There is a costly import from Brazil that Floridians don’t want or need: the fire ant. Fire ants were unintentionally imported to America along with other valued cargo in the 1930s. Since that time, fire ants have become their own kind of mini-terror network, spreading their venom to humans, animals, and reptiles in at least […]
@griTech: The Right Bio-Tool for the Job Read More »
The Agriculture Way of Life: Guarding Water Quality and Preserving Wildlife At one time, the Everglades covered nearly 11,000 square miles. Water flowed south from the Kissimmee River into Lake Okeechobee and through the Everglades into Florida Bay. But draining the marshes has cut the Everglades to half the size it was 100 years ago.
Giving Back to the Land Through Stewardship Read More »
Brown grass can be deceiving during wintertime in Florida. After that first frost, your lawn will turn brown, but it doesn’t mean you need to water it more. Your grass is in dormancy, meaning it needs less water instead of more.
Winter Grass: Resist the Urge to Water More Read More »
Service to the Community On and Off the Groves Their workplaces are the groves of Central Florida, caring for the land that supplies the local and national communities with fresh fruit. But service to the community doesn’t stop at the groves, instead spreading to volunteering for farming organizations, county boards, and local charter schools.
Cultivating the Land and the Heart Read More »
The UF/IFAS Extension services are often credited with numerous benefits to Florida’s $70 billion-a-year agriculture industry. Improving sustainability, identifying pests, increasing agritourism, and providing advice at the state and local level are a few of the benefits most folks in the ag sector have come to expect. Operationalizing one of the program’s latest scientific discoveries
@griTech … Florida Tomatoes: Searching for Answers Read More »
| Polk County Farm Bureau recognizes outstanding educators in agriculture | Excellence comes in many forms. This year, it came in the form of three caring and committed teachers who work not only for the future of agriculture, but also for making sure that youth have a comprehensive understanding of its importance in America. Marie
A trio of excellence in teaching Read More »
TEACHING, RESEARCH AND OUTREACH are the core of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), which is a premier institution within the land-grant university system. But it is the research that is the red thread that connects UF/IFAS with the production of food, biofuel, and the responsible stewardship of Florida’s natural resources. [emember_protected
The red thread that binds: What connects UF/IFAS with Florida farmers Read More »
FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) has been around for some time. It is wireless technology that uses three components: a tag (which consists of a microchip and a radio antenna), a reader, and a computer system. Most of us are familiar with its uses in Florida’s SunPass prepaid toll system or the microchips implanted in our pets
Taking a look at the use of RFID technology on the ranch Read More »
| Eucalyptus, sugar cane and other crops get an agritechnology makeover | In Frostproof, Phillip Rucks Nursery is growing half a million Eucalyptus trees. Although Eucalyptus trees currently are marketed for garden mulch, the fast-growing hardwood is poised for a potential broad new market — as biomass for an electricity-generating facility.
New uses for old crops Read More »
If there is one fruit that is synonymous with Florida’s agriculture community and it’s history, the orange would be first on the list for many people. However, there are scientists at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences who are attempting to bring the Florida tangerine into more of the spotlight. With
@griTech: In search of a formula that will put Florida tangerines on the map Read More »
