Dr. Jose Rolando’s research at UF/IFAS aims to help growers build healthier soil, reduce costs, and create more resilient crops in the face of a changing climate.
A new microbiologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is looking to the smallest organisms for the biggest solutions. Dr. Jose Rolando is diving into the hidden world of soil microbes, the microscopic powerhouses that he believes hold the key to a more sustainable future for Florida’s agriculture and ecosystems.
Rolando’s work focuses on how these tiny life forms interact with plants and soil, especially as environmental pressures like sea level rise and extreme weather become more common. His research spans across Florida, from coastal marshes and seagrass beds to the turfgrass fields that define so much of the state’s landscape.
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“Microorganisms are nature’s recyclers,” Rolando explained. “They break down organic matter, return nutrients to the soil, and even make nitrogen from the air available to plants. If we can understand and work with these processes, we can make agriculture more productive while protecting the environment.”
This understanding has direct implications for both farmers and the public. By harnessing the power of beneficial microbes, growers could reduce their dependence on expensive fertilizers, limit nutrient runoff that pollutes waterways, and cultivate crops better equipped to handle drought and heat. For consumers, this translates to a more sustainable food supply and cleaner water.
One of Rolando’s projects is examining the effects of mangroves migrating northward into marshlands, a phenomenon linked to warmer temperatures. Another project investigates how specific microbes can protect seagrass from toxic sulfides, a problem that has led to widespread die-offs in critical Florida ecosystems like the Indian River Lagoon.
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Rolando’s journey to UF/IFAS began in Lima, Peru, where his childhood was filled with explorations of diverse ecosystems, from the Sechura Desert to the Andes Mountains and the Amazon rainforest. It was this early awe for nature that drove him to pursue an understanding of how these complex systems function, down to the “smallest parts we can’t even see.”
While much of his current research is focused on Florida, Rolando maintains international collaborations, including a project in Peru studying how different fertilizer treatments affect soil microbiomes in maize production.
“We can’t control the weather or the tides,” Rolando said, “but we can understand the systems that help plants and soils adapt. That knowledge gives us options, whether it is helping a coastal wetland survive sea level rise or giving a farmer a sustainable way to boost yield while protecting the environment.”
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