The faculty, students, and staff of the Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences are sadden by the loss of Dr. Pedro Sanchez. He passed away peacefully Monday morning (Jan. 12) at his home. Pedro retired from SWES in early 2022 after serving as a Research Professor in Tropical Soils. His family is planning to hold a memorial service in the future, though no details are set.
Sincerely,
Dr. Susan Crow, chair
Dr. P. Chris Wilson, associate chair
We research and teach about soil, water, and environmental sciences in urban, agricultural, and natural ecosystems. As a University of Florida department within the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, we offer degree, certificate, and extension programs on campus and online. Since our origins, more than 100 years ago, we have made significant contributions to improving the productivity of Florida’s agriculture, helping protect the state's unique ecosystems, and contributing to soil and water science at national and international levels.
We offer fully online programs at the bachelor's, master's, and graduate certificate levels.
Dr. Pedro A. Sánchez, an internationally renowned soil scientist, visionary leader and tireless advocate for food security, passed away Monday morning, Jan. 12, 2026. He was 85. Born Oct. 7, 1940, in Cuba, Sánchez grew up on his family’s farm outside Havana. As a child, he often traveled throughout the country with his father, an agronomist. He gained early exposure to the soils and farmers on these trips that would later shape his
New Publication Involving Soil Resource Management Four Conservation Agricultural Practices to Manage Organic Soil Loss By Noel Manirakiza, Suraj Melkani, Xue Bai, Yang Lin, and Jehangir H. Bhadha. This factsheet highlights four common conservation agricultural practices that can be implemented to limit organic soil loss. Organic soils (Histosol) are the most
Selected UAV Options for Agricultural Imaging and Mapping Applications under Florida’s UAS Regulations Liyike Ji, Xu Wang, and Wael Elwakil. Florida governmental agencies must utilize drones only from approved manufacturers meeting the appropriate risk assessment requirements. This report provides a brief review of Florida’s UAS regulations and presents compliant drone equipment,
