Research shows shallow flooding helps control pests
A UF professor’s research found that flooding rice plots with shallow water reduces the number of weevils, which are pests that feed on the crops.
Ron Cherry, a 69-year-old UF entomology and nematology professor, said in previous studies, researchers suggested that flooding might help control the weevils.
However, the previous findings were unclear, so Cherry conducted his own research in 2014.
“They (weevils) are a major problem in rice in many parts of the world,” he said. “And most of the damage is caused by larval feeding (grubs) on the roots of rice plants.”
The research was conducted in South Florida, where rice is grown commercially in plots with controlled water levels, he said.
“It will make growers aware, both in Florida and elsewhere, that using reduced water levels in rice should help to control the pest insects,” Cherry said.
The Rice Growers of Florida, independent rice growers who had an interest in the results, supported the research, he said.
- Lauren Rowland
Study: Labels make a difference
UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences found that consumers prefer produce labeled “Fresh from Florida.”
Joy Rumble, a UF assistant professor of agricultural communication, said consumer discussions, focus groups and surveys began about five years ago.
Consumer recognition of the “Fresh from Florida” label has increased since research first began, Rumble said.
Further surveys asked if consumers preferred to buy produce labeled “local” or “Fresh from Florida,” and the majority favored the second option, she said. Florida consumers also tend to avoid fruits from other states or those without a label.
“If it doesn’t have a label on it, they’re not going to take the time to read the small print to find out where it was produced, unless they’re very conscious of that,” she said.
Study participants were over the age of 18 and are regular grocery shoppers, Rumble said. “Throughout the different processes, we’ve had a variety of different people, but it’s always been consumers who have an interest in purchasing food and make regular purchases for their homes,” Rumble said.
Many respondents believed the fruit would be fresher because it came from Florida, she said.
Rumble said more producers have used the label since research began.
- Annie Ostrander
Dopamine levels may be linked to Parkinson’s treatments, a study shows
A UF study could lead to potential treatments for Parkinson’s disease and drug addictions.
Habibeh Khoshbouei, an associate professor of neuroscience at UF’s College of Medicine, researched how dopamine transports in and out of brain cells.
They studied dopamine transporters, which are proteins that regulate dopamine levels. Dopamine is important for body movement and can affect happiness.
Low levels of dopamine limit movement and are seen in cases of Parkinson’s disease, she said. High levels are seen in cases of drug addiction.
“Dopamine is the ultimate good-feeling chemical in the brain,” Khoshbouei said.
Khoshbouei hopes to discover and understand how dopamine levels are regulated and, from there, work to aid individuals suffering from abnormal levels of the chemical.
“The first step before thinking about any therapeutic approaches is to understand how the system works,” she said. “When we find how the system works, then we can start thinking about designing therapeutic approaches to fix it.”
- Madeleine Haist
