research.

The grants, awarded earlier this month, were provided by the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, research arm of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“We’re really excited about these projects, they could have major impacts not just in Florida but throughout the region and the country,” said Mark McLellan, IFAS dean for research. “As the Southeast adjusts to shifts in climate, producers will need science-based information to cope with the challenges it brings. This Climate Response Institute could become the core resource for how best to react to our changing environment.”

News: UF publication aims to help families with financial difficulties

To help families struggling to make ends meet, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has published a new bottom-line guide to personal finances.

Titled “Managing in Tough Times,” the 40-page booklet is available free at county extension offices and online at http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu.

The booklet was created in response to recent economic woes, said Nayda Torres, a professor and chairwoman of UF’s family, youth and community sciences department.

“Families are faced with making difficult choices as the cost of living continues to increase but their income does not,” Torres said.

Published in English and Spanish, the booklet contains 18 chapters, addressing topics from savings and teen employment to stress and low-cost entertainment. Each chapter was written by UF experts in the subject.

News: UF experts encourage butterfly watching with new publications

Butterfly lovers used to catch and collect the insects, but in recent years, just watching them has become popular -- and University of Florida experts say it could boost scientific research and economic development.

To encourage hobbyists, UF recently issued four publications aimed at newcomers, written by Jaret Daniels, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

The publications, produced in collaboration with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, cover butterfly watching basics, Florida butterfly gardening, 50 common butterflies of Florida and a butterfly checklist. They’re sold as a package, titled Florida Butterfly Encounters, available for $7 from UF’s IFAS Extension Bookstore.

News: Florida mosquito populations are booming, but diseases aren't

Sometimes, the tiny vampires cover Alan Curtis’ legs in writhing black. Other times, only a few come for a nibble.

Most days of the year—usually during the halcyon colors of twilight—Curtis, a mosquito expert with the Indian River Mosquito Control District, treads out into the marshes in his shorts and stands scarecrow for what’s called a “landing count.”

In other words, how many mosquitoes show up for dinner (i.e., his legs) in a span of 60 seconds.

“It’s probably about the best way to get an estimate of how many biting mosquitoes are out there at the moment,” Curtis said. “And it’s easy to see that it’s a good year for the mosquitoes.”

But it hasn’t been a good year for mosquito-borne pathogens.

News: Darnell begins term as VP-elect of ASHS

IFAS horticultural sciences Professor Rebecca Darnell is embarking on a three-year leadership role with her field’s leading professional organization.

She recently began a one-year stint as vice president-elect of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) and will follow that with a two-year term as the organization’s research vice president.

As research vice president, Darnell will be responsible for organizing a general-interest symposium for ASHS’ research division. Her main role will be to oversee the organization’s roughly 45 research groups, which meet at least once a year, and plan workshop or colloquium topics for annual meetings.

News: UF celebrates 'historic' land gift

Officials from the University of Florida and The Nature Conservancy met today to formally celebrate the largest land gift ever donated to the university and bright future for environmental research and protection.

The Nature Conservancy has transferred the deed for the Carl Swisher Memorial Sanctuary, more than 3,000 acres of pristine Florida forest and wetlands, to the UF Foundation. Monetarily, the land is valued at $11 million; however, paired with the adjacent UF-owned Katharine Ordway Preserve, the land represents a priceless opportunity for preservation and study of Florida’s ecosystem.

“From wetlands to sandhills, the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station spans one of the rarest collections of imperiled land types in the nation—a precious rarity that makes it the perfect laboratory for measuring the effects of environmental change,” UF President Bernie Machen said at the noon meeting.

News: Florida dairy farmers made more on milk in 2007, spent more on feed

Wholesale prices for Florida milk hit an all-time high in 2007, but dairy farmers’ potential profits were reduced by skyrocketing feed costs, according to a University of Florida report issued this month.

“Times are changing,” said Albert De Vries, an associate professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and an author of the report. “The farmer’s putting an extra dollar in his pocket but spending it down the road.”

On average, surveyed farmers received $20.49 for every 100 pounds of milk sold, up from $17.09 in 2006. The figures appeared in the annual Florida Dairy Farm Situation and Outlook, which compiles data from surveys and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

That’s an increase of about 20 percent, much more than the 8 percent increase dairy economists had predicted.

News: MyPyramid poster designed for older adults

Eating well as you age can be tricky. You generally need fewer calories, but the foods you do eat must pack a nutritious punch.

With that in mind, faculty at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences adapted the federal government’s MyPyramid poster for older Americans in February 2007.

Researchers then tested the poster’s effectiveness in increasing nutrition knowledge at six lower-income senior centers in North Central Florida.

News: Research shows contraception could control problem parakeets

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers has named IFAS’ Fedro Zazueta a 2008 recipient of its Kishida International Award, the society’s highest recognition for international work.

Zazueta, director of UF’s Office of Academic Technology and a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, received the award July 2 at the society’s international meeting in Providence, R.I.

Awards: Zazueta receives ASABE's Kishida International Award

Awards: Four dairy scientists honored at joint ADSA-ASAS meeting

Four dairy scientists from IFAS were among those honored at two organizations’ joint annual meeting in Indianapolis in July.

Geoff Dahl, chairman of the Department of Animal Sciences, was named the 2008 recipient of the Pfizer Animal Health Physiology Award. Dahl is known for his research in dairy cattle management, specifically related to the effects of photoperiod manipulation on the animals’ health and performance. His award was given at the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) meeting.

Awards: Two IFAS faculty members named ASABE fellows

Two IFAS faculty members are among 12 elected as 2008 fellows by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

Professor Ray Bucklin and Professor Emeritus Bill Miller were inducted in a ceremony July 1 during the group’s annual international meeting in Providence, R.I.

Only about two-tenths of one percent of the active members of ASABE are elected as fellows each year. To be considered, they must demonstrate professional distinction in the agricultural engineering field and have been members of the organization for 20 years.

News: UF fact sheets offer energy-saving information

Planning to buy a new ceiling fan for your bedroom? Want to make some easy changes to increase your home’s energy efficiency? Wondering if it’s time to replace that 12-year-old refrigerator? Confused about what features to look for when purchasing a new air conditioner?

The University of Florida, with the support of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, has developed some answers.

Over the past two months, the statewide UF extension service has released a series of 20 fact sheets with a common theme: conservation of energy and water. The fact sheets give the reader information about making wise, energy- and water-efficient choices when purchasing, occupying or maintaining their home.

News: New Sarasota-based program to encourage diversified small farming

It's said variety is the spice of life, but for small farms variety can be the key to life itself.

Many have a better chance of economic success if they produce multiple crops, to hedge against risk and ensure continuous income. Now there’s a new place for Southwest Florida farmers to learn about their options for branching out and broadening their horizons.

It’s the Diversified Small Farming Training Center, located in Sarasota on the grounds of the Crowley Museum and Nature Center. The project, part of the UF/IFAS Small Farms and Alternative Enterprise Program, is the brainchild of Robert Kluson, a Sarasota County extension agent.

The center is scheduled to open June 27.

Awards: TREC researcher wins FSHS Presidential Gold Medal Award

Wagner Vendrame, an associate professor of environmental horticulture at the IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, has received the 2008 Florida State Horticultural Society Presidential Gold Medal Award.

Presented to Vendrame at last week’s annual meeting, the award is the most prestigious honor from the FSHS, given to the individual whose work published in the previous five years of the Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society has contributed the most to the Sunshine State’s horticulture sciences.

Awards: Wilkie honored with Florida Energy Achievement Award

Ann Wilkie, an associate professor in the soil and water science department, has been named winner of the third annual Florida Energy Achievement Award.

The award, presented by the Florida Solar Energy Center, recognizes significant achievements in the efficient utilization of energy, energy conservation, energy education or renewable energy in the state of Florida.

The FSEC, a research institute of the University of Central Florida, is the largest and most active state-supported renewable energy and efficiency institute in the United States.

Awards: Doug Gregory receives NOAA marine stewardship award

Doug Gregory, Florida Sea Grant marine extension agent in Key West, is one of seven individuals nationwide who have recently been honored by the Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Award Program presented annually by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Gregory has received the Public Education, Community Service, and Media Award for his long-term efforts promoting sustainable fishing practices within the Florida Keys commercial fishing industry, and increasing public understanding of the value of the industry to the community.

Awards: IFAS' Myers named an "emerging leader" by Phi Delta Kappa

Brian Myers, an assistant professor of agricultural education and communication, is among 20 people recognized as “emerging leaders” by Phi Delta Kappa International, a professional association for educators.

The honorees are educators age 40 and younger and are chosen for their professional accomplishments.

Podcasts featuring interviews with each of the 20 emerging leaders are available through www.pdkemergingleaders.org.

Ag-Culture: Sam vs. the hurricane machine

Sam Champion, the weather forecaster for ABC Television’s Good Morning America, returned to UF June 3 to take on the university's hurricane machine. You may remember that Champion paid a visit to the Gator Nation back in March—during which he took on IFAS’ new Bee College, and ended up getting stung.

This time, he put himself in front of the world’s largest portable hurricane wind and rain simulator.

Click here to see the latest video

Click here to see Sam’s previous visit to UF

Click here to find out more about the hurricane simulator

Ag-Culture: Caption this picture #14

Thanks to everyone who sent in entertaining captions for the last photo! Check below to see everyone's comments--and don't forget to weigh in on the new photo.

The premise: IFAS and the University of Florida have long played a central role in the story of Florida and this nation's agricultural development. This saga has been documented in letters, art, research/government documents and photographs for more than a century.

Unfortunately, there are a few photographs from UF's agricultural golden years that come with little or no description...so, we thought we would just take a guess.

And, we encourage you to, as well.

Click here to see the latest responses and to see the next two images

Honors: Su receives one of highest honors in urban entomology

IFAS professor of entomology Nan-Yao Su was presented with the Distinguished Achievement Award in Urban Entomology at the opening ceremonies of the 21st annual National Conference on Urban Entomology.

The conference’s highest honor, the award recognizes Su for his many contributions to the pest management industry, as well as the field of urban entomology.

A native of Taiwan who received his doctorate from the University of Hawaii, Su is a nationally and internationally recognized authority on subterranean termites—having authored or co-authored 170 publications and five book chapters. He also is involved in collaborative research projects in Chile, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia and Japan. Su has been an advisor to eight post-doctoral associates, seven Ph.D. recipients and seven master’s recipients.

News: With hurricane season coming, response teams need volunteers

Southern states most often wracked by hurricanes are ahead of the nation when it comes to preparing citizens to help in a disaster, but there are still plenty of volunteer gaps that need to be filled, a University of Florida researcher says.

And with hurricane season beginning Sunday, there’s no better time for residents to volunteer for disaster teams in their area, said Mark Brennan, a rural sociologist with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences who has written extensively on volunteerism.

“The day something bad happens isn’t the day to start preparing for it,” Brennan said.

News: Genetic pesticide developed in UF lab

Each year in the United States, termites gnaw away more than $1 billion in structural damage despite an ever growing array of insect control techniques. In this battle, the next generation of weapons could target the termite’s very genes.

“The trend in insect control is to find methods that eliminate the problematic insect without affecting anything else in the environment,” said Michael Scharf, an entomologist with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “What could possibly be more specific than genes that are unique to the insect itself?”

Ag-Culture: Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie tells of UF food science

From New Zealand’s purest honey to Italy’s famous Parmigiano-Reggiano, American Public Television’s Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie has brought viewers exotic food and culture from across the globe. But before the television series aired, it started off as a series of short segments highlighting food research from right here in Gator Country.

Just in case you missed these short segments, we have them right here in Windows Media and the Apple-friendly MPEG.4 format.

Alligator Meat (Windows) (MPEG.4)
How Clean is Clean? (Windows) (MPEG.4)
Of Roses and Tomatoes (Windows) (MPEG.4)
Food Packaging (Windows) (MPEG.4)
Is Steak Safer than Hamburger? (Windows) (MPEG.4)
Microorganisms get the Bends (Windows) (MPEG.4)
Veggie Force! (Windows) (MPEG.4)
What’s a Flaquita? (Windows) (MPEG.4)

Honors: Gamma Sigma Delta honors four leaders for agricultural service

The University of Florida chapter of the agricultural honor society Gamma Sigma Delta recognized three of the state’s agribusiness leaders and a retired extension director for their service at an annual awards dinner in Gainesville May 8.

The honorary named these four as winners of the Distinguished Service to Agriculture award, which recognizes long-term achievement and leadership:

J. Bryan Cooksey III, president of McCall Service Inc.

Sherwood “Buddy” Johnson, a third-generation citrus grower known for his ability to lead committees to consensus.

Gene Mooney, executive vice president of Ben Hill Griffin Inc.
Dallas B. Townsend, retired Hendry County extension director, who gave 39 years of service to UF.

Honors: P. K. Nair receives honorary doctorate from Spain

The Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain, has honored UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher P.K. Nair with a doctor honoris causa degree for his contributions to the development of global agroforestry.

Nair received the award at a colorful ceremony at the 500-year-old institution’s “Salon Noble del Colegio de Fonseca” April 1.

As a pioneer in agroforestry research, Nair also has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America and the Crop Science Society of America.

Honors: Lori Warren to receive 2008 Florida Agri-Women Founder's Award

Lori Warren, assistant professor of animal sciences has been selected to receive Florida Agri-Women Founder’s Award.

Florida Agri-Women is a network of women promoting Florida agriculture to consumers and legislators. Established in 2003 as a state affiliate of American Agri-Women, Florida Agri-Women’s membership includes women involved in all aspects of agriculture.

Warren teaches several undergraduate courses, mentors graduate students, conducts research in equine nutrition, and serves Florida’s horse owners through her extension work. She consistently seeks to involve her students in agricultural-related activities through events such as “Ropin’ in the Swamp," offering summer internship opportunities in her research lab and encouraging her graduate students to participate in State Extension activities such as the State 4-H Horse Show and educational seminars.

News: Florida python invasion: expanded and still growing

The invasion of gigantic Burmese pythons in South Florida appears to be rapidly expanding, according to a new report from a University of Florida researcher who’s been chasing the snakes since 2005.

Associate professor Frank Mazzotti of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has published a new fact sheet outlining updated python statistics and methods being used to find and eliminate the snakes.

The new document follows the February release of a U. S. Geological Survey climate map that showed -- based solely on climate, not habitat -- pythons could potentially survive across the lower third of the United States.

Ag-Culture: Caption this picture #13

Thanks to everyone who sent in entertaining captions for the last photo! Check below to see everyone's comments--and don't forget to weigh in on the new photo.

Unfortunately, there are a few photographs from UF's agricultural golden years that come with little or no description...so, we thought we would just take a guess.

And, we encourage you to, as well.

Honors: Crist recognizes Master Naturalist as the weekly "Point of Light"

Gov. Charlie Crist recognized Pamela Jones-Morton, a UF/IFAS Master Naturalist, as the weekly “Point of Light” April 30.
Jones-Morton is a volunteer and Master Naturalist at Lovers Key State Park in Fort Myers Beach.

The Florida Master Naturalist program is led by IFAS wildlife ecologist Marty Main. The program works to promote awareness of and respect for the state’s natural world.

Jones-Morton has put skills learned in that program to good use, heading a shorebird monitoring program at Lovers Key State Park during the nesting season. She shares the data with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the International Shorebird Society to better understand and protect shorebirds.

News: Microgreens get Florida farmers thinking small

Every year for nearly two decades, Florida farmers have gathered at the Suwannee Valley Twilight Field Day to hone their craft, often learning how to grow more luscious and larger fruits and vegetables. This year, however, there was a new lesson being offered: how to grow small.

Dubbed one of 2008’s culinary buzzwords by National Public Radio, microgreens—vegetables harvested soon after sprouting—are expected to be one of this summer’s hottest food trends, as well as a boon to many small specialty farms that provide them to restaurants and farmers’ markets.

Experts at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are helping farmers take advantage of the phenomenon.

News: Don Behringer receives two "Protect Our Reefs" research grants

Don Behringer, a research assistant professor in the fisheries and aquatic sciences department, will receive funding from Florida’s “Protect Our Reefs” specialty license plate for two projects focused on reef ecosystems.

They were among 16 grants totaling almost a half-million dollars announced by Mote Marine Laboratory in April. The Sarasota-based lab administers funds raised by the colorful coral reef-themed license tags, which are available as an alternative to the standard state plate.

Behringer is principal investigator for both projects.

Honors: Student NAMA team wins national championship

Eleven UF students defeated teams from numerous institutions including The Ohio State University on their way to a national championship.

Sound familiar? The setting wasn’t a football field, but the National Agri-Marketing Association’s Student Marketing Competition, held April 15-17 in Kansas City, Mo.

UF’s NAMA student chapter took first-place honors, besting 30 other teams from the United States and Canada. With help from adviser David Barber, undergraduate coordinator with the food and resource economics department, the team put together a professional-quality campaign for “Masher Meals,” a line of children’s prepared dinners featuring mashed potatoes.

Honors: Eight IFAS researchers named UFRF Professors

The University of Florida Research Foundation has named eight IFAS researchers, among 33 faculty members university-wide, as UFRF Professors for 2008-2011.

The recognition goes to faculty members who have a distinguished current record of research and a strong research agenda likely to lead to continuing distinction in their fields.

Awards: Trenholm honored with Turfgrass Educator Award of Excellence

Laurie Trenholm, an associate professor of turfgrass science, has been awarded the first ever Turfgrass Educator Award of Excellence from Turfgrass Producers International (TPI).

TPI is a 40-year-old, not-for-profit association comprised of more than 1,100 turfgrass sod producers, equipment manufacturers, suppliers and other professionals involved in related education and research.

In a written statement, TPI’s executive director Kirk Hunter said that Trenholm received the award because of her efforts to educate consumers, turfgrass producers, lawn care professionals and government decision-makers.

Appointments: Peter Stoffella named Indian River REC director

Peter Stoffella has been named director of the Indian River Research and Education Center, an appointment that became effective May 5.

Stoffella, a horticulture professor with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, had served as the center’s interim director for 11 months. He served as an associate director for the center since 2002.

News: Web cams give glimpse into the daily lives of ants and termites

The daily adventures of live termite and ant colonies are now available on two Web cameras at the University of Florida, giving viewers an inside look at what happens when these pests invade a home.

The Web cams watch the colonies around the clock and are meant for consumers, pest control operators, students and science teachers, and anyone else who wants to learn more about these common household pests, said Phil Koehler, an entomologist with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

News: IFAS, Sea Grant help prepare Gulf Coast anglers for new regulations

Some saltwater anglers are purists—they would fish with the simplest rod and reel. Others won’t leave dock without gear sophisticated enough for military operations.

No matter what their inclination, as of June 1 many anglers will have to add three tools to their tackle boxes. New state and federal regulations will require fishermen angling for reef species in the Gulf of Mexico to carry circle hooks when fishing with natural bait, a dehooking device and a venting tool.

Honors: Shibu Jose named Fulbright Scholar

Shibu Jose, an IFAS forestry researcher, has been named a Fulbright Scholar for 2009 by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

During the 2009 spring semester, he will be based in Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, where he will teach and do research at the Independent University of Bangladesh.

Jose, an associate professor of forest ecology with the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, received the Young Forester Leadership Award from the Society of American Foresters last fall.

Awards: IFAS communicators continue to rack up ACE awards

IFAS communicators have snared several awards from a national organization devoted to those in the fields of agriculture, natural resources, and life and human sciences.

Among the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) winners:

News: UF Agricultural Women's Club celebrates 100th anniversary

In 1908, the first Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line, William Howard Taft was elected president, and at the University of Florida a club formed to help the wives of College of Agriculture faculty get to know each other and the community.

A century later, the Agricultural Women’s Club is the oldest nonfaculty organization on campus. On April 17 the current members celebrated the club’s accomplishments and goals with a reception at the President’s House.

The event featured presentation of the club’s first Women of Distinction Award, which recognizes the state’s female agribusiness leaders.

News: New UF/IFAS resource goes out on a limb for power lines

Trees and power lines can often be a disastrous combination, so IFAS researchers have developed a list of small trees that have shown to be well-suited for planting below power lines.

This list is now available here.

The research was conducted by Ed Gilman, professor of environmental horticulture, and included more than 70 small trees like crape myrtle, bottlebrush, holly and others that were thought to be compatible with urban structures such as overhead power lines, streetlights and sidewalks. The study was co-sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry.

Awards: Three IFAS members honored at UF Faculty Awards Banquet

Three Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences members were honored at last week’s 2008 UF Faculty Awards Banquet, including Lynn Bailey, recognized as UF’s Teacher-Scholar of the Year.

It is the university’s highest faculty teaching and research recognition award. Bailey, a longtime food science and human nutrition researcher, received the Presidential Medallion at the banquet Thursday night at Emerson Alumni Hall.

Bailey has focused her research on folic acid/folate and its effects on fetal development. She is involved in global efforts to reduce folate-related birth defects in developing countries.

News: UF Extension Service launches new energy-conservation campaign

As more consumers struggle with record-breaking energy costs and rapid urban growth puts a strain on Florida’s natural resources, the University of Florida’s extension service is launching a public awareness campaign promoting effective energy use and discouraging all forms of energy waste.

Initiated by UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the statewide campaign—aimed at the state’s current and future residents—kicks off April 22 during the annual Earth Day event.

News: Researchers seek bugs to battle aquatic weed plaguing Florida

Years of aggressive hydrilla control efforts have paid off for some Florida communities—unfortunately, their success against the invasive aquatic weed has had unintended benefits for a more troublesome plant, says a University of Florida expert who’s researching insects and diseases that might help control the upstart.

For the past decade Hygrophila polysperma—a southern Asian plant known as “hygrophila” for short—has been taking over the ecological niche left when hydrilla was eradicated from waterways, said Jim Cuda, a UF associate professor of entomology. It’s now a significant problem in South and Central Florida.

Awards: Florida Agricultural Experiment Station celebrates successful year

In science, success is often measured by the amount of knowledge you can contribute toward the betterment of the world. Last year, the researchers at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences published nearly 1,200 peer reviewed journal articles—and that’s just the beginning.

“Whether working on diabetes or deforestation, cellulosic energy or cellular growth, reproductive physiology or Reynolds Numbers—our researchers are true explorers and true discoverers,” said Mark McLellan, IFAS research dean and director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, at the inaugural Florida Agricultural Experiment Station awards ceremony April 18 at the Harn Museum on UF’s Gainesville campus.

Awards: Tropical Aquaculture Lab receives partnership award

Since 2003, personnel at UF’s Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory in Ruskin have been involved in a multi-agency project to raise coral in captivity for use in scientific studies and public education, and to rebuild damaged reefs.

Recently, the project was honored with a Coastal America 2007 Partnership Award. It was one of eight efforts nationwide so recognized.

Formally known as the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Coral Rescue, Relocation, Nursery and Beneficial Use Program, it has rescued more than 7,000 coral colonies.

Honors: Joyce named to Florida's environmental regulation commission

Joe Joyce, IFAS’ executive associate vice president for agriculture and natural resources, has been named to the state’s environmental regulation commission.

His three-year term began April 11 and ends in July 2011. The commission meets about once a month and approves air, water and waste management standards.

The commission’s seven members are appointed by the governor and represent agriculture, the development industry, local government, the environmental community, citizens and members of the scientific and technical community.

Awards: Craig Watson honored with national aquaculture award

Craig Watson, director of UF’s Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory in Ruskin, has been named the 2008 Distinguished Service Award recipient by the U.S. Aquaculture Society and World Aquaculture Society.

The award, which recognizes outstanding leadership and impact in U.S. aquaculture, was presented at Aquaculture America 2008, a national aquaculture conference held Feb. 9-14 in Orlando.

“I was shocked and honored,” Watson said. “It was a big surprise.”

Awards: Four UF ag students take the gold at national dairy competition

Three IFAS animal sciences students and a junior in agronomy competed in the seventh North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge in Madison, Wis., April 4-5, taking a gold award for their efforts.

The challenge is a competition in dairy farm analysis. On the first of two days, students receive technical and financial records and visit a dairy farm. That afternoon, they put together a PowerPoint presentation outlining their findings and recommendations about everything from how to improve the animals’ health and nutrition to the farm’s financial management.

On day two, the four-student team presents its findings to a five-judge panel.

News: Citrus industry leader, IFAS communicator win CALS alumni awards

A Fort Pierce citrus industry leader and a UF/IFAS communicator are the winners of this year’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Alumni and Friends awards.

Sherwood “Buddy” Johnson, who earned his bachelor and master’s degrees in agriculture from UF in 1966 and 1968, is the winner of the Award of Distinction. He and his wife Patricia own and operate Sherwood Johnson & Son Grove Management Inc., Buck Hammock Groves Inc. and Hilliard Groves Inc.

“I was elated when I received the letter,” Johnson said. “It’s a great honor.”

News: Plant City teaching garden, two years in the making, opens

A teaching garden nearly two years in the making opened April 5 in Plant City, thanks to state funding, donations, as well as staff, student and volunteer labor.

The 1.5-acre garden has plenty to see, including 13 themed areas of the garden, a gazebo, bridge and a bat house.

Some of the themed areas include: a “sun to shade” garden, where plants that are adaptable to different light conditions are being grown; “The Vinery,” a space designed to show green thumbs how vines can add vertical dimension to a garden; and “low maintenance roses,” where 12 old and new varieties are being grown.

News: Ingram to receive SURA Distinguished Scientist Award

In certain parts of the Southern United States, it’s almost impossible to leave your house without running into what oil men have dubbed “nodding donkeys.” Growing in number, these fly-wheel-driven oil pumps are on a lonely mission to endlessly peck petroleum from the earth.

But someday soon, nodding donkeys might become an endangered species—thanks, in part, to the work of University of Florida alternative fuels researcher Lonnie Ingram.

On Monday, April 7, the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) presented UF alternative fuels researcher Lonnie Ingram with the 2008 SURA Distinguished Scientist Award for his work developing ways to turn materials commonly considered trash into fuel that could cut the country’s dependence on oil.

News: Collier County's Bryan Fluech talks catch-and-release on podcast

Need to know about new catch-and-release regulations that will impact saltwater reef fishing in Florida?

Bryan Fluech, Collier County’s Sea Grant extension agent, can tell you all about it. Matter of fact, thanks to the podcast program The American Family, you can listen to him discuss the topic anytime, anywhere you have Internet access and software to play mp3 files.

The half-hour episode went online March 26. It’s located here

News: Family finance expert gives top 10 "What NOT to Do" list for taxpayers

Tax season is one of the most stressful times of the year. And a University of Florida expert cautions against making common mistakes that can complicate matters as we go about accounting for our income with the federal government.

So Michael Gutter, an assistant professor in family financial management with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has compiled a list of Americans’ top 10 tax-season gaffes.

1. Not making use of VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) sites. If your taxes aren’t terribly complicated—you don’t own a business or have a lot of investment income to report—then VITA is an underused resource worth checking out.

Featured Photos: AOM students build "cutaway" houses

A group of 19 agricultural operations management (AOM) students recently spent weeks building a “cutaway” home to test and display sustainable building products and practices.

Led by AOM professor Wendell Porter and engineering technician Jimmy Rummel, the group built the home on behalf of Gainesville Regional Utilities for use in an upcoming home show.

Indigo Green, a new Gainesville store that specializes in sustainable building products, helped outfit the home with products such as "no volatile organic compound" (VOC) and "low VOC" paints, and alternative materials for countertops, cabinets and flooring.

Porter said the students learned lessons beyond pure construction techniques, such as decision-making and management skills. Agricultural operations management is a major in the Agricultural and biological engineering department.

Awards: "Gardening in a Minute" wins three ACE awards

Tom Wichman’s daily efforts to teach about Florida’s environment and agriculture don’t outlast the typical egg timer—but the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Life and Human Sciences (ACE) considers it time well spent.

“Gardening in a Minute,” which Wichman hosts, has received three 2008 ACE Awards, to be presented at the annual ACE meeting in June.

The radio program, produced by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, first aired Oct. 2, 2006. Since then, nearly 400 shows have been broadcast—covering topics as wide ranging as wildflowers in the garden, organic fertilizer, mowing safety and Arbor Day.

Ag-Culture: Caption this Picture #12

Thanks to everyone who sent in entertaining captions for the last photo! Click the more button to see everyone's comments--and don't forget to weigh in on the new photo(s).

Unfortunately, there are a few photographs from UF's agricultural golden years that come with little or no description...so, we thought we would just take a guess.

And, we encourage you to, as well.

Awards: IFAS folate exhibit wins national award at D.C. event

An IFAS exhibit educating federal lawmakers on the importance of folate, a water-soluble vitamin, has been named one of the two best entries in an annual exhibition held in Washington, D.C.

The exhibit, titled “OJ Promotes Health in Women and Children,” received the People’s Choice Award at the event Agricultural Research and Education Serving the Nation: NUTRITION AND HEALTH, A University Science and Education Exhibition and Reception on Capitol Hill, March 5.

The award was presented based on ballots cast by attendees, who voted for their favorite among the 38 exhibits. The result was a tie between UF and Purdue University.

News: IFAS team receives $1 million grant to unlock energy from sugarcane

The University of Florida’s quest to develop cost-effective methods of producing fuel ethanol from biomass received a $1 million boost this month, with a grant package for research aimed at increasing the amount of fermentable sugar obtained from sugarcane stalks and leaves.

The three-year grant was announced March 4 by the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, a joint project from the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture. Nearly $870,000 of the UF funding comes from the federal project. Another 20 percent, nearly $217,000, is from non-federal matching funds.

“What makes sugarcane an attractive target is, it produces a particularly large amount of biomass,” said project director Fredy Altpeter, an assistant professor of agronomy with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Awards: Hayden is doubly recognized for efforts to improve IFAS facilities

Joe Hayden, a senior engineer with IFAS Facilities Planning and Operations, has spent nearly a decade helping to fine tune the performance of UF buildings and equipment. This month, he has been awarded two honors in recognition of his contributions.

On March 13, he was presented with a plaque for his “special contribution and distinguished service to the University of Florida” from the UF Board of Trustees Committee on Finance and Facilities.

Earlier in the month, he was also named a Prudential Financial Davis Productivity Award winner—a recognition that comes with a cash prize of $1,000. The award is presented by the Florida State Office of Performance Improvement to highlight efforts that “measurably increase performance and productivity in the delivery of state services and products.” Specifically, Hayden was acknowledged for developing and implementing a maintenance and utility trouble reporting system.

Appointments: Karl Havens named director of Florida Sea Grant

Karl Havens, chairman of the University of Florida’s fisheries and aquatic sciences department, has been named director of the statewide Florida Sea Grant College Program located at UF.

Havens, who will continue serving as chair of his department in UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, assumed the leadership position for Florida Sea Grant Wednesday. He replaces Jim Cato, who recently retired after serving as director of Florida Sea Grant for 17 years.

In announcing the Havens appointment, Jimmy Cheek, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, said Havens’ expertise and international background make him uniquely qualified to lead Florida Sea Grant, which is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top programs.

News: Researchers watch for nice weather and the diseases it could bring

Calling it a silver lining may be a stretch, but the storm clouds wrought by the devastating 2004 hurricane season did bring the Sunshine State at least one ray of relief.

The year before, West Nile virus unexpectedly struck nearly 3,000 people in Colorado, killing more than 60. Similar outbreaks seemed virtually inevitable throughout the country for the next year -- especially in Florida, where the mosquito and bird-borne disease seemed unavoidable.

Even after months of preparation, states such as California, Arizona and Texas suffered heavy casualties in 2004. In Florida, however, four major hurricanes and a tropical storm had splattered mosquito and bird populations across the state, leaving the virus no means of reproducing and spreading.

Meteorological challenges continued to hold the virus at bay for the next three years -- another heavy hurricane season followed by two years of drought. But this year, the weather could actually be “normal,” and University of Florida entomologists could think of no scarier proposition.

News: UF research helps tasty flowers emerge as haute cuisine

As executive chef at one of Florida’s most popular resorts, Anthony Sicignano must know virtually every form of cooking to direct nearly 3,000 daily meals. This season, however, he also has to be part florist.

“I think a few years ago, a lot of the public wouldn’t have been comfortable eating flowers, but squash blossoms have been a real delicacy in Italian cooking for centuries,” said Sicignano, of The Breakers Palm Beach. “Now, at certain times, people just can’t get enough of them.”

The large, edible flowers that grow on some squash varieties have experienced a surge in popularity in the last few years, especially in early spring. The haute cuisine trend represents more than another Easter item on menus.

Thanks in part to researchers at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, it’s become another valuable source of income for Florida farmers.

News: Overfertilizing St. Augustine grass could encourage chinch bugs

A little fertilizer can perk up a St. Augustinegrass lawn as spring arrives, but homeowners who overdo it may find they’re growing more than grass.

A University of Florida study suggests that repeatedly using large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer can ignite a population explosion of Southern chinch bugs—the No. 1 insect pest of St. Augustinegrass, the state’s most popular turfgrass.

The findings were presented in Jacksonville today at an Entomological Society of America meeting.

“Everything in moderation,” said Eileen Buss, an associate professor of entomology with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “When we try to overly manage a natural system we get the balance out of whack.”

News: Florida ag and related industries have more than $100 billion impact

At a time when the nation’s slowing economy is tipping toward recession, one of the largest and most stable sectors of Florida’s economy continues to thrive, according to a new University of Florida study released last month.

In fact, the $101.9 billion annual value-added impact of agriculture, natural resource, food and fiber product manufacturing, distribution and related service industries is larger than ever, and these industries will continue to play a vital role in Florida’s economy for 21st century as they have in the past, say economists with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS.

News: IFAS' Jamie Ellis helps Good Morning America showcase honeybees

In case you didn't see today's Good Morning America program on ABC, bee-lieve us, you missed a honey of a story.

Okay, enough bad puns. GMA gave IFAS some terrific exposure and produced a great segment on bees, which you can access via the link below.

Weatherman Sam Champion was at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, helping IFAS' own Jamie Ellis move nearly 15,000 bees into a new hive. Champion made the live broadcast to help overcome his fear of bees, as part of an ongoing series of segments called "I Dare You," in which GMA stars take on challenges to help them overcome their fears.

With Ellis' help, Champion also used the opportunity to educate viewers about honeybees, their importance to agriculture, and the phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder, which threatens honeybee populations worldwide.

See the text story and video here

Permalink

Events: Speaker to address problems facing family-owned forests

America’s family-owned forests and the threats they face will be the topics of the day when Robert S. Simpson visits Gainesville April 16 as this year’s John Gray Lecturer.

Simpson is senior vice president for the American Forest Foundation, Center for Family Forests, a foundation dedicated to boosting active stewardship of America’s natural resources through education and landowner outreach.

He will speak at 9:30 a.m. at the Paramount Plaza Hotel on “America’s Family Owned Forests: Under Valued, Under Served, Under Siege.”

Awards: Harry Klee wins award for distinguished service in horticulture

UF Eminent Scholar Harry Klee is this year’s winner of the Muffie Van Camp Becks award for distinguished service in horticulture.

Klee, who has been with UF and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences since 1995, is best known for his work to improve the flavor and aroma of tomatoes and roses.

The Muffie Van Camp Becks award is named for Martha Becks, an avid Volusia County horticulturalist, who died in 2002. Becks had been horticulture chairwoman for “Everybody’s Flower Show” held each year in Daytona Beach, and the award was established because of her longtime concern that achievements in horticulture didn’t get the recognition they deserved.

Events: Group to host minority participation expo Feb. 29 - March 1

A group that works to encourage and support minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics is hosting an expo Feb. 29-March 1.

The Southeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate will host the 15th Florida-Georgia Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Expo 2008.

The expo aims to bring together students, academic institutions, research labs, other science and technology organizations and corporations to help provide research, graduate education and career placement opportunities.

News: More seek the small-farm dream, but need help from friends

It wasn’t long after longtime commercial writer Sandra “Sam” Williams and husband Jerry left their full-time desk jobs to start a 200-acre farm in Starke that they realized they could use a little help.

“Sitting at a keyboard doesn’t give you much insight into how to harvest chickens or ward off whiteflies,” she said. “And those are the easy problems. These aren’t the smoothest of times for anyone, let alone small farmers.”

Many are following their dream of starting their own small farm in Florida, but the economic climate makes maintaining those farms difficult. Unstable property values, skyrocketing oil prices and a weak economy have shaved away profits.

However, experts from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have literally gone out of their way to uncover the best advice for small farmers, and are beginning to spread the word.

News: UF researchers identify gene that helps Chinese fern tolerate arsenic

Arsenic is notorious for its toxic effects on people, but it can be just as dangerous to plants—most of them, anyway.

One exception is the Chinese brake fern, a nondescript-looking bracken that can soak up huge quantities of the toxic metal without apparent harm.

Years after discovering the fern’s remarkable ability, known as hyperaccumulation, University of Florida researchers have pinpointed the first gene that makes it possible. The findings were reported last month in the online edition of The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Events: Nation's leading land use scholar to speak at UF

The School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) is hosting the nation’s leading land use scholar, Dr. Soji Adelaja, on February 20, 2008 for a seminar on emerging trends and policy innovations in land use and the implications for Florida.

“Florida is perhaps the best-positioned state in the nation to attract good growth and deter bad growth. It has the ability to create the type of state it wants to be, but in order to do that lawmakers must understand the changing nature of land use,” says Dr. Adelaja, a new addition to the SNRE’s External Advisory Council, one of the school’s governing bodies. The presentation will be held in the President Room C in Emerson Alumni Hall at 3:00 pm. The seminar is free and open to the general public.

Ag-Culture: Caption this picture #11

Unfortunately, there are a few photographs from UF's agricultural golden years that come with little or no description...so, we thought we would just take a guess.

And, we encourage you to, as well.

Click here to see the new picture and the responses to the last image

News: State Rep. Cretul: UF biofuels part of Florida's cutting edge

There will probably not be a single silver-bullet solution for meeting the United States’ energy needs. As Florida State Rep. Larry Cretul puts it, “In fact, we’re probably going to need a revolver—or maybe even a Gatling gun.”

However, during Cretul’s Jan. 28 tour of biofuels laboratories at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, it remained clear that cellulosic ethanol is likely to be included in the arsenal.

Cretul, a member of the Florida House of Representatives Committee on Energy, visited the UF campus to learn more about Prof. Lonnie Ingram’s method of turning biomass, such as yard waste and crop residues, into cellulosic ethanol.

Events: Global policy expert to speak on the future of food and the poor

At January’s World Economic Forum, Bill Gates stood before a collection of the world’s foremost business and political leaders—all buzzing with concerns of global recession, energy shortages and terrorism—and told them that the world’s most dire economic priority is, simply put, food.

Two billion of the world’s poorest people are undernourished, and the only way to feed them, he said, is by better steering the world’s economic forces.

The idea is hardly new, but it’s one that governments and business are finally starting to pick up—thanks, in part, to the work of Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen.

On Feb. 26, Pinstrup-Andersen will present a lecture entitled “Research and Policy Priorities for the Global Food System” on the University of Florida campus. As part of the York Distinguished Lecturer series, the presentation is free and open to the public.

News: UF shows a "Pelican's Point of View" to save the seabirds

At virtually every seaport mankind has ever built, you’re sure to see a pelican at some time or another. The birds roost on every continent except Antarctica. Their scythe-like beaks and snaking necks have adorned human art dating back thousands of years.

So, what’s the harm in a fisherman tossing a bit of fish to the nearby pelican kind enough to keep him company? What’s a scrap of flounder between friends?

“You may think you’re being nice, but you could be setting them up for a really painful death,” said Bryan Fluech, a Collier County Sea Grant extension agent with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Each year, hundreds of pelicans along Florida’s coastline meet a grisly end because of human activity. As part of a statewide IFAS educational program, including a new video titled “Pelican’s Point of View,” Fluech explains the do’s and don’ts of interacting with pelicans.

Honors: Forestry professor plays with fire, wins lifetime achievement award

UF forestry professor Alan Long will be given the Herbert Stoddard Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award later this month for his work in fire ecology and management in the Southeastern United States over the last 20 years.

The Association for Fire Ecology, an organization dedicated to the use of fire in land management, bestows the award for fire ecologists who work in the Southeastern United States. He’ll receive the award Jan. 30 at AFE’s regional conference in Arizona.

Long, who has been at UF since 1986, is closely linked to the Austin Cary Memorial Forest, the 2,040-acre property used by UF’s forestry school as an outdoor teaching facility. In addition to his teaching and student advisement duties, he is responsible for managing the Austin Cary property.

News: Collier County 4-H launches GIS program

You’ve probably seen those nifty navigation systems available in newer cars to help drivers find their way around unfamiliar cities.

They use data provided by global positioning systems to provide maps, broadcast to a small screen in the dashboard, to show the car’s exact location and where it needs to go next.

Those handy devices are an application of geographic information systems, or GIS, one of the fastest growing aspects of global positioning system technology.

By gathering data on the locations of target items—anything from water fountains to Civil War battle sites—and running it through computer software, users can produce maps displaying the data.

Anni Galdames, Collier County’s 4-H youth development extension agent, has launched a program to help local schoolchildren and their teachers learn about this exciting technology, and perhaps set a few youth on the path toward a career in GIS.

News: FYN helps Tampa Bay Rays put Florida-friendly landscaping in

Fans attending Tampa Bay Rays baseball games this year may have noticed that part of the landscaping around Tropicana Field looked more Florida-friendly.

They can thank Florida Yards & Neighborhoods personnel, who helped retrofit the east entrance to the St. Petersburg facility. The project involved nearly 200 trees and 5,000 shrubs and ground cover plants, representing 45 native species.

Signs explaining Florida-friendly landscaping principles were posted in the area. Inside the domed stadium, fans saw messages on Florida-friendly landscaping between innings, and a video message was used to reach television viewers during home games.

News: Clover expert elected president of Crop Science Society of America

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor Ken Quesenberry is embarking on a three-year stint at the helm of the Crop Science Society of America.

Starting in January, he’ll serve one year as president-elect, followed by a year as president and another as past president of the 4,000-member organization.

Quesenberry, whose research focuses on forage crop breeding, particularly with clover, said his focus for the next three years will be to try and help his organization boost undergraduate and graduate enrollment in crop science programs across the country.

Awards: Agronomy and Soils club members take big win in the Big Easy

Students from the University of Florida’s Agronomy and Soils Club competed against peers from around the country in New Orleans and came out winners.

The club competed as part of last month’s annual Students of Agronomy, Soil and Environmental Sciences (SASES) meeting. SASES is the student division of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America.

UF’s club took the President’s Trophy Award, given to the best overall club.

Ag-Culture: Caption this picture #10

Unfortunately, there are a few photographs from UF's agricultural golden years that come with little or no description...so, we thought we would just take a guess.

And, we encourage you to, as well.

Click here to see the new picture

Honors: Horticultural Sciences is No. 1!

One more reason to call Gainesville “title town” – UF has the most productive horticultural sciences faculty in the nation, according to a new ranking system.

Academic Analytics, a private company founded by the dean of the graduate school at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, recently issued its third annual ranking of faculty productivity in more than 200 academic disciplines, looking at 375 universities and several hundred thousand faculty members.

The rankings, formally known as the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Rankings Index, were based on the accomplishments of individual faculty members in each department. Factors considered included books and journal articles published, citations of journal articles, federal grant dollars awarded and honors and awards.

Awards: Steve Otwell and Natalia Peres recognized for international work

Sometimes, it’s easy to think of IFAS strictly in terms of its effects on the Sunshine State. But Florida is, in many ways, a hub of interconnected concerns and activities reaching from the Arctic Circle to the Ring of Fire.

This year, IFAS has recognized two of its members who exemplify this institution’s dedication to improving food and agricultural sciences the world over.

Steve Otwell and Natalia Peres have been named winners of the 2007 IFAS International Educators Award. Additionally, Otwell and Peres have been named winners of the IFAS International Fellow and Achievement Awards, respectively.

The International Educators Award seeks to recognize individuals who enhance the educational environment and experience of students, faculty and staff by promoting a global perspective. The International Fellow and Achievement Awards recognize outstanding international endeavors by IFAS faculty members that contribute to the globalization of the university.

New Hires: World-traveled specialist to help fight greening pest

The citrus industry has made a call for more help with the insect that spreads citrus greening, and IFAS has taken a big step by hiring the first of two new psyllid management specialists. Pasco Avery has joined the University of Florida Indian River Research and Education Center as a post doctoral scientist.

An international educator with experience in management practices applicable to the pest, he will work with UF virologist and professor Charles Powell and Michael Rogers, an assistant professor of entomology at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Fla.

“Citrus growers on the east coast, particularly the fresh fruit growers, face numerous challenges in developing effective psyllid management programs,” Rogers said. “Avery will provide valuable assistance to the east coast citrus growers as they strive to develop effective psyllid control programs for their particular growing conditions.”

Events: Poinsettia open house and field day are coming soon

Plant lovers, holiday shoppers and the just-plain-curious are invited to the 2007 University of Florida/IFAS Poinsettia Open House. The annual event is being held Thursday, Dec. 6, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Click here for an open-house flier and map.

The 2007 University of Florida/IFAS Poinsettia Variety Trial Grower Field Day will be held Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Click here for the grower's field day flier and map

Both the field day and open house take place in the UF/IFAS environmental horticulture department greenhouses, just off Hull Road on the west side of the UF campus.

Honors: Nair becomes first in IFAS to hold triple crown of ag societies

UF’s P.K. Nair, already a fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America, has joined the elite ranks of scientists who are fellows in those two groups as well as the Crop Science Society of America.

He’s the first IFAS member to earn the unique distinction. He was named a CSSA fellow at the three societies’ annual meeting earlier this month in New Orleans.

Nair, who is also director of the Center for Subtropical Agroforestry in UF’s School of Forest Resources and Conservation, is an internationally recognized leader in agroforestry.

Honors: Elaine Turner receives Distinguished Service Award from KSU

Elaine Turner, an associate dean with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, was honored recently by her undergraduate alma mater, Kansas State University, with its Distinguished Service Award.

Turner, who earned a bachelor of science degree in dietetics in 1982, received the award Oct. 19 at the College of Human Ecology’s 2007 Celebration of Excellence event in Manhattan, Kan.

Turner said the award was particularly meaningful because her father is also a Kansas State graduate.

Honors: AAAS names Peter Hansen 2007 Fellow

Peter Hansen, a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, has been named a 2007 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS. He was among 471 AAAS members to be named fellow this year, and the only one from UF.

Hansen will formally receive the honor Feb. 16 at the 2008 AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston.

AAAS fellows are chosen based on their efforts to advance scientific applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished.

News: IFAS folic acid team creates workplace toolkit

Employers have a vested interest in keeping workers healthy. Besides being happier in general, healthy employees are more likely to have good attendance and be more productive.

With those things in mind, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers used a March of Dimes grant to develop a toolkit for folic acid education in the workplace. One of the program’s goals is to enhance folic acid intake — believed to help reduce the risk of certain birth defects — among women of childbearing age.

Ag-Culture: Caption this picture #9

Thanks to everyone who sent in entertaining captions for the last photo! Be sure to check out all the comments--and don't forget to weigh in on the new photo.

Here are just a few of the new captions:

"Young UFPD recruits from 1964 using the newly released experimental "taser" technology to deal with a wayward plant."--Adam Naim

"After a brief post-repotting interview, the plant abruptly cut off all questions."--Mickie Anderson

"Young 4H members are amused by their companion who is trying to hook up a milking machine to a plant because he's having difficulty finding the udders."--Larry Halsey

Click here to see all the comments and the new picture

IFAS in the News: Oyster school featured on nightly news

The ABC news affiliate out of Panama City , WMBB News 13, attended the first day of oyster school and did a great feature piece on the new program.

You can see the video here.

For background on the school, check out the previous Inside IFAS post here.

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Ag-Culture: Do you know Jack? Prove it!

Pumpkins aren’t one of the biggest Florida crops (although we’re working on that). However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t indulge in a little jack-o’-lantern fun.

Heck, if it makes you feel better, you can even carve up a Sunshine State product. After all, the harvest-festival tradition got its start with turnips in Scotland. So, why not an orange or low-carb potato?

If you’ve done some fancy knife work on the vegetable or fruit of your choosing, be sure to snap a shot and send it our way. At the end of the month, we’ll choose our favorite and show it off right here on Inside IFAS (along with the other entries).

What could you win? Well, besides fandom and acclaim amongst your fellow IFASonians, that will have to be a surprise (a small surprise).

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IFAS in the News : IFAS moves "Beyond Gatorade"

IFAS researchers are a big focus of the latest edition of Gainesville Magazine’s cover story, “Savoring the taste of our town.”

In a sidebar called “Beyond Gatorade,” writer Alisson Clark outlines bunches of UF food-research projects that are making an impact on consumers around the world – everything from Hordur Kristinsson’s low-carb “flaquita” to Steve Otwell’s efforts to ensure the grouper you’re buying really is grouper and not some cheapie fake fish.

With most of the issue devoted to food, it’s a fun read if you like to eat (and we do). Nice work!

Click here to see the story. The link seems to be jumping around a bit, so if you don't find it at first, try searching from the Gainesville Magazine homepage.

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Events: IFAS offers training for the nation's raw oyster industry

Buyers from among the nation’s major oyster retailers are heading to school this week to attend a first-of-its-kind workshop aimed at increasing the quality of fresh Gulf of Mexico oysters available to consumers today.

The inaugural University of Florida “Oyster School” will provide key retailers in the U.S. seafood industry with comprehensive and practical training for marketing raw oysters from harvest to table.

The workshop begins Wednesday and runs through Thursday in Apalachicola, the historic Panhandle community that produces 90 percent of Florida’s oysters and 10 percent of the supply nationwide.

Click here to read more

Awards: NASA honors Melanie Correll for "space ag" research

An IFAS agricultural and biological engineering researcher is part of a team that’s been honored by NASA and the European Space Agency for its outstanding accomplishments in spaceflight research.

Melanie Correll, a UF assistant professor, was among the scientists lauded at Miami University Sept. 20. The team, led by Miami University botany professor John Kiss, is researching gravity’s effects on plants in space. Their project, code-named “TROPI,” was one of two projects launched on the space shuttle Discovery last year and performed on the International Space Station.

Click here to read more

News: New, improved weather Web site debuts Oct. 15

The Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) has overhauled its Web site to make things easier for farmers looking for weather data to protect their crops.

The improved site — which debuts Monday, Oct. 15 —has a new user interface, database and web and data servers. The site features a more modern look, streamlined navigation, gives access to additional resources and its database is more efficient.

The servers are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by University of Florida personnel at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Click here to read more

Event: IFAS to host World Food Day video gathering - and you're invited

The University of Florida will participate in the 24th World Food Day video conference, a program that this year focuses on the threat climate change poses to the world’s poor and hungry.

The Oct. 16, three-hour broadcast, called Climate: Changes, Challenges and Consequences, will feature three renowned climate specialists.

The program will run from noon until 3 p.m. in McCarty Hall D, Room G-001. Students and the public are invited. In the first hour, the three scientists will be part of a panel discussion. In the second hour, those watching will be invited to e-mail questions to the panelists, and in the final hour, panelists will answer those questions.

Click here to read more

News: "Gardening in a Minute" celebrates first award-winning year

“Gardening in a Minute,” the award-winning University of Florida Extension radio program, celebrates its one-year anniversary this month.

The first show aired October 2, 2006, and since then almost 260 shows have been broadcast—covering topics as wide ranging as wildflowers in the garden, organic fertilizer, mowing safety and Arbor Day.

“We make sure ‘Gardening in a Minute’ appeals to gardeners of all levels, and that it's friendly and fun,” said Tom Wichman, the program’s host and main content reviewer.

In the first year of programming, the “Gardening in a Minute” radio program and companion Web site received five national communications awards. Each show is one minute long, but the Web site has more information about each topic.

Click here to read more

Click here to go to the GIAM Web site

Click here to see photos from the 1st annual celebration

Honors: Entomological Society of America honors IFAS scientist

The Entomological Society of America has selected UF’s Nan-Yao Su as an ESA Fellow for his outstanding contributions in research, teaching, extension and administration. He will be recognized at the group’s annual meeting Dec. 9-12 in San Diego.

Su is recognized internationally as an authority on termites and known for his innovative approach to their population management. He’s authored and coauthored more than 160 peer-reviewed articles on termite biology and control. His research on the population ecology of subterranean termites and slow-acting toxicants led to the development of a monitoring-baiting system, commercialized as the Sentricon System. It has been marketed in 18 countries since 1995 to protect more than two million homes, and has reduced pesticide use by more than 6,000 metric tons.

Click here to read more

Events: 2007 Fall Native Plant Sale set for Oct. 20 in Gainesville

The area’s largest native plant sale will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20 at Morningside Nature Center, 3540 E. University Ave., three miles east of downtown Gainesville.

The sale will feature thousands of native wildflowers, ferns, shrubs, grasses, vines and trees grown at area nurseries. It also includes refreshments for sale, a kids’ area, a free naturalist-led wildflower walk at 1 p.m., and free expert plant advice.

Click here to read more

News: UF faculty to showcase genetics work at 2007 Sunbelt Ag Expo

Faculty with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will showcase their latest genetics research, extension and education programs at the 2007 Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, billed as North America’s premier farm show.

The event takes place Oct. 16-18 near Moultrie, Ga.

Each year, the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition attracts more than 250,000 visitors interested in new agricultural technology, said Wayne Smith, chairman of the committee responsible for planning UF exhibits at the event.

The theme for this year’s exhibit is “Solutions for Your Life Through Genetics.” It was chosen because genetics research has been a solution to many crop production problems in Florida and a central focus of research at UF for decades, said Smith, a professor and director emeritus of UF’s School of Forest Resources and Conservation.

Click here to read more

Ag-Culture: Caption this picture #8

Thanks to everyone who sent in entertaining captions for the last photo! Check the link to see everyone's comments--and don't forget to weigh in on the new photo.

Here are a couple of this picture's captions:

"...stack like an Egyptian..."--Barbara Wunder

"UF/IFAS development of Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (FCOJ) at its Citrus Research & Education Center at Lake Alfred is widely acclaimed. Few are aware of the Center's early role in nutrition education. Shown in this photo is the nation's first Food Pyramid. It was abandoned after introduction due to two factors: 1) portability was problematic, and 2) objections were raised by the powerful beef, dairy and food grains industries."--Larry Halsey

"Pharaoh Cheops: 'I love the aroma, but are you sure those things are gonna last 45 centuries?'"--Tom Nordlie

Click here to read more and see the new picture

Events: Animal reproductive expert to be York Distinguished Lecturer

Fuller W. Bazer, a distinguished professor and associate vice president for research at Texas A&M University in College Station, will be the featured speaker Oct. 4 for the 2007 York Distinguished Lecturer Series at the University of Florida.

The title of Bazer’s lecture will be “Animal Sciences in the Era of Systems Biology,” which will be presented at 1:30 p.m. in the President’s Room at Emerson Alumni Hall in Gainesville. The event is free and open to the public. Free parking will be available in the northeast corner of the O’Connell Center parking lot located at the intersection of West University Avenue and Gale Lemerand Drive.

Click here to read more

Honors: U.S. rep from Florida dubbed 'Friend of Agricultural Economics'

A U.S. representative from Florida has been recognized as one of two “2007 Friends of Agricultural Economics” for his appreciation of economics as applied to policy issues involving agriculture, natural resources, food and nutrition.

The Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (C-FARE) named Rep. Adam Putnam one of its two friends. Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro also earned the honor.

The reception was held Sept. 18 in Washington, D.C. IFAS agricultural economist Tom Spreen, who is vice president of the National Association of Agricultural Economics Administrators (NAAEA), nominated Putnam for the award.

Putnam serves on the Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises subcommittee of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. Putnam is a UF graduate with a degree in food and resource economics. Before being elected to Congress, he worked in his family’s citrus and cattle business. He also served four years in the Florida House of Representatives.

The reception was held in connection with the NAAEA’s biannual meeting on economics policies and funding issues important to researchers and agricultural producers.

C-FARE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the national presence of the agricultural economics profession.

Find them at www.cfare.org

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Awards: Kevin Folta receives IFAS' first HHMI Distinguished Mentor Award

Sometimes, it’s easy to get lost at a place as big as the University of Florida—and we’re not talking about school’s 2,000 acres of land. Spanning more than 150 research centers and institutes packed with world-changing intellect, UF is a virtual academic Brobdingnag for undergraduates newly navigating the giant world of science.

That’s why the efforts of researchers like Kevin Folta, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences, can matter so much.

Folta is the first member of IFAS to receive a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Distinguished Mentor award. Now in its second year, the program annually recognizes six UF researchers who go above and beyond to extend their research to undergraduates.

Click here to read more

News: Long-term artificial reef project may break grouper 'bottleneck'

One of the country’s biggest and longest-running artificial reef research projects is about to widen its scope, and the payoff could be healthier grouper in the Gulf of Mexico, a University of Florida researcher says.

Over the last 17 years, UF researchers have built and placed a 26-mile line of artificial reefs in the Gulf and studied its impact on gag grouper, a popular game and food fish.

The reefs give shelter that researchers believe helps young gag grouper grow to adulthood and replenish heavily harvested populations.

Click here to read more

News: World champion palomino has IFAS ties

Raising and showing horses is a hobby for Jo Ann Davis, an administrative services coordinator with the food and resource economics department. She and her husband Dan have gotten pretty good at it, too.

In July, their palomino Totally Golden Kid was named world champion 2-year-old gelding at the Palomino Horse Breeders of America World Championship Horse Show in Tulsa, Okla. He was also named third in amateur gelding competition and sixth in all age, all sex color competition.

It was the second time the horse, also known as Buddy, took honors at the annual competition—last year he was a top 10 finisher in three events.

Click here to read more

News: Be safe--don't let sushi languish in your refrigerator

Grabbing a box of ready-to-eat sushi from the grocery store? Say sayonara to any leftovers still in the fridge after 24 hours, a University of Florida food safety expert says.

“Any signs of spoilage are bad, but just because it looks good doesn’t mean it’s safe,” said Keith Schneider, an associate professor of food science with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Take-out and doggie bags from sushi restaurants should be eaten when you get home or thrown away, he said.

Click here to read more

Awards: Alum wins J. Paul Getty award for work with tigers and elephants

A former IFAS Wildlife Ecology and Conservation graduate student has been awarded the 2007 J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership.

Ullas Karanth, who earned his master’s degree in 1988 at UF under Mel Sunquist, now works in India, where he earned his Ph.D. in applied zoology at Mangalore University in 1993.

He has worked toward the conservation of Asian elephants and tigers, helped create three protected land areas in the Western Ghats and done innovative work on voluntary resettlement to benefit both people and wildlife. He is director of the Wildlife Conservation Society-India Program and oversees a post-graduate program in wildlife biology and conservation at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore.

Click here to read more

News: Jatropha tree could be a biodiesel boon for Florida farmers

Growing plants for fuel might be an engine-revving idea for some South Florida farmers who feel their crops have stalled, a University of Florida researcher says.

Jatropha curcas, a plant native to Mexico that is being widely grown for fuel and medicine in some parts of the world, is a tree that produces golf ball-sized fruit. Inside each fruit are three seeds full of oil that can be pressed to make biodiesel.

“For maybe a year and a half now, I have been working on an idea that here in deep South Florida we can grow a biodiesel crop that does not conflict with food and that we have a comparative advantage in growing,” said Roy Beckford, a Lee County extension agent who specializes in sustainable farm development.

Click here to read more

News: Largest butterfly in the West needs help to avoid extinction

The Homerus swallowtail is the Western Hemisphere’s largest butterfly, but University of Florida researchers say its numbers are so small that conservation and captive breeding efforts are needed to save the insect, found only in two parts of Jamaica.

A UF study published last month in The Journal of Insect Conservation was the first to estimate the population found in western Jamaica’s remote “Cockpit Country.” Author Matt Lehnert, a graduate student with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, found about 50 adults in the area.

The good news is the population was larger than expected, said Tom Emmel, a UF entomology professor who has helped rescue the endangered Schaus swallowtail and Miami blue butterflies native to Florida. Emmel is Lehnert’s graduate adviser.

Click here to read more

Awards: Mike Martin honored with USDA Morrill award

Mike Martin, a former UF vice president for agriculture and natural resources, has been selected to receive one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s highest honors for educators, the Justin Smith Morrill Memorial Award.

Martin, currently president of New Mexico State University, will also deliver the 2007 Justin Smith Morrill Lecture, at the annual meeting of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, Nov. 11-13 in New York City. The lecture takes place Nov. 11.

He is only the sixth person to receive the award, presented by the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service to honor outstanding contemporary leadership in teaching and significant contributions to education.

Click here to read more

News: Alavalapati named 2007 Jefferson Science Fellow

Janaki Alavalapati, a professor with the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, has been selected to serve as a 2007 Jefferson Science Fellow at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. He began the 12-month fellowship Aug. 13.

He is one of eight scientists and engineers nationwide selected for the position, and the first faculty member from any Florida institution to be named a Jefferson Science Fellow. Alavalapati specializes in researching market solutions to natural resources, environmental and energy conservation problems.

Click here to read more

IFAS in the News: Release of evil weevil warriors caught on video

Just in case you weren’t able to be at Big Cypress National Preserve in knee-deep swamp water for the release of the parasitic fly species that could save us from the “evil weevils,” NBC-2.com has online video to show you just what you missed.

From NBC-2.com:
COLLIER COUNTY: Scientists released a new species of fly in the Big Cypress National Preserve on Wednesday and they hope it will help control an invasive insect that is threatening native plant life....

Click here to read the full story and see the video

Click here to read more

Ag-Culture: Did you say you wanted tomato in your pizza, or vice versa?

When it comes to tinkering with tomatoes, IFAS is second to none. Whether Jay Scott’s development of the lycopene-packed Flora-Lee, Andrew Hanson’s folate-endowed specimens or Harry Klee's...well...Harry's done too much to mention here—our efforts are targeted at producing food sources for a healthier tomorrow.

But the editors at Wired Magazine like to let their imaginations run wild. In their "Found: Artifacts from the Future" section of the August issue, they hypothesize just exactly what kinds of “improved” tomatoes and other fruits might show up at supermarkets in the decades to come.

How would you feel about a peanut butter-flavored apple?

Click here for permalink and comments

News: Award-winning research gives environmental traffic report

If you’ve ever had the occasion to come across the wagon-training species of tropical ants known as leaf cutters, you’d probably scoff at the notion that the industrious little trailblazers are actually rather fond of using our roadways.

Nevertheless, the resulting rise in insect traffic along man-made paths could spell significant consequences for tropical ecosystems, according to the award-winning research from Emilio Bruna, an assistant professor in the UF department of wildlife ecology and conservation, and his colleagues from the Universidade Federal de Uberlândia.

The work has received the 2007 Award for Excellence from the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation. The results deftly illustrate that, as dwarfed as they may seem amidst overwhelming plant and wildlife, roadways bring a powerful tilt to the balance of local ecosystems.

Click here to read more

News: McLellan shares vision of how science can improve human health

UF/IFAS Research Dean Mark McLellan addressed a group of FDA scientists in Maryland Tuesday, sharing his vision on “The Role of Science in Improving Human Health.”

McLellan was the keynote speaker for the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition’s (CFSAN) annual science day. The audience was filled with some 200 FDA scientists, technicians, regulators and policy makers.

CFSAN is one of six centers within the FDA.

McLellan told the group about the great leaps he expects science to take as quantum-leap strides are made in areas such as nanotechnology and bioinformatics.

Click here to read more

Ag-Culture: Caption this picture #7

Thanks to everyone who sent in entertaining captions for the last photo! Check the link to see everyone's comments--and don't forget to weigh in on the new photo.

Here are a couple of this picture's captions:

"Why can't the four-leaf clover fashion industry just accept that not every clover is a size 4? Plus-size clovers enjoy fashion, too! We want to wear the same stylish clothes as everyone else, just a little bigger. What's wrong with that?"--Mickie Anderson

"Producer J.J. Abrams today revealed the monster from his hush-hush science-fiction film, 'Cloverfield,' set for release Jan. 18. Geeks worldwide responded with 'um, I guess that explains the title, huh?'"--Tom Nordlie

Click here to read the rest of the captions and see the new (and very bizarre) photo

News: Hardee County students learn everything from pickling to crochet

For six years, kids in Hardee County have spent part of their summers learning some old-school skills – knowledge they may use the rest of their lives.

Over a six-week span, about 25 children, who range between 8 and 18, have been part of the Back to Basics day camp program, where they’ve learned everything from how to can their own pickles to tie-dye their own shirts. Cooking, baking, woodwork, knitting, embroidery, crochet and even quilting have been taught.

Awards: Shibu Jose a fantastic forester under 40

IFAS forestry researcher Shibu Jose will receive the Young Forester Leadership Award from the Society of American Foresters (SAF) this fall.

The award recognizes outstanding leadership by a forestry professional younger than 40 (he’s 37) in an individual program or project that benefits forestry and the society.

Event: Climate change conference in the works

IFAS extension agents from three North Florida counties are pooling their expertise to bring a climate change workshop to residents.

The workshop is set for Sept. 6 at the Leon County Extension Center and costs $15, including lunch. The workshop was organized by agents in Leon, Wakulla and Jefferson counties and is open to the public.

News: Leon County gardeners prepare firefighter tribute -- with plants

A group of Leon County master gardeners has devoted more than 100 hours to prepare a firefighters’ memorial garden in Tallahassee.

The garden, which demonstrates Florida-friendly principles, will be dedicated on or about Sept. 11 as a tribute to firefighters who died during the terrorist attacks in 2001.
Eighteen master gardeners, led by Leon County extension agent David Marshall, have toiled to prepare and plant three large beds at the Centerville Road fire station.

News: LAKEWATCH, Fishing For Success seek $1 million

Florida LAKEWATCH and Fishing For Success need a home. You can help them build it.

LAKEWATCH, a statewide water monitoring program, and Fishing for Success, a youth education program that works hand-in-hand with LAKEWATCH, are based at the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences in northwest Gainesville. But due to lack of space, their personnel and guests use facilities scattered around the property.

So Dan Canfield, a limnology professor with the department, is working with the IFAS Development Office in an effort to raise $1 million for a building complex to serve both programs.

Awards: Ag Tag winners get grants to spread the word

Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. has approved funding for its 2007 Volunteer Grants program.The Gainesville-based nonprofit approved 21 grant projects around the state.

The association will spend more than $27,000 and organizers estimate they will reach nearly 15,000 students statewide. Florida Ag in the Classroom uses proceeds from agriculture specialty license tag sales to fund grants to educate students and teachers about the importance of agriculture.

Click here for a list of winners with IFAS extension or 4-H ties

Inform: Got a sustainability suggestion? Tell Jennifer Gillett!

Do you have an idea on how UF could improve sustainability-minded practices? Well, take the first step to making a good idea a reality by getting in contact with Jennifer Gillett.

Gillett, assistant director of UF/IFAS Integrated Pest Management, was recently elected by the UF faculty senate to serve on the joint presidential/senate committee on sustainability.

We know that IFAS is packed with individuals with knowledge about landscaping, pest control, building maintenance, water usage and countless other specialties that give unique insight into how to make this university (and all of Florida, for that matter) more environmentally friendly. If you have suggestions, please contact Gillett at gillett@ufl.edu.

UF office of sustainability

About the committee

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Inform: So, what's up with this Farm Bill thing?

Some IFASonians seem to have been clued into the rascally world of politics since they were able to talk and petition their parents for a later bed time. For these legislative aficionados, the 2007 Farm Bill is probably old news.

However, for those of us who tend to approach politics with the same uncertainty we reserve for quantum mechanics, it might be time to take notice. The U.S. Congress just passed the $258 billion bill, and it could mean some pretty big changes.

To research the bill’s potential effects on Florida, you may want to begin here with a radio piece produced by Southwest Florida’s WGCU (and “spotted” by our own Kimberly Mansfield).

There are many opinions about the potential impacts of the bill, so it’s a good idea to look around for them. If you’re feeling daring, you can read what the House Committee on Agriculture has to say. Or, as a last resort, you can read the text of the bill here.

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Awards: UF agricultural economist lauded by peers

Two Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences economists and two economists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service have received the prestigious “Quality of Research Discovery Award” from the American Agricultural Economics Association at its annual meeting in Portland.

Charles Moss, a professor with UF’s food and resource economics department, and Grigorios Livanis, a former postdoctoral student in the department, shared the award with co-authors Vincent Breneman and Richard Nehring at the USDA’s Economic Research Service in Washington, D.C. Livanis is now an adjunct professor in the College of Business Administration at Northeastern University in Boston.

The award was presented July 31 for their article, “Urban Sprawl and Farmland Prices,” in the November 2006 issue of the Journal of Agricultural Economics.

Events: Sustainability experts coming to speak at UF

"Sustainability" may be the biggest hot word in IFAS culture these days--but have you ever felt just a little foggy on what that word means in practical terms?

Sustainability experts Hunter Lovins and Bob Willard are coming to the University of Florida Sept. 10 to give keynote talks and to serve on a panel to discuss applying the principles of sustainability to business.

The panel discussion will take place at 6 p.m. in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom, hosted by the UF Office of Sustainability, the Warrington College of Business Administration, the Council for Sustainable Florida and ACCENT. This event is free and open to the public.

Download a PDF event flier

Inform: Get help making your home more windstorm-resistant

Live in an area where you sometimes have to duck flying objects?

No, we’re not talking about those next-door neighbors who tend to shout and fling dishes at each other. Certain areas of Florida are designated as “windborne debris regions.” If you live in such an area (or, really, anywhere in Florida), there are certain steps you can take to help protect your home from whatever the Florida weather tosses at it.

Better yet, you may qualify for up to $5,000 in matching grant funds to make your home more windstorm resistant if you are in a w-d region. The University of Florida’s Program for Resource Efficient Communities recently completed a presentation for homeowners on “The Home Structure Rating System and the My Safe Florida Home Program” to be taught by agents with housing responsibility.

The PowerPoint presentation is made available here in a pdf format as we believe everyone should know about this program that helps assess the wind resistance of a home.

Click here to go to the May 2007 Archives

Click here to go to the June through August 2007 Archives

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