From the Director, Dr. Wes Wood
Welcome to the new edition and format of the West Florida Research and Education Center’s (WFREC) quarterly newsletter. Our newsletter was discontinued during the covid crisis, but we are going full-steam now and intend to keep our stakeholders apprised of the great things going on at the WFREC. I hope you enjoy the content and new format of our quarterly newsletter.
Since our last pre-covid newsletter, too many changes have occurred at the WFREC to mention them all here. However, I’ll highlight some of the more important ones beginning with personnel. Two new faculty members have joined us over the past 14 months: Dr. Hardeep Singh is our new cropping systems specialist with responsibilities in research (60%) and extension (40%); Dr. Tori Donovan is our newest assistant professor – she specializes in forest management (fire ecology) and has teaching (60%) and research (40%) responsibilities. We are currently looking to fill two faculty positions in forest management (silviculture) and weed science. We hope to have those faculty in place over the next year. Regarding staff, going forward we will localize our accounting and HR functions instead of having those functions in Gainesville. Michelle Hardy and Sarah Hatfield will take over the accounting and HR roles, respectively. Lastly, we recently received the great news that Dr. Silvana Moraes (entomology) has been granted tenure and promotion to Associate Professor. This action is well-deserved, and I’m extremely proud of Silvana’s accomplishments. I look forward to great things from Dr. Moraes over the coming years.
Over the last couple of years, the WFREC has benefitted from several infrastructure improvements, but the biggest news of late pertains to our graduate students. The 2023 Florida legislature submitted a budget that included $2.1M for graduate student dormitories at our Jay Research Facility. Governor DeSantis approved the budget, so we’ll be getting much-needed housing for our graduate students. The planning and construction will take some time, and I expect the ribbon cutting will take place sometime in 2025.
I thank you for taking the time to read about our accomplishments, and I invite you to attend and participate in any of our upcoming events that are mentioned later in this newsletter. Until then, GO GATORS!
News and Events
We have been waiting for several years and it is finally going to happen. We will be getting new graduate student dormitories at the Jay Research Facility! Click Here to read more https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/santa-rosa/2023/06/15/santa-rosa-county-state-budget-funding-escapes-desantis-veto-pen/70327673007/?utm_source=newsjournal-newsalert-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsalert&utm_term=Hero&utm_content=ppen-pensacola-nletter01&fbclid=IwAR2rHsFXsfoRtmfnvW-cfKCLXr4Ioi-nGx-ygnP9QwL2TUo48aosPl8_RP8
Dr. Silvana V. Paula-Moraes, Associate Professor - Crop Pest Management
Congratulations Dr. Silvana Paula-Moraes on being awarded tenure and promotion to Associate Professor. Silvana has developed an outstanding research and teaching program at the WFREC. We are very proud of her accomplishments. Moreover, her infectious enthusiasm and collegiality make her a superb faculty member.
Dr. Wes Wood was selected to receive the Soil and Crop Science Honored Alumni Award for 2023 by Colorado State University. The Award was established through the generosity of Wayne and Joyce Keim to honor outstanding graduates from our Department. Recipients are selected based on the significant and diverse contributions that they have made to the field of Agronomy. He will travel to Fort Collins in late September to participate in the festivities centered around the Colorado State University Ag Day Celebration. Congratulations Dr. Wood!!
Lauren Thompson, Host, NBC Sports Next for Golf: best known from Golf Channel’s MORNING DRIVE and CHAMPION WITHIN interviews Dr. J. Bryan Unruh upon him receiving the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s 2023 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship. Photo credit: “Photo courtesy of GCSAA/Montana Phillips”
2023 Refereed Publications
Sierra Augustinus, A., McLoughlin, P. H., Arevalo Alvarenga, A. F., Unruh, J. B., and Schiavon, M. 2023. Evaluation of different aerification methods for ultradwarf hybrid bermudagrass putting greens. HortTechnology, 33(4), 333-341. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05213-23
Shaddox, T.W., J.B. Unruh, M. E. Johnson, C. D. Brown, and G. Stacey. 2023. Land-use and energy practices on U.S. golf courses. HortTechnology. 33(3):296-304. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05207-23
Shaddox, T.W., J.B. Unruh, M. E. Johnson, C. D. Brown, and G. Stacey. 2023. Survey of pest management practices on U.S. golf courses. HortTechnology. 33(2):152-156. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05117-22
Bekken, M.A.H., D. J. Soldat, P. L. Koch, C. S. Schimenti, F. S. Rossi, T. S. Aamlid, K. J. Hesselsøe, T. K. Petersen, C. M. Straw, J.B. Unruh, A. R. Kowalewski, C. Spring. 2023. Analyzing golf course pesticide risk across the US and Europe – the importance of regulatory environment. Science of the Total Environment. May 20;874:162498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162498
Shaddox, T.W., J.B. Unruh, M. E. Johnson, C. D. Brown, and G. Stacey. 2023. Nutrient use and management practices on U.S. golf courses. HortTechnology. 33(1):79-98. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTTECH05118-22
Deomurari, A., Sharma, A., Ghose, D., Singh, R. (2023). Projected Shifts in Bird Distribution in India under Climate Change. Diversity, 15(3), 404.
Pope, C.G, Cannon, J., Bigelow, S. W., Sharma, A. (2023). Effects of hurricane canopy gaps on longleaf pine and upland oak sapling growth. Forest Ecology and Management, 529, 120684.
Panda, D., Mohanty, S., Allen, M. L., Dheer, A., Sharma, A., Pandey, P., Lee, H., Singh, R. (2023). Competitive interactions with dominant carnivores affect carrion acquisition of striped hyena in a semi-arid landscape of Rajasthan, India. Mammal Research, 1-13.
Barbara Cory, Ashlynn Smith, Matthew J. Deitch, Deborah L. Miller, Heather Enloe & Todd Z. Osborne Ecosystems 2023 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-23-00853-1
Santos, I.B.G, Paula-Moraes, S.V., Beuzelin, J.M., Hahn, D.A., Perera, O.P. 2023. Factors affecting population dynamics of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in a mixed landscape with Bt cotton and peanut. Insects, 14:395. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14040395
Santos, A.A.P, Santos, I.B.G, Paula-Moraes, S.V. 2023. Flight phenology of Elasmopalpus lignosellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in the Northwest Florida Panhandle. Insects, 14:354. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14040354
Pezzini, D.T.g, Reisig, D.D., Buntin, G.D., Del Pozo-Valdivia, A.L., Gold, F., Paula-Moraes, S.V., Reay-Jones, F.P.F. 2023. Impact of seed blend and structured maize refuge on Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) potential phenological resistance development parameters in pupae and adults. Pest Management Science, https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.7529
Reisig, D., Butin, D.G., Green, J.K., Paula-Moraes, S.V., Roberts, P., Smith, R., Taylor, S. 2023. Magnitude and extent of Helicoverpa zea resistance levels to Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab2 across the southeastern USA. 2023. Insects, 14:262. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14030262
Bridgemohan, R.S., Deitch, M.J., & Bridgemohan, P., (2023). Environmental Risk Assessment for Fecal Contamination Sources in Urban and Peri- Urban Estuaries. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11478-1.
Cory B.M., Smith A.N., Deitch M.J., Enloe H.A., Miller D.L., & Osborne T., (2023). Differences in Vegetation Structure and Composition Influence Groundwater Chemistry in Herbaceous Wetland Ecosystems. Ecosystems, DOI: 10.1007/s10021-023-00853-1.
Croteau, A.C., Gancel, H.N., Gebremicael, T.G., Caffrey, J.M., & Deitch, M.J., (2023). Implications of changing trends in hydrodynamic and water quality parameters on estuarine habitats in the Gulf Coastal Plain., Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1167767
Gebremicael, T.G., Haile, G.G., Mulubrhan, K., Gebremedhin, T., Deitch, M.J., Kidane, W., & Reda, A., (2023). Effects of irrigation methods and scheduling on water and Onion productivity in semi-arid areas of Ethiopia. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 39(3): 291-301, DOI: 10.13031/aea.15256
Kumar, L., Naqvi, S.A., Deitch, M.J., Khalid, M.J., Naeem, K., Qayyum Amjad, A., Kumar, A., Gebremicael, T.G. & Arshad, M., (2023). Opportunities and constraints for cleaner production policy in the developing world: a case study of Sindh Region, Pakistan. Environment, Development and Sustainability,1-44. DOI: 10.1007/s10668-022-02889-0
Zhou, J., Deitch, M.J., Grunwald, S., & Screaton, E., (2023). Does the Mann-Kendall test and Theil-Sen Slope Estimator fail to inform the Statistical Significance and Magnitude of trends in hydrologic and water quality time series? Hydrological Sciences Journal, DOI: 10.1080/02626667.2023.2212166.
Victoria M Donovan, Dillon Fogarty, Dirac Twidwell. 2023. Spot-fire distance increases disproportionately for wildfires compared to prescribed fires as grasslands transition to Juniperus woodlands. PLOS One, 18/4: e0283816. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0283816
Singh, H., Northup, B.K. and Prasad, P.V., 2023. Water storage and use efficiencies of rainfed winter wheat-summer green manure systems of the US Southern Great Plains. European Journal of Agronomy, 146, p.126818.
Daramola, O.S., Iboyi, J.E., MacDonald, G.E., Kanissery, R.G., Singh, H., Tillman, B.L. and Devkota, P., Competing with the Competitors in an Endless Competition: A Systematic Review of Non-chemical Weed Management Research in Peanut (Arachis hypogea) in the US. Weed Science, pp.1-45.
Singh, H., Sharma L., Johnson, L., Carter, E., Devkota, P. 2023. Mitigating Nitrogen Losses in Row Crop Production Systems: SS-AGR-471/AG467, 1/2023
Singh, K., Singh, H., Johnson, L., Carter, E., Sharma L., Singh R. 2023. Plant Growth Regulators as a Management Tool in Cotton Production: SS-AGR-475/AG471, 5/2023
2023 Grant Funding
Dr. Hardeep Singh: *$158,917.00 FDACS Optimizing Nitrogen Management by Improved Fertilizer Placement and Utilizing Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers * $214,169.00 FDACS Impact of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Rate and Timing to Industrial Hemp Yeild Response and Nitrogen Cycling in Three Florida Agroecosystems *$277,847.00 FDACS On-farm Soil Health Assessment of Cover Crops in Florida
Dr. Bryan Unruh: $865,961 Sod Solutions Development of Improved St. Augustinegrass and Bahiagrass Cultivars
Dr. Victoria Donovan: *$49, 208.00 US Dept of Ag Natl Inst of Food and Ag Remote Sensing Vegetation Analytics (AWDD14042) *$300,000.00 US Dept of Ag Natl Inst of Food and Ag Rapid FEM4D: A Web-based Mapping Platform for Rapidly Assessing the Impacts and Near-term Recovery of Hurricane Ian on Forest Ecosystems in Florida *$650,000.00 US Dept of Ag Natl Inst of Food and Ag National-scale Early Detection and Ecosystem Service Impact Assessment Tool for Invasive Terrestrial Plants
Dr. Debbie Miller and Dr. Mack Thetford: $1,244,076.00 Restoring Dune Habitats in the Florida Panhandle
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