IFAS News
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences – University of Florida
UF studies show promise for biological control methods against insect
February 2, 2012
Topic(s): Biocontrols, Green Living, Invasive Species, Pests
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For years, scientists have tried to use environmentally friendly fungi to control fire ant infestations.
But the ants’ social behaviors — such as hauling their dead off to what entomologists call “bone yards” in isolated spots away from the nests — have prevented commercial development of this method. The fungus can’t spread if infected ants are continually separated from healthy ones.
A new University of Florida study shows, however, that there may be a way to make insect-killing fungi a more potent weapon against fire ants and other pests. Scientists with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences modified the fungus so that it produces a peptide that helps regulate the fire ants’ nervous system. (more…)
Citrus greening costs $3.63 billion in lost revenues and 6,611 jobs, new UF study shows
January 24, 2012
Topic(s): Agriculture, Citrus, Economics, Environment, Invasive Species, Pests
Since 2006, the bacterial disease citrus greening has cost Florida’s economy an estimated $3.63 billion in lost revenues and 6,611 jobs by reducing orange juice production, according to a new study from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
The study is the first complete assessment of greening’s economic impact on Florida, said Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. He called the study an important step in the fight against greening, because it quantifies damages and could show legislators and funding agencies why the invasive disease is one of the state’s biggest challenges.
“This study shows plainly just how imperative it is that we find a cure for citrus greening,” Payne said. “We have dedicated a huge amount of IFAS resources toward that end, and we are very appreciative of the significant support our research is receiving from the citrus industry. Growers are the people most obviously impacted, but the study demonstrates that many other Floridians are hurt as well—when fewer oranges are harvested, there are fewer dollars circulating in our state’s economy.”
First detected in Florida in 2005, greening causes citrus trees to drop fruit prematurely and eventually kills the trees. The disease is caused by a bacterium, and was first described in 1919 in China. The bacterium is transmitted by an invasive insect, the Asian citrus psyllid.
The study compares actual harvests of oranges used to make juice with projected harvests that would have taken place if greening had never struck Florida groves; it covers the growing seasons from 2006-2007 through 2010-2011. During those five years, the disease caused substantial crop losses, said citrus economist Tom Spreen, a professor with the UF/IFAS food and resource economics department.
Statistical models inspired from Facebook could help endangered animals, UF researchers say
November 15, 2011
Topic(s): Conservation, Environment, IFAS, Invasive Species, New Technology, Research
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Some endangered animals may live in smaller habitats than scientists realize, leading to inflated estimates of their ability to survive, according to a new University of Florida study.
However, by predicting the animals’ habitat movement using models employed to analyze human interactions on social networks such as Facebook, scientists with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences find the animals’ predicament could be better understood.
Conservationists can use this improved approach to better prioritize habitat restoration efforts for endangered species, said author Robert Fletcher, a UF wildlife ecology and conservation assistant professor.
UF Ordway Swisher finalized as site in large scale ecology project
August 2, 2011
Topic(s): Announcements, Conservation, Environment, IFAS, Invasive Species, Research
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida has officially partnered with a National Science Foundation-funded program to allow measurements and data collection related to the Earth’s ecological health to occur on UF’s 9,100-acre Ordway-Swisher Biological Station property in Putnam County.
The project, known as the National Ecological Observatory Network, or NEON, is a 30-year, continental-scale program to track ecological responses to environmental shifts such as climate change, land-use modifications and invasive species introductions.
The project includes 20 core sites that represent different areas of North America. The Ordway-Swisher site near Melrose will serves as the core site for NEON’s Southeastern domain, which stretches from North Carolina to Texas.
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.
Efforts to control invasive lionfish not likely to curb population, UF researchers say
June 22, 2011
Topic(s): Invasive Species
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Lionfish are causing problems for native fish populations in Florida’s coastal waters, such as grouper and snapper, prompting efforts to try and curb populations of the invasive species.
But a new University of Florida study suggests that eradicating lionfish isn’t likely to happen without a better understanding of the species and better control strategies.
The study, published in the online journal PLoS ONE last month, showed that lionfish reproduce too quickly to be wiped out by short-term harvesting, said Andrew Barbour, a UF fisheries and aquatic sciences graduate student and the study’s lead author.
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.
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
