Jun 10, 2022

Florida’s state budget increases university ag research funds

When Florida’s state budget takes effect on July 1, it will include funding for University of Florida agricultural research.

The university’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will receive a $3.6 million increase to its base operating budget, according to a UF/IFAS public relations specialist.

The funding will pay for new and continuing projects, including:

• $8.8 million for research on nutrient application rates for citrus, corn, green beans, tomatoes and potatoes. More crops will be added in the future. The program will give farmers science-tested best rates for optimal productivity and sustainability.
• $2 million toward an ecosystem services project that will develop an artificial intelligence tool to identify, validate and quantify ecosystem services.
• $1.1 million to go to a geomatics program in the School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences. The money will bolster undergraduate tracks in geospatial analysis, surveying, mapping and more.

  

“We recognize the trust these investments signify in UF/IFAS teaching, research and Extension, which are themselves investments in Florida’s people and

our collective future,” Scott Angle, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and the leader of UF/IFAS, said in the release.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to give back in such an impactful way, through improving processes that help us grow food, preserve our natural resources and train the next generation of Florida’s land stewards.”