GAINESVILLE — University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers may have found a key to converting algae to fuel.

The scientists have found what researchers call a “transcription factor,” called ROC40.

Bala Rathinasabapathi, a UF/IFAS professor of horticultural sciences, likened a transcription factor’s role in controlling the expression of many genes inside the algae cells to a policeman controlling a large crowd.  

To draw lipids out of algae, scientists must starve the algae of nitrogen. Among the hundreds of proteins modulated by nitrogen starvation, the synthesis of ROC40 was the most induced when the cells made the most oil.

The high induction of that protein suggested to scientists that it could be playing an important biological role, said Elton Gonçalves, a former UF/IFAS doctoral student in the plant molecular and cellular biology program. In fact, the team’s research showed that ROC40 helps control lipid production when the algal cells were starved of nitrogen.

“Our discovery about the ROC40 protein suggests that it may be increasing the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of oil in microalgae,” Rathinasabapathi said.

“Such information is of great importance for the development of superior strains of algae for biofuel production,” Gonçalves said. “We conducted this research due to the great socioeconomic importance of developing renewable sources of fuels as alternatives for petroleum-based fuels for future generations. In order to advance the production of algal biofuels into a large-scale, competitive scenario, it is fundamental that the biological processes in these organisms are well understood.”

Rathinasabapathi said this information is valuable for the future for engineering algae so it overproduces oil without starving the algae of nitrogen.

Lipids from microalgae provide an excellent renewable source for biofuels. The algae grow quickly, tolerate extreme weather conditions and do not pose the same issues as biofuel crops that are grown both for fuel and food.

The rub was if algae are deprived of nitrogen, the cells become stressed and begin to produce lipids, but their growth rate slows. And if alga is going to become a commercially viable fuel source, scientists must ensure that not only can it produce as much oil as possible, but also that it can grow as fast as possible.

Rathinasabapathi and Gonçalves co-authored the study, which has been accepted for publication in The Plant Journal. Other collaborators were Sixue Chen, an associate professor of biology and faculty director of the UF proteomics and mass spectrometry, part of the Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research; Jodie Johnson, an assistant scientist at the mass spectrometry facility at UF and Takuya Matsuo, an assistant professor at Nagoya University in Japan.

Brad Buck is a science writer for the University of Florida IFAS Communications department.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: University of Florida scientists closer to algae-biofuel conversion

Add productive garden space and raise your planting bed with straw bale gardening. This technique allows gardeners to create raised bed gardens on a patio, lawn or any area with poor compacted soil. Straw bale gardening has been around for centuries, but thanks to Joel Karsten’s book “Straw Bale Gardens” it has gained new popularity.

All that is needed are a few straw bales, fertilizer, a bit of compost and time to condition, plant and water the garden.

Be sure to purchase straw bales made from alfalfa, wheat, oats, rye or other cereal grain that have less weed seeds than hay. Start a few weeks before the designated planting date.

Place the bales in their permanent location with the cut sides up and twine parallel to the ground. Once you start the condition process, the bales will be very heavy and hard to move. When the bales are in place you are ready to start the conditioning process. This is done to start the inside of the straw bales composting, so they’ll support plant growth.

On day one, spread fertilizer over the top of the bale.  Use a 1/2 cup of a complete garden fertilizer or three cups of an organic fertilizer like Milorganite (milorganite.com). Then completely moisten the bale. The organic fertilizers feed the microorganisms that help decompose the straw into a nutrient rich planting medium.

Thoroughly soak the bale everyday. On days three and five you will add more fertilizer at the same rate used on day one.

Days seven through nine use half the rate used on day one. This would be 1/4 cup of a complete garden fertilizer or 1 1/2 cups of an organic fertilizer. Thoroughly water the bale each time.

On day 10 you will add one cup of 10-10-10 or three cups of an organic fertilizer rich in phosphorous and potassium.  This completes the conditioning process.

Bales treated with a complete fertilizer should be ready to plant. You may need to wait a few more days when using an organic fertilizer.  The inside of the bale should be the temperature of warm bath water or cooler for planting. If it is hotter than this, wait for the bale to cool a bit before you plant.

Use a trowel to pry open a hole in the bale. Place the plant in the hole and cover the roots with potting mix or compost.

Create a planting bed for seeds by covering the bale with a one- to two-inch thick layer of planting mix. Follow the planting directions on the back of the seed packet.

Regular watering is critical for success with this method. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation make this an easier task. You can also use gallon milk jugs with holes in the bottom or inverted two-liter soda bottles placed near the base of each plant to provide water where it is needed.

Give your straw bale garden a nutrient boost about once a month or as needed throughout the growing season.

Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to growing a productive straw bale garden to enjoy throughout the season.

Gardening expert Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including "Small Space Gardening" and the "Midwest Gardener’s Handbook." She is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and spokesperson for Milorganite. Myers’ website is www.melindamyers.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Create a garden anywhere with straw bales

GAINESVILLE — The world’s fisheries are a great source of protein, but even with the best management they won’t be able to meet the needs of a global population expected to exceed nine billion by 2050, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences resource economics expert said.

Aquaculture must grow, said James Anderson, a UF/IFAS food and resource economics professor.

Aquaculture production is expected increase by more than 60 percent and account for nearly two-thirds of all seafood supplied for human consumption by 2030, said Anderson, who’s also director of the UF/IFAS Institute for Sustainable Food Systems.

Anderson made his remarks at the opening plenary of the Aquaculture 2016 Conference in Las Vegas, Feb. 23.

Despite global growth, surprisingly the United States has seen almost no growth in seafood consumption on a per capita basis, he said.  "In fact, domestic per capita consumption of seafood has declined by about 10 percent since the late 1980s, despite the federally recommended dietary guidelines to substantially increase seafood consumption," Anderson said.

 However, consumption of some species, notably shrimp, salmon, tilapia and pangasius catfish, have all grow rapidly. They are all mostly imported and farm-raised. 

Additionally, U.S. production of marine and coastal aquaculture has been stagnant for 30 years, he said. By comparison, Norway produced about the same volume of aquaculture as the U.S. in the early 1990s; now, it produces more than 500 percent more than the U.S. in its marine and coastal areas.

Anderson urged those in the aquaculture industry to continue to adopt best management practices and to do more to explain fish farming to the consumer.

"The aquaculture sector must communicate the value of its products to consumers and investors better," Anderson said.

For instance, aquaculture is highly efficient in feed conversion, water use and is relatively low in effluent and greenhouse gas emissions, he said.

"The sector has made great strides in developing sustainable practices to produce a highly nutritious food that tastes good and can be good for the environment," Anderson said. "The industry must do a better job to manage disease, improve feed formulations, control fraud, mislabeling and unsustainable practices. It must do more to work with the environmental community, traditional fisheries and to encourage regulatory reform."

Brad Buck is a science writer for the University of Florida IFAS Communications department.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Expert: Aquaculture, not fisheries, will meet needs of exploding population

One of the first food plants you’ll see at garden centers are strawberries, and there’s lots of good reasons to get them growing in your garden.

Kids are likely to enjoy the sweetness of strawberries even more if they're involved in the planting, growing, and harvesting.

Planting strawberries offers a healthy way for children to learn about natural sweetness, and kids love watching them grow, seeing the flowers and bees and then seeing the fruit develop and turn color. After developing a sense of ownership of their strawberry plants, they’ll love eating the fruits of their labor.

Getting kids in the garden will provide good, healthy exercise and an opportunity for them to nurture nature and see, first hand, just where food comes from!

Plus homegrown strawberries just plain taste better than store bought. Strawberries are cold-hardy and very adaptable, so they’re really easy to grow. You can grow them in containers, hanging baskets, raised beds or in-ground, making them accessible to everyone, no matter how much space you have –or don’t have. Growing “Ever-bearing” strawberries, like Bonnie Plants’ “Ever Sweet”, “Quinalt”, “Tristan” or “Loran” varieties will keep you well supplied throughout the entire season and into fall.

If you want to keep it really simple, or you just don’t have in-ground garden space, plant strawberries in a container, or you can buy them already planted in a hanging basket.

Just remember that container plantings need more water than in-ground plantings, usually once a day, and if it’s hot, twice a day. Planting in a “strawberry pot” is easy too and you can fit several plants in just one pot; just make sure whatever type of garden pot you use has good drainage.

There are two main types of strawberries, “June-bearing” and “Ever-bearing”. June bearing varieties, like Bonnie Plants’ “All-Star”, bear all at once, usually over a period of about 3 weeks, they’re high yield and produce very large, juicy, sweet berries in late mid-season. “Ever Bearing Strawberries like Bonnie Plants’ “Ever Sweet”, “Quinault”, “Tristan” and “Loran” will set fruit through late spring and then bloom and bear again in late summer and fall. When you grow your own Ever Bearing strawberries, you’ll get a good, steady crop of sweet, ripe strawberries all season long. Pick a strawberry variety that suits your geographic region for best results.

Tips: 

●When planting strawberries, be sure the crown is above soil level and the upper most roots are 1/4 inch beneath soil level. Buried crowns rot and exposed roots dry out.

●Plant approximately 14 to 18 inches apart in neat rows that are separated by 2-3 feet each.  Let runners fill in until plants are 7-10 inches apart.

●Use mulch to keep berries clean, conserve moisture and control weeds.

●Strawberries like well drained, fairly rich soil, so be sure to add compost or other organic matter when preparing the pot or patch.

●Strawberries need full sun, 6-8 hours per day, and frequent, deep soakings. You’ll need to feed them a plant food like Bonnie Plant Food that has nutrients that your strawberry plants will love. Just follow label directions.

●Control slugs and snails by handpicking them off plants and prevent theft from birds by covering your patch with netting as the first berries ripen.

●Pick strawberries in the morning, when the fruit is cool, and immediately put them in the refrigerator. Wait until just before you eat or cook them to rinse the berries thoroughly with cool water.

●Harvest when berries turn red. Avoid leaving ripe berries on the vine, as they’ll rot quickly.

Strawberries are one of the easiest and most delicious home garden fruits to grow. Try growing them with kids. Plants produce fruit throughout the summer and children will love to pick them right off the plant, wash and eat.

If your kids have yet to get growing in the garden, strawberries are a perfect first choice. Kick off this gardening season — with your kids — and get growing strawberries!

For more info on growing strawberries, vegetables and herbs visit www.bonnieplants.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: The sweet rewards of gardening start with strawberries