FL Watermelon Association talks last week: weed scientist Dr. Ramdas Kanissery ("Herbicide Safety in Watermelon: Finding the Right Balance") and water resources engineer Dr. Sanjay Shukla ("Modifying Watermelon Bed Geometry for Increased Efficiency and Profitability")!

SWFREC hosted the Collier County Farm Bureau Annual Dinner and Meeting last night! Director Dr. Mike Burton welcomed the group and gave a brief overview about the center's ag research.

SWFREC staff and students are participating in a Worker Protection Standard Training for Ag Workers that's being led by facilities mechanic Roger McGill, a certified pesticide applicator.

Congratulations to Dr. Nina Charissa Infantado, who successfully defended her Ph.D! Her seminar: "Multi-omics and Biogeochemical Characterization of Microbial Soil Organic Carbon Degradation in Subtropical Peat Soils." Advisors include soil microbiologist Dr. Sarah Strauss.

Staff members from RCMA (Redlands Christian Migrant Association) in Immokalee enjoyed a trolley tour of the SWFREC farm this morning! Thanks to guide Tad Trimarco (postdoctoral associate) and tractor driver Roger McGill (facilities)!

SWFREC citrus horticulturist Dr. Fernando Alferez is presenting this month’s UF/IFAS Citrus Seminar via Zoom: “Combining IPCs and Brassinosteroids to Prolong Young Citrus Tree Health!”

Meet student Nithin Batthula! Check out his video here: https://t.co/1yHzxLBzAG

Students enrolled in an environmental science course at Ave Maria University have been visiting SWFREC recently! On the agenda: narrated trolley tours of our citrus grove and vegetable fields, followed by an overview of research being conducted in our Soils AI Lab.

Congratulations to Dr. Kelvin Amon, who earned his Ph.D. in the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department! He’s pictured with his committee co-chairs, SWFREC ag and natural resource economist Dr. Tara Wade and Florida Ag Market Research Center director Dr. Zhifeng Gao.

To check out the latest SWFREC News, click here and scroll to the SWFREC in Action section! https://t.co/8kJUo3Xe3I

We celebrated our post-docs last week! Our newest doctors, from left: Deived Uilian de Carvalho, Caroline de Favari Tardivo, Isabela Figueiredo de Oliveira, Sasha-Kay Clarke, Tad Trimarco, Justin Schabow. Unavailable: Emma Dawson and Lonege Ogisma. You make us proud, Docs!

SWFREC food science/safety specialist Dr. Stephanie Brown is presenting “Pre-harvest Assessments/Wildlife and Domesticated Animals” at the FL Tomato Conference food safety section!

SWFREC pathologist Dr. Ozgur Batuman is presenting “Tomato-infecting Viruses in Florida Fields” at the FL Tomato Conference!

SWFREC water resources engineer Dr. Sanjay Shukla is co-presenting “Advancing Tomato Phosphorus Recommendations: Evidence, Site-specific Insights, Lessons Learned, and the Road Ahead” at the FL Tomato Conference!

SWFREC PhD student Faith Aiya is presenting “Perceptions of the ‘Fresh from Florida’ Program: Findings from Conversations with Florida, New York, and Canadian Consumers” at the FL Tomato Conference. She studies under ag economist Dr. Kim Morgan.

Kickoff of the UF/IFAS 2025 Florida Tomato Conference in Clewiston!

SWFREC graduate students had a lunch meeting with faculty chair Dr. Sanjay Shukla and celebrated recent graduates (from left) master’s in citrus horticulture Murillo Otavio De Sousa, Ph.D. in plant physiology Dr. Carol Tardivo, and Ph.D. in soil microbiology Dr. Emma Dawson!!!

Emma Dawson successfully defended her Ph.D. yesterday! She presented “Soil Microbiome Dynamics in Response to Modified Cultural Practices and Chemical Inputs within Citrus Agroecosystems." Committee chair: soil microbiologist Dr. Sarah Strauss. Congrats, Dr. Dawson!!!

US Secretary of Ag Brooke Rollins announced a pledge of disaster assistance to FL growers at a citrus grove in Felda this morning. https://t.co/t3iNg4iuBq

In observance of Independence Day . . . Happy birthday, America!! 🇺🇸 🚜 ☮️