IFAS News
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – University of Florida
UF/IFAS scientist receives share of $6 million FNIH grant award for malaria research
August 24, 2011
Topic(s): Pests, Research, Uncategorized
Jeffrey Bloomquist, a member of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, will lead one of four projects awarded a share of a $6 million grant program for malaria control research.
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health announced $6 million in grants awarded through its “New Insecticides for Malaria Control: Discovery Research for the Identification of New Chemical Entities for Vector Control of Malaria” program.
UF review suggests new approaches needed if biological control of termites to succeed
July 22, 2011
Topic(s): Entomology and Nematology, Environment, Families and Consumers, Household Pests, IFAS, Invasive Species, New Technology, Pests
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It sounds like a pest control technician’s dream come true—eradicating hard-to-reach underground termite colonies by introducing small quantities of a pathogen or parasite, a practice called biological control.
But after 50 years of research, scientists have yet to deliver a successful method. Researchers’ efforts have been hindered by flawed experiments and lack of field testing, according to experts with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Their findings appear in a review article published online this week by the journal Biological Control.
Papaya plants reduce the need for pesticides on tomatoes in Florida, new UF study finds
June 29, 2011
Topic(s): Agriculture, Biocontrols, Crops, Entomology and Nematology, Environment, IFAS, New Technology, Pests, RECs
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Whiteflies can be biologically controlled in Florida greenhouse tomatoes, according to a new University of Florida study, which helps reduce the need for pesticide applications.
Biological control, or biocontrol, is the mitigation of pests using natural means rather than synthetic ones. Florida is the country’s top producer of fresh tomatoes, and sales of the state’s crop for 2009-2010 exceeded $402 million.
Lance Osborne, an entomology professor and associate director of UF’s Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, led the study that found that papaya plants can be used to host a wasp that attacks silverleaf whiteflies, an insect that is a major pest of tomatoes. The findings are published in the current issue of the journal Biological Control.
Rosemary Loria appointed chair of UF plant pathology department
May 31, 2011
Topic(s): Agriculture, Announcements, CALS, Departments, Environment, Extension, Honors and Appointments, IFAS, Invasive Species, Pests, RECs, Research
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Cornell University professor has been selected as chair of the University of Florida’s plant pathology department, UF officials announced today.
Rosemary Loria, a plant pathology professor at Cornell University, was named to chair the department by Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. She begins Aug. 19 and will also be a plant pathology professor.
Loria has been a faculty member at Cornell for more than 30 years and served as chair of Cornell’s plant pathology department for five years.
Charles Steinmetz Hall dedication
May 26, 2011
Topic(s): Announcements, Departments, Entomology and Nematology, Environment, Families and Consumers, Honors and Appointments, Household Pests, IFAS, Invasive Species, New Technology, Pests
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Charles Steinmetz, a retired pest management company owner, addresses the audience at a ceremony to rename the University of Florida’s entomology and nematology department building, at the UF main campus in Gainesville – Wednesday, May 25, 2011. Steinmetz and his wife, Lynn, recently donated $5 million to the department to support academic and research programs. In recognition of the gift, UF renamed the building Charles Steinmetz Hall. At the ceremony, Steinmetz reminisced about his undergraduate days at UF and some of his career milestones. UF/IFAS photo by Dawn McKinstry
UF: Insecticide resistance developing in psyllid that carries citrus disease
May 9, 2011
Topic(s): Agriculture, Citrus, Crops, Entomology and Nematology, IFAS, Invasive Species, Pests, Uncategorized
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In Florida’s war against citrus greening, producers face a new threat — the insects they’re fighting are becoming less sensitive to insecticides, according to a new University of Florida study.
“Our investigations to date are showing that insecticide resistance in Asian citrus psyllids is a reality,” said Lukasz Stelinski, an author of the study and an entomologist at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.
“Resistance is showing up,” he said. “But the levels that we have documented to date are not high enough to cause product failures.”
Greening was first detected in Florida in 2005 and is a major threat to Florida’s $9 billion citrus industry. The incurable disease has wiped out citrus crops in other parts of the world.
UF researches legal control for contagious, ornamental fish pest
April 18, 2011
Topic(s): Aquaculture, Extension, Livestock, Pests, Research
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The lack of legal ways to eliminate fish lice is frustrating for goldfish and koi enthusiasts, but a University of Florida study in the Journal of Aquatic Animal Health reports that a cure is in the works.
Fish lice, which are actually crustaceans, use their mouths to attach to fish and feed on blood and bodily fluids, causing tissue damage, anemia and sometimes fatal wounds.
Lice infestations are a problem for goldfish and koi owners as well as producers in Florida’s approximately $33 million tropical fish industry. A single pet koi can be valued as much as $100,000, depending on color, pattern and size, and products that keep them healthy are in demand.
New UF brochure explains owners’ options for unwanted exotic pets
April 7, 2011
Topic(s): Agriculture, Environment, Invasive Species, Pests
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Pet owners sometimes release unwanted exotic animals into the wild, considering it an act of kindness.
But Florida’s environment and economy pay a hefty price if these creatures thrive and reproduce. Introduced species may eat native animals and plants, damage property, pose human health risks and require costly management efforts. The lionfish, Burmese python and monk parakeet have all made headlines for wreaking havoc, and some of the specimens were probably released by pet owners.
To combat this problem, experts with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have published a free brochure that describes humane, responsible alternatives for people with pets they can’t manage or no longer want.
Titled “Options for Unwanted Exotic Pets,” it’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw353
“A lot of folks may not be aware that they have options, or that help is available,” said author Steve Johnson, an associate professor in UF’s wildlife ecology and conservation department. “We’re hoping to change that, and we want to remind people that turning pets loose is never acceptable.”
In Florida, releasing non-native animals is prohibited by law, Johnson said. What’s more, it’s inhumane—pets from other parts of the world may die from starvation or exposure in Florida’s outdoors.
The species that become established are the exceptions, he said, though Florida currently hosts breeding populations of about 140 non-native vertebrate species.
The brochure outlines several options for pet owners. They include learning more about caring for the animal, finding a new home for it, returning it to the seller, and contacting government or volunteer agencies.
The brochure also lists several websites that provide geographically indexed directories to pet rescue groups, animal shelters, exotic pet veterinarians, animal sanctuaries that can provide referrals, advice or possibly a new home. It also has a link to listings for “pet amnesty days” where the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission accepts exotic animals and attempts to place them with new owners.
As a preventive measure, the brochure includes a section on the importance of selecting the right pet in the first place, said author Monica McGarrity, a biological scientist who works with Johnson at UF’s Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Plant City. Potential buyers need to understand an animal’s potential lifespan and size, as well as its housing and nutrition requirements, before making a purchase.
Anyone considering an exotic pet should research the animal and consider the decision for at least a day, she said.
“Some of the most problematic situations happen when people make impulse buys,” McGarrity said.
She cites iguanas as a prime example— cute, small and inexpensive as juveniles. But a few years later the reptile may be 3 to 4 feet long and combative when handled if it hasn’t been properly socialized.
“That’s when people start thinking about releasing it,” she said.
Dustin Smith, an assistant curator at Zoo Miami in Miami-Dade County and another author of the brochure, said he knows all too well what happens to those iguanas, not to mention other freed pets. South Florida has the state’s highest concentration of established, non-native animals, many of them familiar sights to residents.
“When the weather’s decent, there isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t see an exotic vertebrate,” he said. “Yesterday, I saw two species of parrots.”
For more information on non-native animals and their impact on Florida, visit http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/InvaderUpdater.shtml.
For information about selecting reptiles as pets, visit http://www.uga.edu/separc/BuyersGuide/index.htm.
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Contacts
Writer: Tom Nordlie, 352-273-3567, tnordlie@ufl.edu
Sources: Monica McGarrity, 813-757-2271, monicaem@ufl.edu
Dustin Smith, 305-251-0400, ext. 84957, dustsmi@miamidade.gov
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A captive monk parakeet is shown in this file photo taken at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Florida Field Station in Gainesville. Native to South America, the birds are popular pets and have become established in Florida, where they sometimes build huge nests atop electrical utilities equipment, causing power outages and fires. Experts with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have published a brochure to help pet owners understand their options if they can no longer care for exotic animals, and discourage release of non-native species. Photo by Tyler Jones/University of Florida/IFAS
UF food safety experts help give FDA personnel insight to Florida produce
March 21, 2011
Topic(s): Aquaculture, Citrus, Conservation, Crops, Cultivars, Economics, Environment, Invasive Species, Pests
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To help federal officials understand the produce industries they regulate, University of Florida food safety experts recently took part in a cross-state tour that provided a behind-the-scenes look at growers’ operations and food safety efforts.
Five faculty members gave presentations highlighting their work to enhance the safety and quality of fruit and vegetable crops. The March 8-10 tour brought a delegation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other agencies to 15 farms and packinghouses.
Organizers hope the tour leaves a lasting impression, one that may prompt attendees to see regulatory issues from a broader perspective, said Martha Roberts, special assistant to the dean for research with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
“It’s critical that the people regulating agricultural crops have the knowledge and experience of seeing how the crops are grown, harvested, packed, repacked, shipped and sold,” Roberts said.
Disease-carrying Asian citrus psyllids find refuge in abandoned groves, UF study shows
February 18, 2011
Topic(s): Agriculture, Citrus, Entomology and Nematology, Environment, IFAS, Invasive Species, Pests
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For years, citrus growers have feared that abandoned groves provided refuge for the Asian citrus psyllid, an invasive insect that transmits citrus greening—now, University of Florida researchers say they were right.
A study published in the current issue of the Journal of Economic Entomology shows that the psyllid not only survives in abandoned groves, it often travels to commercially active groves nearby, bringing along the bacterium responsible for the disease.
First detected in Florida in 2005, greening is incurable and fatal to citrus trees. It is considered the biggest threat to the state’s $9 billion citrus industry. Asian citrus psyllids pick up the greening bacterium by feeding on sap from infected trees and later transmit the pathogen while feeding on healthy trees.
The results underscore the need for landowners to remove or destroy unmanaged trees, something the state is urging, said entomologist Lukasz Stelinski, an assistant professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and one of the study’s authors.
“There was very much anecdotal evidence that these abandoned areas are harboring citrus psyllids,” Stelinski said. “It’s just one of those things that had to be confirmed.”
