New Faculty Joining Us!!

Dr. Guodong “David” Liu, Assistant Professor
Horticultural Sciences Department

David is native to Mainland China, where he completed his B.S. in Crop Science, M.S. in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, and Ph.D. in Physiology and Genetics of Plant Nutrition. Upon completion of his studies, he served as Research Associate Professor and Professor at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China. He focused on identifying elite crop genotypes from the National Crop Gene Banks for efficient use of phosphorus and potassium in soils. In 2002, he came to the US and worked as Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Missouri-Rolla, where he developed a concept of solid oxygen fertilizers and used the fertilizers to alleviate flooding problems of corn plants. He joined the Gator Family in 2004 and served as Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Tropical Research and Education Center, IFAS, University of Florida, Homestead, Florida, where he discovered that optimal water management was the key to increase nitrogen use efficiency in potato production systems via reducing ammonia emissions. He also demonstrated that using the solid slow-release oxygen fertilizers reduced basil yield loss caused by flooding. In July 2010, he moved to the USDA-ARS Vegetable and Forage Research Laboratory in Prosser, Washington State and studied efficient use of artificial and organic nitrogen fertilizers in potato production under center pivot irrigation systems. He returned back to Florida and has been serving as a faculty member in the Horticultural Sciences Department, IFAS, the University of Florida in Gainesville since February 2011. His program seeks to conduct research on water and nutrient eco-management in production systems of vegetable and fruit crops in support of Florida agricultural industries and faculty. Research areas include fertilization, irrigation, elite genotype identification, production practices, and management in potato, tomato, beans, blueberry, strawberry, peaches, etc. Also, his extension component seeks to provide support to county and regional extension agents for educational programs on vegetable and fruit crop production, and to interact with extension faculty and industry clientele via demonstration research, publications, presentations, and training activities.

Contact him at guodong@ufl.edu.

Dr. Peter Dittmar, Assistant Professor, Horticultural Sciences Department

Peter Dittmar has joined the faculty on UFL campus as extension specialist for weed management in deciduous fruit, vegetable, and nut crops.  He obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. in Horticultural Sciences from North Carolina State University.  His research includes weed/crop interactions, weed ecology, and developing weed management strategies for the state of Florida.  He is responsible for completing good lab practice studies for registration of pesticides in minor use crops.

Contact him at pdittmar@ufl.edu.