Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences

Congratulations, Dr. Lakesh Sharma, on your promotion to associate professor!

With a focus on improving nutrient use efficiency, Dr. Sharma studies how nutrient recommendations, applied with current precision agriculture tools, improve crop yield and quality while also reducing fertilizer use. Through his Extension program, he educates agriculture stakeholders about best management practices for soil fertility, slow-release nitrogen fertilizers, and economic-based fertilizer recommendations, among other production considerations.

A man wearing a hoodie jacket, pants and mud boots stands in a field picking cut cotton and collecting it in a paper bag.

Flora and fauna within a pine forest habitat at Ordway-Swisher Biological Station in Hawthorne, Florida

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.

A stormwater pond in a residential area with houses in the background