Dr. Jim Syvertsen Selected for UF Professorship

LAKE ALFRED -- Dr. Jim Syvertsen, Professor of Horticulture, University of Florida, IFAS, Citrus Research and Education Center, was recently one of only six IFAS faculty members selected to receive a University of Florida Faculty Research Foundation Professorship.

Syvertsen was awarded this prestigious three year professorship for distinguished research performance, publications, service and commitment over the past five years. The UF Vice President for Research, Dr. Win Phillips, selected only 33 university faculty members for the professorships.

Syvertsen maintains a 95 percent Research appointment, with the balance committed to supporting graduate education. His area of expertise in plant physiology and its application to the citrus system has allowed him to develop a range of important program directions, securing funds from an array of sources, and involving numerous cross-disciplinary teams.

 

“Jim’s program offers a balance of successful conduct of outstanding science addressing mission-oriented questions posed by IFAS clients,” said Dr. Harold Browning, Center Director, UF/IFAS, CREC. “Blending these attributes, he has established a national and international reputation among scientists and citrus producers alike. His record of international activities highlights this achievement.”

Research programs that Syvertsen has pursued include citrus tree uptake, utilization and storage of water, carbon and nutrients to ensure plant health. In particular, he has demonstrated the relationship between seasonal and annual root and shoot dynamics in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. The results of this work have been well-received by the scientific community, and provide a baseline for specific problem-solving efforts that involve understanding tree physiology.

This information has proven invaluable in addressing citrus responses to soil characteristics, fertilizer, salinity, mechanical harvesting and the balance of horticultural practices that are undertaken to achieve yield and fruit quality goals. Laboratory, greenhouse and field experiments are combined in answering fundamental and applied questions of citrus responses. Growing from this core program are projects in which Syvertsen provides plant expertise to longer-term efforts with an interdisciplinary team looking at interactions between citrus tree health, invasion by the Diaprepes root-feeding weevil, and infection by Phytophthora spp.

Management of these root stresses must encapsulate the impact of citrus rootstock characteristics in responding within this system. Clearly plant physiology is at the center of this complex set of interactions.

Syvertsen’s contributions towards understanding citrus tree response to edaphic and biotic factors have allowed for development of alternative hypotheses for sustainable and economical production of commercial citrus in Florida in the presence of the serious diseases, citrus greening and citrus canker. New production paradigms to respond to shorter tree lifespan will be built on existing knowledge of growth responses to all of these environmental factors as well as the need for earlier production curves.

“Jim’s published work, as well as his current skill set and experience, will be vital as we move forward to test these hypotheses,” Browning said. “Research productivity associated with his program has been shared accomplishments with graduate students, post-doctoral associates, and visiting scientists from around the world. These associations have enriched the program capabilities and have provided outstanding training.

Syvertsen’s publication record reflects strong contributions to nationally recognized journals as well as complementary publications in regional and local media that provide direct information to growers and non-scientific audiences.

For the past 90 years, CREC has been honored to assist the citrus industry in meeting its developmental needs through its Research, Extension, and Teaching programs. CREC is the oldest and largest off-campus experiment station in UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and is unique among research centers in that it focuses entirely on one commodity, citrus.

The UF Professorship award includes a contribution to his research program sponsored by the University of Florida Research Foundation.

Syvertsen received his doctorate from New Mexico State University, and his bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from California State University, Fullerton. He and his wife, Janette, live in Auburndale.

Editor’s Note: For more information, please contact Anita Whitaker, Public Relations Coordinator, UF/IFAS, CREC at 863-956-1157 or atwhit@ufl.edu