Adult lovebugs are often attracted to light-colored surfaces. These mating pairs will only live 3-4 days. Photo credit: Debra Young
Lovebugs can be SO annoying. In May, and again this time of year (September), hordes of the small, fragile insects float through the air, searching for mates. They are harmless—no biting or stinging—but…
Every time I go to the beach, I love to walk along the shoreline to see what may have washed up from the ocean – usually several beautiful shells, oftentimes sargassum seaweed, maybe even part of a crab exoskeleton. Unfortunately, I usually also come across several pieces of trash – a bottlecap, cigarette butts, and…
Do you enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the morning? Or a perfectly ripe watermelon for dessert? Perhaps a tasty blueberry, strawberry, and banana smoothie? If so, then thank a pollinator.
Pollinators play a vital role in supporting commercial food production. Approximately 75% of food crops depend on pollination to some extent, but pollinators…
Cover crops protect the soil from sunlight, wind, and heavy rain, which enhances soil microbial populations and improves soil structure, water infiltration, and root penetration. Reduced soil crusting, erosion, runoff, and nutrient leaching are further advantages. Through improved nitrogen cycling and nutrient retention, cover crops increase soil fertility. Row crop producers frequently employ cover crops…
The Palm Tree: A Florida Icon
Palm trees can be found in every corner of the Sunshine State, as they are a great landscape plant, are easy to maintain, and are hardy when planted in the right environment. There are over 30 types of palms that thrive in Florida, some growing best in the…
What is Florida Friendly Angler?
Florida Friendly Angler is a free, online course open to anyone, especially anglers looking to up their game! The course teaches skills and practices that help fish and the environment, a win-win for our fisheries. You will learn about topics essential for any angler who wants to protect fisheries…
International research teams are collaborating on new agricultural projects to improve the lives of vulnerable farmers and their families in West and East Africa. Their challenging mission is to empower small-scale livestock farmers and markets to flourish in these regions.
Many livestock farmers have little income and may be illiterate. They are women and men,…
Does your irrigation system make sense? Are your sprinklers working for you or against you in your mission to irrigate efficiently? Luckily, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a label to distinguish water-efficient products as a resource for helping you save water! So when you are shopping around for irrigation-related products, look for…
Fall and winter in Central Florida are the best times of year to grow vegetables in the garden!
We have a series of virtual classes coming up, beginning with Planning Your Best Fall Vegetable Garden Ever on September 27 at 10:00am. Free registration is at: https://ufl.zoom.us/…/tJIkdOqtrTMrHN2z60QgCRSV43s0uiL4JekZ Other classes include: Oct.4- Winter Vegetable Pests and How to…
Washing a tomato under running water above a kitchen sink. [CREDIT: UF/IFAS Extension]
September has been designated as National Food Safety Education Month by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And, even though the United States has one of the safest food supplies in the world, according to the U.S. Food and…
We all know how important oxygen is to all life. It is an element with the atomic number of 8, meaning it has eight protons and eight electrons. It has an atomic mass of 16 indicating that it also has eight neutrons. Oxygen is a gas at room temperature indicating that 70°F is VERY hot…
If you’re perusing the produce section, you generally seek fresh, pleasant-looking fruit – the kind most consumers want to buy. Usually, that means you see few, if any, blemishes.
Fruit bruising has many causes: compression, impact or vibration during harvesting, transportation and packaging operations, said Xue Zhou, a doctoral student at the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural…
