Soil Sciences

Niguss Solomon Hailegnaw, Guodong Liu, andYuncong Li

Choosing the right fertilizer/amendment type (organic or inorganic/synthetic) can impact soil health, plant vigor, environmental sustainability, and overall farm profitability. This guide provides a comparison of organic fertilizers/amendments and inorganic/synthetic fertilizers/amendments, covering their differences, advantages, disadvantages, and impacts on soil to aid growers in making informed decisions. Written by Niguss Solomon Hailegnaw, Guodong Liu, and Y. C. Li, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agronomy, October 2025.

Lakesh Sharma, Lincoln Zotarelli, andChristian T. Christensen

Intended for Extension clients, this publication highlights the importance of sulfur in row and vegetable crop production systems in Florida, such as its use in pesticides and fertilizers. Additionally, the publication provides insights into the perspective of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on sulfur in naturally occurring aquatic systems. This publication's target audience is agricultural producers, Extension agents, crop consultants, representatives of the fertilizer industry, state and local agencies, students, instructors, researchers, and interested Florida citizens.

G. D. J. LaPierre, N. D. Medina-Irizarry, and M. G. Andreu

Soils often dictate the presence of different types of inherent natural communities. In this project we created a table that relates soil series to natural communities found in Florida. Correlation of soil series and natural communities was performed through the synthesis of land management plans, the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) documentation of exemplary sites, along with the UC Davis Soil Resource Laboratory Soil Web Survey mapping information system (SoilWeb). The GPS coordinates and conservation site names of the selected locations for said soil series are also recorded in this table. Use of this table can help private landowners, land managers, and researchers detect current and former natural communities on sites.

Xue Bai, Yuncong Li, Noel Manirakiza, Christine Coffin, and Jehangir H. Bhadha

This factsheet presents a comprehensive overview of Histosols, also known as organic soils, in South Florida, focusing on their distribution, formation, properties, and significance. Histosols cover significant areas in Florida, especially within the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), and are pivotal in supporting the region's sugarcane production. Their formation is influenced by organic parent materials, the tropical climate, vegetation types, topography, and time, which together shape their unique chemical, physical, and biological properties. Moreover, this publication reviews past developments and anticipates future changes in Histosol classification and management. By revealing the past, present, and future of Histosols in South Florida, this publication can help improve land management in the region and enhance the understanding of Histosols for audiences including agricultural producers, Extension agents, state and local agencies, decision-makers, researchers, and students.

Lakesh K. Sharma, Hardeep Singh, and Thomas A. Obreza

It is essential to maintain the desired pH of the soil in order to cultivate plants that are robust and prolific. This axiom is true regardless of whether one is growing crops or plants in an agricultural or urban setting. Because it has a direct impact on the availability of essential plant nutrients, soil pH, also noted as the “soil reaction,” is a crucial factor to consider. The internet is rife with misleading information describing the concept of soil acidity and alkalinity as well as how the soil reaction affects plant growth. If you want to change the pH of Florida soil, it is not advisable to use the information found on the internet, as different types of soil require different lime quantities, types, and application techniques. In contrast, some soils may require elemental sulfur application to lower the soil pH. In Florida, recommendations to change soil pH should come from a local expert.