UF/IFAS News: Compost standards, a visit from USDA NIFA leader and more

A message from UF/IFAS Communications | Reply For the week beginning January 22, 2024 Recent research, programs, events and more. We can help you cover and localize news to your area; just use the contact links below or reply to this email. UF/IFAS, Compost Industry, Policymakers Unite for Florida's Compost Standards. UF/ IFAS Compost Consortium calls on Florida's city, county and state decision-makers, sustainability officers, agriculture and horticulture producers, and funding organizations to help build robust compost standards and programs statewide. Contact > Free monthly Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ webinar  Mark your calendars for the 2024 Florida-Friendly Landscaping™: Urban Horticulture Lecture Series. This free virtual webinar will connect consumers with a new scientist or Extension agent each month, addressing a specific landscape and gardening topic. Contact > AI-powered app can detect poison ivy Poison ivy ranks among the most medically problematic plants. To find poison ivy before it finds you, University of Florida scientists published a new study in which they use artificial intelligence to confirm that an app can identify poison ivy.  Contact > USDA NIFA leader visits UF/IFAS to see innovative research in action U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Director Manjit Misra visited the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences on Jan. 17 to learn about the innovations and impacts UF/IFAS is having in agriculture.  Contact > RELATED VIDEO: NIFA Director Manjit Misra visits UF/IFAS  Contact > Nuevo contenido en español para esta semana. Tenemos una variedad de publicaciones de UF/IFAS que ahora se traducen al español para darle un mejor servicio a nuestras comunidades de habla hispana. A continuación encontrarás nuestras publicaciones e infográficos más recientes. La cosecha de fresas en Florida llena los mercados con frutas sabrosas. Estamos en el apogeo de la temporada de cosecha de fresas en Florida, un momento en el que los productores trabajan al máximo para que los consumidores puedan seleccionar las mejores fresas como una de sus frutas preferidas en el mercado. Contacto > IN ENGLISH: Peak strawberry season means more Florida-grown, flavorful fruit at the market. Contact > News from around IFAS Timely blogs from across the UF/IFAS network. For more information, contact us. Positive Outcomes for North Florida Watermelon Growers with Fertilizer Project A pilot project during the Spring 2023 growing season aimed to improve nitrogen use efficiency through new fertilizer technology. It also used the “4R’s” (Right source, Right rate, Right place, and Right time) as well as irrigation management. Contact > New Invasion Sparks Research: Giant salvinia in Jacksonville A previous post discussed preventative measures boaters can take to keep giant salvinia out of Florida’s waters. Since then, a new outbreak has been identified in Jacksonville, Florida covering an entire retention pond. Contact > RELATED ARTICLE: Aquatic Hitchhikers: How long does giant salvinia survive on my boat bunk?  Contact > Researchers Study Vegetation's Impact on Soil Nitrogen in Subtropical Wetland. Previous studies have investigated the role of litter type on soil organic nitrogen (SON) mineralization and the resulting chemical composition in aerobic soils. However, there are limited studies on the role of anaerobic conditions. Contact > RELATED ARTICLE: Influence of vegetation on soil organic nitrogen composition and mineralization in a subtropical wetland Contact > Best of the rest. Alternative story formats created or supported by UF/IFAS Communications. Our blogs share knowledge: Keep An Eye Out for Right Whales Pregnant North Atlantic Right Whale females migrate from their northern feeding grounds to waters off the coast of Georgia and Florida every year from November to April to give birth to their young.  Contact > Video stories: How To: Dispose of Unwanted Medications Dr. A.J. Reisinger with UF/IFAS Soil, Water, and Ecosystems Sciences talks about how to properly dispose of unwanted or expired medications so those medications have no harmful impact on the natural environment. Contact > RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO PROPERLY DISPOSE OF UNWANTED MEDICATIONS. Contact > Visual learning: INCOME TAX SEASON: Choose your Tax Return Preparer Wisely By law, anyone who is paid to prepare or assists in preparing federal tax returns must have a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). Download >  |  More infographics >  |  Contact > Visit the UF/IFAS Newsroom Find B-roll, photos and more for your coverage needs at ifas.ufl.edu/newsroom. UF/IFAS Communications News and Media Relations Team

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