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UF releases first citrus cultivar; Sugar Belle packs a tasty punch

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.

Filed under Agriculture, Business, Economic Impact, Florida, Research on Thursday, October 22, 2009.

Goodbye ‘R’ rule? Oyster pathogen test may help make shellfish safer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — 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 University of Florida.

Filed under Agriculture, Business, Economic Impact, Florida, Health, Research on Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

Establishing healthy shrubs not the water-consuming task many think, UF research shows

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.

Filed under Agriculture, Environment, Florida, Research on Thursday, September 24, 2009.

New UF-housed wildfire ‘strike team’ teaches safe burning techniques

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When it comes to fighting fires, it’s usually the guy with the hose that gets all the hero worship. But as ever-increasing temperatures and droughts bring a greater threat from wildfires, sometimes it’s the guy with a torch who can do the most good.

Filed under Agriculture, Environment, Florida, Research on Wednesday, August 12, 2009.

UF team finds ‘alligator tree’ bacteria might improve cellulosic ethanol production

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Most would identify the tree by its often troublesome, spiky “gumballs,” but what many call the sweetgum tree also goes by another name, thanks to its distinctive, reptilian bark: the alligator tree.
So it may be fitting that researchers from the University of Florida, home of the Gators, have found that bacteria growing [...]

Filed under Agriculture, Environment, Florida, Research on Monday, July 27, 2009.

UF researchers receive $643,000 federal grant to study wood-quality gene for fuel production

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A newly discovered gene may be the key to producing fuel ethanol more efficiently from trees, and the University of Florida researchers who identified it have received a prestigious federal grant to investigate further.
The gene, which helps regulate wood growth and the composition of wood fiber, could also lead to improved tree [...]

Filed under Agriculture, Business, Environment, Florida, Research on Thursday, July 23, 2009.

Native holly can provide caffeinated, antioxidant-rich beverage, UF experts say

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Coffee and tea drinkers, take note — a University of Florida study says a beverage made from a native holly tree might be just the thing to give you a caffeinated kick-start, plus a dose of antioxidants.

Filed under Agriculture, Business, Health, Research on Thursday, June 25, 2009.

Predatory mite could put the bite on invasive crop pest, UF researcher says

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Chilli thrips sound more like a snack food than an agricultural menace, but these tiny insects threaten many of the Sunshine State’s most important crops — fortunately, University of Florida research shows a predatory mite gobbles them up like popcorn.

Filed under Agriculture, Florida, Research on Tuesday, April 28, 2009.

UF study: Florida land values tumble in 2008; trend expected to continue through 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Keeping in step with the U.S. economy, Florida land values took a major tumble in 2008, with some areas losing more than half of their 2007 worth.

Filed under Agriculture, Business, Environment, Florida, Research on Thursday, April 9, 2009.

More Floridians ready to grow their own groceries, IFAS experts say

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — With the nation’s economy withering, University of Florida experts say many state residents are looking to put food on the table — by growing it.

Filed under Agriculture, Florida, Research on Tuesday, March 17, 2009.