http://news.ifas.ufl.edu Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - University of Florida Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:26:04 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Termite damage costs the U.S. more than $1 billion each year, but that same destructive power might help solve one of the nation's most pressing economic quandaries: sustainable fuel production. After years of genetic sequencing, University of Florida researchers are beginning to harness the insects' ability to churn ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/11/04/termites%e2%80%99-gut-reactions-show-how-to-improve-renewable-fuel-uf-researchers-say/ Click here for full image GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- A century and a half ago, the nation was in the midst of unparalleled change and turmoil. The Industrial Revolution had morphed American life at its most fundamental levels, and the Civil War had reduced the U.S. political system to tatters. With that setting, ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/10/28/putnam-to-discuss-the-21st-century-land-grant-mission-at-uf/ Click here for the full image GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Sugar Belle-a bold mandarin orange hybrid that ripens in time for the winter holiday market-will be the first University of Florida-created citrus variety intended for commercial production. The mandarin hybrid-a mix of the sweet Clementine and the colorful, bell-shaped Minneola-has a rich taste ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/10/27/uf-releases-first-citrus-cultivar-sugar-belle-packs-a-tasty-punch/ Caption at bottom of the page. Click here for full image. GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Dissecting owl pellets and reconstructing animal skeletons inside can be a gruesomely great educational experience for youngsters - so much so, that demand for owl pellets has spawned a cottage industry. In Florida, one of the main suppliers ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/10/26/uf-professor-flies-high-in-the-small-world-of-owl-pellet-gathering/ Caption at bottom of page. Click for full image. The oyster lover's axiom of edibility -- that this shellfish is safest to eat in any month with an "r" in it -- may soon become somewhat of a culinary anachronism, thanks to a new food-safety test developed with help from the ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/10/14/goodbye-%e2%80%9cr%e2%80%9d-rule-oyster-pathogen-test-may-help-make-shellfish-safer/ Caption at bottom. Click here for full image. The Caribbean spiny lobster is one of Florida's top commercial seafood species, with an annual $27 million harvest -- but a recently discovered virus is killing the crustaceans and threatening the industry. Now, scientists with the University of Florida and several other institutions have ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/10/07/nsf-awards-14-million-to-uf-other-institutions-to-study-disease-threatening-lobsters/ Caption at bottom. Click here for high resolution image GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- Good news for your utility bills and the environment: New University of Florida research shows that landscape shrubs need much less water to establish healthy roots than you might expect. "We finally have our irrigation recommendations for establishing shrubs backed ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/09/24/establishing-healthy-shrubs-not-the-water-consuming-task-many-think-uf-research-shows/ Cutline at bottom, click here for high resolution image GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- It's bad enough that the Southeast is bedeviled by a tick that doesn't mind taking up residence inside homes. But now researchers say they believe the brown dog tick has developed resistance to the treatments most commonly used to fight ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/09/23/house-infesting-brown-dog-tick-becoming-resistant-to-common-pesticides-uf-experts-say/ Cutline at bottom. Click here for high resolution image. GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- A toxin produced by freshwater algae has garnered plenty of media coverage in recent years, but a new University of Florida study shows there's little cause for concern about its presence in Florida lakes. Researchers analyzed water taken from 187 ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/09/22/statewide-study-shows-algae-toxin-a-minor-threat-say-uf-experts/ Caption at bottom. Click here for high resolution image Multimedia available: http://news.ufl.edu/2009/09/17/eden-multimedia/ GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- When scientists discuss Everglades restoration, one phrase pops up again and again -- "getting the water right." It refers to the importance of water depth -- making sure the proper areas are dry or marshy or submerged. For ... http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2009/09/17/new-water-depth-evaluation-system-will-aid-everglades-research-uf-study-shows/