Everglades Research and Education Center

Agronomy

Welcome New Members

person standing in front of building

Edward Garay joined the research team of the Sugarcane Agronomy Lab led by Dr. Hardev Sandu.

Sugarcane Agronomy Lab at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA annual meeting in San Antonio, TX

American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ASSCT) Florida division annual meeting’s technical session and the banquet

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Hardev Sandhu (left) was elected President of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists (ASSCT) Florida division.

Hima Varsha Madala (right) was awarded with the Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education Graduate Student (SARE) Grant. Hima's research focuses on a systems approach to enhance sugarcane's tillering and ratooning abilities. Read more about the SARE Grant

Hosted Prof. Alex P. Salgado from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (currently Visiting Scientist at USF) and discussed potential collaboration in sugarcane and bioenergy research

ISSCT Agriculture Commision Workshop

This conference involved 120 sugarcane technologists and stakeholders from 20 different countries attended ISSCT workshop in Thailand to exchange information on challenges and new technologies in sugarcane production systems around the world.

Mini field day on seedcane quality improvement for mechanical planting in sugarcane! Visited on-farm research trials of ⁦Simran’s⁩ Ph.D. project

On August 7, 2024, the Agronomy Lab hosted a field visit to showcase ongoing research led by Simranjot Kaur, a Ph.D. student specializing in agronomy. The demonstration highlighted her trials on improving seedcane quality through the use of growth regulators. This research aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of mechanical sugarcane planting in Florida. The event was attended by numerous growers from Florida’s sugarcane industry, fostering valuable discussions and insights into the study’s potential impact.

Lab Members

Front Row (l-r): Jairo Sanchez, Amandeep Sharma, Dr. Ricardo Lesmes

Back Row (l-r): Hima Varsha Madala, Abraham Ramirez, Edward Garay, Enilton Batista Teixeira, Lucas Vitor Da Silva Quirino, Simran Kaur

2024 Sugar Cane Breeding Program Interns

Enilton Batista Teixeira (left) and Lucas Vitor Da Silva Quirino (right) are two interns that completed an internship in the Agronomy Department. The duration was August 1, - December 13, 2024.