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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 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.
                
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IN THE NEWS  

Study: Biosolids Produce Less Nitrogen and Phosphorus Runoff than Inorganic Fertilizer

By Mike Loizzo GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- New research from University of Florida scientists found that some nutrients from inorganic fertilizers enter surface water more easily than those from biosolids. Maria Silveira, a professor in the UF/IFAS department of soil and water sciences, led the study that collected runoff from a common pasture grass to determine its nitrogen and phosphorus content. Two types of fertilizers were applied to the grass

UF Student Wins Scholarship to Find Solutions to Seagrass Loss

Right now, in a University of Florida marine science lab in Cedar Key, Florida, about 40 sea urchins are chowing down on their food of choice — seagrass. Jamila Roth, an interdisciplinary ecology student in the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, is watching them closely. Roth wants to know how the urchins’ eating behavior varies depending on which species of seagrass they are given. Seagrass is at the base of the food chain

Beneath the Earth, the ‘Black Box’ of Soil Holds a Key to Crop Growth

IMMOKALEE, Fla. -- Like much of what lies just beneath the earth’s surface, soil microbes present a mystery. University of Florida scientist Sarah Strauss seeks to help untangle the web of intrigue surrounding soil microbes to improve agricultural production in Florida and globally. “There are microbial activities going on that we don’t exactly understand. It’s known as the ‘black box’ in soil,” said Strauss, an assistant

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