A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher and her postdoc have been inducted into the Sigma Xi scientific research honor society. The inductees are Sandra Guzmán, assistant professor at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) and Gregory Conde, postdoctoral research associate in Guzmán’s Smart Irrigation and Hydrology Laboratory. “Dr. Guzmán and Dr. …
UF/IFAS Colleagues Laud Lukas Hallman
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) colleagues have acknowledged Lukas Hallman for his distinguished achievements and contributions as a graduate student. Hallman completed master’s and doctoral degrees in horticultural sciences in the last six years as a UF/IFAS graduate research assistant. He worked in Associate Professor Lorenzo Rossi’s Plant Root Biology Laboratory at the Indian River …
UF/IFAS Researcher and Ph.D. Candidate Honored
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus researcher Lorenzo Rossi and his Ph.D. candidate Lukas Hallman have been invited to join Sigma Xi, an international honor society of scientists and engineers. Rossi is an associate professor at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce. Sigma Xi lists more than 200 Nobel …
Angle to Return as UF/IFAS Leader
J. Scott Angle, who recently served as University of Florida (UF) provost, will return as leader of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). He will become UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources in September, a position he originally assumed in 2020. He left as leader of UF/IFAS in July 2023 to become interim provost and …
Visit the UF/IFAS Citrus Extension Booth at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo
By Jamie D. Burrow and Michaela Ivy Since the spring, planning has been underway for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus Extension team booth to be on display at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. The event is Aug. 21–22 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The booth will be in the same …
Find UF/IFAS Citrus Resources Online
By Michael E. Rogers Were you unable to attend a recent University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) event and want to hear what you missed? Many past presentations are available online. The UF/IFAS Citrus Research Website archives presentations made by UF/IFAS faculty at various meetings across the state. These can be found by scrolling down and …
Update on UF/IFAS Leadership
Robert Gilbert, who has served the past six months as University of Florida (UF) interim senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, will serve in a full leadership role for at least another 18 months. Gilbert has served as University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research dean and interim senior vice president while Scott Angle …
$5 Million Awarded to UF/IFAS for HLB Research
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has been awarded five federal grants totaling more than $5 million to control HLB. The grants are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). HLB is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). The Asian citrus psyllid can transmit CLas into a …
Three New Citrus Releases From UF/IFAS
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center breeding program has released three new scion cultivars in the last year. These cultivars provide opportunities for diverse segments of the Florida citrus industry, including nurseries catering to the home landscape marketplace. The new releases demonstrate the value of a broad-based breeding program to …
UF/IFAS Educational Programs at Expo
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus researchers and Extension staff will provide multiple educational programs at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo Aug. 16–17. The event will be held at a new location this year — the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. Attendance is free to growers, but registration is required. UF faculty and staff …
Growers Needed for UF/IFAS Tree Recovery Assessment
By Christopher Vincent Growers affected by flooding and high winds from Hurricane Ian have seen the immediate effects, but the stress to the trees will have longer lasting effects as well. It is not known how big these effects will be or how long trees take to recover. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers want …
Get the Newest UF/IFAS Info at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo
By Jamie Burrow and Ruth Borger Over the last several months, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus team has been preparing for the annual Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. The excitement is in the air as many faculty are preparing seminar presentations on valuable information that growers may use today to support their operations. …
New UF/IFAS Entomologist to Focus on Invasive Pests
Nicole Quinn recently joined the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) as an assistant professor of entomology. She’ll specialize in the biocontrol of invasive pests, insects and mites at the Hayslip Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory. The lab is at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce. Quinn will begin …
HLB Research Grants Go to UF/IFAS
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) was recently awarded more than $2.2 million in federal grants for HLB research. The funding came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program. UF/IFAS researchers are also serving in leadership roles in two other NIFA-funded …
HLB Changed UF/IFAS Recommendations
Kelly Morgan recently summarized several recommended changes in Florida citrus production practices brought on by the devastating disease HLB. Morgan is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) soil and water science professor. He discussed what growers need to know to follow best management practices (BMPs) at the recent Citrus Nutrition Day at the UF/IFAS Citrus …
New UF/IFAS Extension Agent for Highlands County
Lourdes Pérez Cordero is the new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension agent for Highlands County. She did not grow up in the citrus industry, but you wouldn’t know that upon meeting her. Pérez, who recently started her new job, is eager and enthusiastic to engage with local citrus and vegetable growers and connect them to …
Johnson to Be UF/IFAS Extension Dean
Andra Johnson, associate director of Penn State Extension, will be the next dean of University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension and director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. He will assume the role on Nov. 1. Johnson will lead UF/IFAS’ statewide network of more than 650 faculty educators and scientists, whose programs support economic, environmental …
How to Work With UF/IFAS for a Rootstock Trial
By Bill Castle The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) plant improvement team has long been engaged in field research to evaluate new scions and rootstocks. That effort continues and has involved trials on public and private property. While public sites are valuable, they are limited in number. Thus, most …
UF/IFAS Expo Booth Improved
Growers have always left the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) booth at Citrus Expo with much information they can use in the grove. This year, the UF/IFAS citrus staff hopes to make a visit to the booth even more fruitful. “In the past, we have had two large booths and it has had many posters,” …
UF/IFAS Citrus Position; Upcoming Grower Meetings
Michael Rogers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) discussed plans to hire a new citrus horticulturist, as well as grower meetings set for March. Rogers is director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. The horticulturist to be hired will work with UF/IFAS plant breeders on the field development …