AN ECOSYSTEM CONTEXT FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE CROPPING SYSTEMS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1014605
• Project Start Date: Nov 1, 2017
• Project End Date: Oct 31, 2022
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611

Performing Department
Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead

Non Technical Summary
The value of agriculture to human well-being can be expressed in many ways. Most obviously, agriculture provides food to eat and products for fuel, fiber, and medicine. Agriculture also provides a livelihood for farmers and supports jobs for many others. Less understood is the value that agriculture may have from an environmental perspective. Land managed for agriculture may provide habitat for native species, combat the spread of invasive species, and improve environmental quality through the building of soil organic matter and the filtration and storage of water. Each of these qualities of sustainable agriculture contribute to human well-being and are cohesively evaluated as ecosystem services. Ecosystem services provided by agriculture should be included in the overall value of agriculture. Improved ecosystem services in natural areas are linked to the ecological concepts of biodiversity and ecosystem function. A goal of sustainable agriculture should then be to improve ecosystem services through management for biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, effective management for biodiversity and ecosystem function while maintaining crop production and stability is not well understood for many cropping systems. This research program seeks to assess the impact of biodiversity and ecosystem function on a diversity of cropping systems and develop new management practices and cropping systems that promote sustainability in agriculture.

Animal Health Component

50%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

40%

Applied

50%

Developmental

10%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
205	2410	1070	100%

Knowledge Area
205 - Plant Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;

Keywords

agroecology

sustainable agriculture

biodiversity

ecosystem function

ecosystem services

cropping systems

Goals / Objectives
My long-term goal is to test and disseminate the fundamental principles and assumptions of agroecology relevant to production agriculture. Many of agroecology's principles and assumptions are drawn from natural ecosystems or subsistence agriculture and require further investigation for adoption in production agriculture. Some agroecological practices will be directly relevant and easily adopted through incremental shifts to current best management practices, while others will require transformative changes. My research program will evaluate ecosystem-level processes relevant to agriculture to assess established and novel agroecology practices with attention to critical assessment of fundamental principles and assumptions of agroecology. These goals will be addressed through an integrated research approach that includes field-based observations, remote sensing technologies, and manipulated greenhouse and field experiments. The focus of my research program aims to address the following objectives:Determine the drivers of and responses to the interaction between agriculture and natural systems and their management.Identify biodiversity in cropping systems that contributes to improved management practices and agricultural sustainability.Develop new management practices and novel cropping systems that promote and maintain ecosystem function in agricultural systems.

Project Methods
Objective 1. Determine the drivers of and responses to the interaction between agriculture and natural systems and their management. Agriculture and natural systems interact in diversified landscapes. Land management should reflect the regional interaction of these adjacent land uses to optimize agricultural output and the health of natural systems. This objective seeks to integrate research and practical improvements to ecosystem function and health in agricultural and natural ecosystems. Computational tools and educational resources will be developed for systems-level research in agriculture and the evaluation of ecosystem health. A quantitative baseline of ecosystem function and heath will be established for agricultural and natural ecosystems to evaluate and monitor trade-offs in systematic drivers, responses, and interactions. This objective will be addressed with particular attention to the impact of the surrounding environment on plant growth in cropping systems. Specific activities for this objective include, databasing large-scale information regarding land use and environmental impacts related to agricultural regions, developing analytical software to evaluate key drivers and responses from the interaction of agriculture and natural systems, and controlled-environment (e.g., greenhouse, growth chamber) and field-based experiments to evaluate the interaction of agricultural and natural systems.Objective 2. Identify biodiversity in cropping systems that contributes to improved management practices and agricultural sustainability. Biodiversity in cropping systems is a fundamental principle for agroecology. However, agroecological management systems that incorporate biodiversity vary in success and may reduce production of the primary crop or impose additional challenges to management. This objective seeks to critically evaluate the role of plant diversity in agroecosystems, including beneficial interactions among crop rotations and intercropping systems and negative interactions among crops and weeds. In addition, the role of land use and associated diversity in surrounding environments will be evaluated for their effect on cropping systems and agroecosystem health, including broader ecosystem level features such as pollinator health and pollination services. Specific activities for this objective include, controlled environment and field-based experiments to evaluate the impact of biodiversity on ecosystem function and crop production, and large-scale mapping and monitoring of biodiversity in diverse cropping systems using remote sensing and GIS technologies to understand regional patterns in biodiversity and related agricultural and land use impacts.Objective 3. Develop new management practices and novel cropping systems that promote and maintain ecosystem function in agricultural systems. This project strives to maintain direct relevance and application for farmers. Aided by insights and knowledge gained from objectives 1 & 2, this objective seeks to establish adaptive management practices for biodiverse cropping systems that acknowledges the interaction with surrounding areas. In particular, these cropping systems will facilitate cooperative interactions among plants to improve crop production and ecosystem function. In a broader context, this objective aims to promote regional cooperation for land management that improves the quality of surrounding environments and overall agroecosystem health. Specific activities for this objective include a literature search for primary research articles and extension documents to database existing agroecological management practices, field-based trials to assess modifications to existing management practices, and cropping system studies to develop and evaluate plant varieties and management systems that promote the goals of agroecology.

Progress 10/01/20 to 09/30/21

Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting year, development of research efforts around plant diversity was emphasized to land managers and public audiences, including outreach to south Florida high schoolers. The agroecology framework was employed by the Citizen Awareness of Food Systems and the Environment priority work group at UF/IFAS. Changes/Problems:The COVID-19 pandemic disruptions remain apparent in the work as the cover crop trial was not able to be complete. However, the activities resumed post-pandemic are on an independent track with continued progress and several completed graduate students are working to publish the available research. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?I enrolled an MS student with a focus on agroecology and practical applications. I aim to launch a new Extension program around the concepts of mapping and planning agroecosystem management with a target audience of commercial farmers and Master Gardeners, offering me opportunities to engage deeper with intended audiences. Educational materials will be graphically interactive and engaging, perhaps contained in an on-line platform. Participation in the Extension program would then provide citizen science opportunities for research. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Two peer-reviewed publications with graduate student primary authors appeared in Agricultural Water Management with tools to conserve water in marginally irrigated systems. Several presentations, including "Brining Nature Back: Agroecology of Place, Plants, and People" articulated my core approach to agroecology to professional and community audiences. The students at the local public school express their surprise with the real world results of growing plants. Clearing weeds and invasive species and replacing with food crops and flowers in a visually and culturally apparent result that we can directly share with the students. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The experimental results from the plant diversity sampling and cover crop growth and competition components of the work have been prepared in manuscript and will be submitted for publication in academic journals. Research results will also be presented at professional conferences. I will continue to focus on student training and infrastructure development for the long-term goals of my agroecology program by developing an interactive Extension program to establish a core community of cooperators with the plan of training them to be citizen scientists. I have scheduled events for the agroecology Extension program and prepare formal documents and fact sheets on plant diversity and ecology in agricultural systems, including Plan Your Agroecosystem and the research station plant tour. A document on locally common weeds is in press.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. Plant diversity surveys in agriculture areas from previous years were complemented by a survey of globally endemic and imperiled pine rockland natural areas across the county with boarders around agriculture. Each of 11 rockland fragments were surveyed in core, edge, and lawn sites in orientation towards surrounding agriculture areas focusing on the impact of land use and fragmentation on ecosystem services in an agricultural landscape. I enrolled an MS student with a focus on agroecology and practical applications. The program will focus on plant diversity in agroecosystems, emphasizing the design of agroecosystems with high biodiversity and minimal management. Specifically, we are exploring native groundcover options that may help conservation efforts and reduce mowing requirements. The student was instrumental in completing the pine rockland surveys. 2. The plant diversity inventory initiated in 2018 was continued to expand the list for the Tropical Research and Education Center to exceed 750 plant species. A selection of specimens were submitted to the Florida Herbarium for confirmation and archiving. Signs were posted at the research station on plants of interest with a plant tour established to introduce visitors to the plant diversity collection at the station. A partnership was established with a Miami-Dade County public school to develop a garden program and on-site food forest. A dozen 400 sqft mounds had been established previously and were found completely overgrown with invasive species. Several mounds have been cleared with an effort to keep the few remaining native and crop plants aided by 45 half-day volunteers. Banana, pineapple, Everglades tomato, sweet potato, luffa, milkweed, mimosa, and others have been planted in and around the clear mounds. 3. The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project completed the 2-yr research period defined by Florida law and developed a report submitted to the governor and legislature of Florida representing a transition from Pilot Project to Program. UF/IFAS Hemp Program efforts in 2021 emphasized extension to establish educational materials and engagement for hemp growers and stakeholders in Florida and beyond. A virtual workshop was prepared with materials covering research and educational outcomes from 2020 launched Jan 2021. 162 participants interacted with the course by contributing to quizzes, surveys, and discussion boards with 18,426 total page views as determined by server requests to the course pages. The course was completed for all quizzes, surveys, and discussions for 15 participants. Farmer cooperators in the UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project on-farm trials participated in a series of focus groups to discuss their experience and perception of the program. Many participants identified program leaders and their Extension agent partners as instrumental to their success and positive experience.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mompremier R, Her Y, Hoogenboom G, Migliaccio K, Mu�oz-Carpena R, Brym Z, Colbert RW, Jeune W. 2021. Modeling the response of dry bean yield to irrigation water availability controlled by watershed hydrology, Agricultural Water Management, 243, 106429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106429
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Gloaguen RM, Rowland DL, Brym ZT, Wilson CH, Chun HC, Langham R. 2021. A method for developing irrigation decision support systems de novo: Example of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) a known drought tolerant species. Agricultural Water Management. 243: 106435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2020.106435

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting year, development of educational materials in digital formats was emphasized to reach south Florida farmers and Florida Master Gardeners. The agroecology framework was also introduced to county extension agents in the Citizen Awareness of Food Systems and the Environment priority work group at UF/IFAS. Professional colleagues at the Florida State Horticultural Society were engaged around research outcomes. Changes/Problems:The COVID-19 pandemic halted research across UF/IFAS at a key period of the year disrupting the second summer planting of the cover crop experiment. Instead of the crop production study, we were able to complete two cover crop litter decomposition experiments later in the year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has completed training for an MS student in agroecology and multiple collaborative interactions with colleagues at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center and ECHO Global Research Farm. The project builds a research and extension framework for agroecology in which many complementary programs can participate. The extension program has been incorporated into the UF/IFAS Priority Work Group Citizen Awareness of Food Systems and the Environment. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The presentation titled "Plant diversity across agroecosystems representing different disturbance regimes in south Florida" was presented to professional colleagues at the Florida State Horticultural Society. Multiple introduction to agroecology electronic resources were prepared and published on-line for use by the UF Agroecology program and the Florida Master Gardeners. A peer-reviewed manuscript on greenhouse gas emissions of agroecosystems was published as a result of the cover-crop agroecosystems experiment for distribution to professional colleagues. Also, an extension publication was prepared on a commonly used cover crop, sunn hemp, to be distributed electronically to stakeholders. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The experimental results from the plant diversity sampling and cover crop growth and competition components of the work will be submitted for publication in academic journals. A new study investigating the distribution of plant diversity across agriculture and natural areas will begin March 2021 focusing on the impact of land use and fragmentation on ecosystem services in an agricultural landscape. I will also continue to focus on student training and infrastructure development for the long-term goals of my agroecology program by developing a recruitment pathway for students with existing background training in agroecology. The results of the research will be presented at least two professional conferences. I will coordinate additional events for the agroecology extension program and prepare formal extension documents and fact sheets on plant diversity and ecology in agricultural systems.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. I completed two experiments on cover crop decay led by two graduate students. I graduated an MS student who completed a thesis titled "Cover crop production, competition, and decomposition in diverse mixtures in Southwest Florida sandy soils" and a non-thesis MS with a project titled "Residue decomposition dynamics, mixed ratios of two warm season cover crops". Two of my student co-authored an extension publication with me and other colleagues that reported best practices for one of the cover crops in our research, sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea). 2. The plant diversity inventory initiated in 2018 was continued to expand the list for the Tropical Research and Education Center to exceed 700 plant species. In addition, a targeted plant sampling effort compared pair-wise lawn and agricultural plots for representing the diversity of agroecosystems at TREC. Preliminary results of the project were reported at the annual meeting for the Florida State Horticultural Society. 3. In response to the expedited arrival of hemp commercialization in Florida, the UF/IFAS Hemp Program established a core Extension team of 14 specially-trained agents and researchers distributed evenly across district and specialty. The leadership and evaluation group developed a logic model to define program objectives and outcomes. A coordinated on-farm trial was established with 18 partner farms receiving both research and commercial permits. These farms were tasked with a two-acre coordinated trial with two varieties and land preparation treatments. They were also allowed an additional three acres for an independently defined trial. Two trials were conducted to investigate hemp invasion risk based on the simulated distribution and establishment of feral hemp seeds.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fall T, Heiden K, Smyth A, Brym Z. 2020. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Subtropical Agriculture Fields Decrease Over Time. Experimental Results, 18. https://doi.org/10.1017/exp.2020.48.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Fall T, Freidenreich A, Swartz S, Vincent C, Li Y, Brym Z. 2020. Questions and Answers for Using Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) as a Green Manure Cover Crop. Electronic Data Information Source, AG443.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Her YG, Brym Z, Smyth A, Bassil E. 2020. How Is Our Future Climate Projected? Electronic Data Information Source, AE545.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Her YG, Smyth A, Brym Z, Bassil E. 2020. How Are Our Future Agriculture and Natural Resources Projected under Varying Climate? Electronic Data Information Source, AE546.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Martin C, Calzadilla D, Brym Z. 2020. Plant diversity across agroecosystems representing different disturbance regimes in south Florida. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society, 139.

Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:During the reporting year, South Florida farmers in vegetable and tropical fruit production and Florida Master Gardeners were targeted with information regarding the general framework of agroecology and the relevance of the discipline for their work. The agroecology framework was also introduced to county extension agents in the northwest district of UF/IFAS Extension and participants in the new Agroecology and Natural Resources Section for the Florida State Horticultural Society. Professional colleagues at the American Society for Horticultural Science and the Crop Science Society of America were also engaged. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided training for a PhD student and MS student in agroecology and multiple collaborative interactions with colleagues at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center and ECHO Global Research Farm. The project builds a research and extension framework for agroecology in which many complementary programs can participate. The extension program engaged with county extension agents to form a working group to establish opportunities across Florida to develop program events and materials. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The presentation titled "Cover Crop Growth and Competition in Representative Agroecosystems of South Florida" was presented to professional colleagues at the American Society for Horticulture Science Annual Meeting and the Crop Science Society of America Annual Meeting. Two presentations were prepared for the Agroecology and Natural Resources Section of the Florida State Horticultural Society and submitted to the conference proceedings in the form of a 'scientific note' including content on the cover crop growth and competition and the multivariate analysis of the plant diversity sampling at TREC and ECHO. Training-like presentations were also prepared for the new Agroecology and Natural Resources Section of the Florida State Horticultural Society to introduce the society to the framework of agroecology and the agroecosystems concept. A summary of the training outcomes were also prepared as a 'scientific note' for the conference proceedings. The agroecosystems concept was also presented to the Florida Master Gardeners Conference. Hemp workshops were held for stakeholders and county extension agents across the state with over 1800 participants through the year. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I will continue the cover crop agroecosystems experiment for Winter 2019 and Spring 2020 to have two full years of consistent experimental replication. The experimental results from the plant diversity sampling and cover crop growth and competition components of the work will be submitted for publication in academic journals. I will also continue to focus on student training and infrastructure development for the long-term goals of my agroecology program, including proposal submission for competitive grants. The results of the research will be presented at least two professional conferences. I will coordinate additional tours and field visits for the agroecology extension program and prepare formal extension documents and fact sheets on plant diversity and ecology in agricultural systems.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. The agroecosystem experiment initiated in 2018 was continued for a second year with the goal to evaluate the impacts of environmental variation on crop growth and competition of cover crops planted in four different agroecosystems at the Tropical Research and Education Center. Soil carbon, weather, and plant diversity were monitored in association with crop growth and biomass at each of the agroecosystems. A biological scientist was hired to coordinate the experiment and conduct the analysis. A Masters Student joined the lab to expand the experiment to a satellite location at ECHO Global Farm, North Fort Myers. 2. The results of the plant diversity sampling conducted at each agroecosystem were presented at the Florida State Horticultural Society and prepared for submission to an academic journal. The part-time botanist was transitioned to a full time position to continue the work on plant diversity. The plant diversity inventory was published as a UF/IFAS Extension document. Preliminary results of the cover crop growth and competition were presented at the annual meetings of the American Society of Horticultural Science and the Crop Science Society of America. Modules from the extension program titled 'What is Agroecology' presented to county Extension agents in the northeast district of Florida and the Master Gardeners Conference. 3. The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project obtained 14 site permits in 2019. Cultivation was initiated at 5 outdoor locations and 3 indoor locations. The TREC site was planted May 1 2019 representing the first legal planting of hemp outdoors in Florida in 65 years. The integrated research and Extension program is positioned to broadly assess and support the development of a new farming industry in Florida with evidence-based information. Many challenges were identified during the first planting season at UF, including available genetics, pest and diseases, and invasion risk.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Brym Z. 2019. Cover Crop Growth and Competition in Representative Agroecosystems of South Florida. American Society for Horticulture Science Annual Meeting.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Brym Z. 2019. Cover Crop Growth and Competition in Representative Agroecosystems of South Florida. Crop Science Society of America Annual Meeting.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Martin C and Brym Z, The value of tropical plant diversity, UF/IFAS EDIS, AG435.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Brym ZT. 2019. How can we get along? The common goals for the diversity of topics relevant to the new FSHS Agroecology and Natural Resources Section. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society, 132.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Brym ZT. 2019. Linkages and interactions: A systems concept for agriculture and natural resource management. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society, 132.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Martin CG, Swartz S, Fall T, Brym ZT. 2019. A summary of plant diversity at the Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Homestead, and at selected areas of the ECHO Global Farm, N. Ft. Myers. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society, 132.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Swartz S, Brym ZT. 2019. Utilization of cover crops for agroecosystem evaluation. Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society, 132.

Progress 11/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience was broadly defined for this project. During the reporting year, South Florida farmers in vegetable and tropical fruit production were targeted with information regarding the general framework of agroecology and the relevance of the field for their work. The agroecology framework was also introduced to county extension agents for further development of the program and outreach to the target audience. A new audience was established in the prospective hemp industry for Florida. The conversation for developing the industry adopted the agroecology framework to discuss the importance of considering production, environmental, and social impacts of the new industry. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided training for a PhD student and MS student in agroecology and multiple collaborative interactions with colleagues at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center and ECHO Global Research Farm. The project builds a research and extension framework for agroecology in which many complementary programs can participate. The extension program that is being developed is establishing training and professional development opportunities across Florida through extension events and materials. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The research project remains in the early development phase where results are just being collected and analyzed. Results from the plant diversity inventory and sampling efforts have been presented at two conferences (Florida State Horticultural Society and Crop Science Society of America, respectively). The plant diversity inventory will be published in the 2018 Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society. The data and analysis for each of these efforts has been made available on-line through FigShare (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.6653393) and GitHub (https://github.com/TREC-Agroecology/plant-diversity). The extension program was developed as a two-day workshop which was offered once this year to county extension faculty. The program materials are available on-line (https://trec-agroecology.github.io/introducing-agroecology/). An associated extension document was prepared to describe the impacts of hurricanes on agroecosystems (UF/IFAS EDIS AE528). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I will continue the cover crop agroecosystems experiment and begin preparation for analysis and publication. This effort will be focussed on student training and infrastructure development for the long-term goals of my agroecology program. This work will be presented at least two professional conferences. I will coordinate additional workshops for the agroecology extension program and prepare formal extension documents and fact sheets from the training materials that have been made available on-line. I will continue to establish the UF/IFAS industrial hemp pilot project and engage directly with the prospective industry. This part of the project will be further developed through my involvement in the Multi-State HATCH: "S1084: Industrial Hemp Production, Processing, and Marketing in the U.S.".

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1. An agroecosystem experiment was initiated to determine the drivers of and interaction between agriculture and natural systems and their management. Cover crops were planted in four different agroecosystems at the Tropical Research and Education Center. The cover crops growth is monitored as an indicator of agroecosystem health. Soil carbon, weather, and plant diversity are also monitored at each of these agroecosystems to investigate the interactions of agriculture and natural systems. The results of the plant diversity sampling were presented to the the Crop Science Society of America. An extension program titled 'What is Agroecology' was established and presented to county extension agents of Florida and various student and stakeholder groups throughout the year. Online resources were developed to make these resources available on demand to target audiences. 2. The cover crops in the agroecosystems experiment were planted in monoculture and mixture to investigate the impact of biodiversity in cropping systems. A PhD student was hired to coordinate the experiment and conduct the analysis. A complete inventory of plant diversity was conducted by a newly hired botanist. There are ~700 plant species growing in outdoor habitats at the Tropical Research and Education Center. Plants were grouped in Families and by habitat disturbance. The results of the plant diversity inventory were presented at the Florida State Horticulture Society and submitted as a manuscript to the conference proceedings. 3. The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project was initiated this year to support the development of a new farming industry in Florida. The research program has three main objectives: variety selection, cropping system assessment and economics, and environmental impacts and invasion risk). The complementary goals related to production, environment, and society will drive the outcomes of this program motivated to promote the sustainability of a new hemp industry. The extension goals of the program were to establish relationships and infrastructure within the prospective industry in preparation to commercialization. A series of workshops were held throughout the state as a moderated focus group to update stakeholders on the research plans and regulatory framework for the state pilot project and to gather insight as to stakeholder priorities and objectives. Information was made available through a website, multiple press articles, and direct contact with stakeholders.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Her Y, Smyth A, Fletcher P, Bassil E, Stingl U, Brym Z, and Qiu J, ⿿Hurricane impacts on Florida⿿s agriculture and natural resources⿝, AE528. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae528
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: https://trec.ifas.ufl.edu/agroecology/
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: https://trec-agroecology.github.io/introducing-agroecology/
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Brym Z. Application of the NEON Plant Diversity Sampling Protocol for the Description of Diverse Agroecosystems. 2018 ASA and CSSA Annual Meeting.