Agriculture provides food, clothing, and shelter, all of which are critical to society. However, agriculture is often cited as one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses. Improving grazing land management, increasing forage production and soil carbon stocks, and manure management may offer new opportunities for agriculture to play an important role in climate change mitigation. Scientists are currently working to better understand and...
Defoliating cotton creates the beautiful white snowy look of a cotton field. Cotton defoliation occurs when the mature plant sheds its leaves. Ethan Carter, the Regional Row Crop University of Florida IFAS Extension agent in Jackson County, FL published an article discussing two primary techniques used to gauge when it is time to defoliate the cotton field. To learn more visit the Panhandle UF Extension website
Biotechnology helps farmers grow more food using practices that are environmentally sustainable. Corn, cotton and soybeans grown in the US have been improved through biotechnology. To learn more about biotechnology in production agriculture visit the American Farm Bureau website. Biotechnology (fb.org)
Three years ago, timber farmers in Calhoun County, Florida, experienced devastating losses as Hurricane Michael, a category 5 storm, made landfall and destroyed 72 million tons of standing timber. The National Association of State Foresters, Hannah Wagner, met with timber farmers in the Panhandle to find out how the industry is doing. To learn more read Hannah’s article, A Storm Like No Other Came and Went. A Community of Timber Farmers...
Researchers at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, FL, are working to develop blackberry varieties that grow in Florida’s hot, humid climate. Blackberries do not grow and produce well without adequate chilling hours. To learn more, read the article written by the Editor of the VSCNews Magazine, Abbey Taylor, "Creating Blackberry Varieties for Florida...
Hurricane Ida has made it difficult for U.S. farmers as they face supply shortages and higher costs. Ida's destruction has hindered the production of some products and made it difficult logistically to move material across the US. To learn more visit, AgWeb and read the Reuters article, “U.S. Farmers Face Supply Shortages, Higher Costs After Hurricane...
A negative Coggins test is required to travel out of state and at most equine facilities, but do you know what the Coggins test is screens? A Coggins test is simple blood test that screens for EIA antibodies only present in an infected animal. To learn more about the Coggins test and tips on how to prevent exposure visit the Central Florida AgNews website and read the article written by Dr. Katie Hennessy, “What is a Coggins Test?”
Florida currently ranks 13th nationwide in cattle production and is predominately a cow-calf state. Production practices are based on what works for each producer and vary across the industry. Selection for end-product traits is necessary to meet the needs of consumers, but beef producers have to find a balance to make the cow-calf industry sustainable while satisfying various consumer preferences. The Beef Improvement Federation published the...
The USDA New Farmers website offers resources for youth to discover exciting science and technology job opportunities in agriculture. There are many different innovative ways to grow food and fiber, and modern farming is full of opportunities for agriculture and science to meet. Innovations at Work in Agriculture is a resource that shares research information, the history of science in agriculture, and how technology is used on farms today....
Rayonier land managers and technical analysts share how they use drones to gain a new perspective in forestry operations. The "Flying Foresters: Meet Rayonier's Drone Pilots" article features multiple drone pilots who are continuously preparing for what's next and working to stay on top of future technological advances. Visit the Rayonier article to learn more:
