Postdoctoral Research Associate in Container Nursery (Ornamental plant production) Weed Management

University of Florida • Orange, FL

13d • Onsite

About The Position

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is seeking applications to fill a postdoctoral research associate position at the Mid Florida Research and Education Center (MREC) near Orlando, Florida. This position will focus on applied and basic research relating to weed biology and management in ornamental crops. The appointment is for an initial 18 months with a possible extension. The role involves coordinating and conducting research on various aspects of weed management in container nurseries and landscapes, including growth requirements, alternative strategies, non-chemical control methods, herbicide efficacy, and crop response to weed competition.

Requirements

• Received the doctorate in a field appropriate to the assigned duties and responsibilities
• A Ph.D. (foreign equivalent acceptable) degree in weed science, horticulture, plant biology, crop science, agronomy, forestry, or a related discipline of plant science with a focus on horticultural/plant production
• Supportive of the mission of the Land-Grant system
• Commitment to UF core values

Nice To Haves

• A strong record of course work and independent research in subjects such as weed science, container production, pest management, controlled environments, and crop and soil management
• Abilities and skills in statistical analyses, data management and visualization, and scientific writing

Responsibilities

• Growth, reproduction, and germination requirements for common and emerging weed species important in Florida container nurseries
• Use of plant growth regulators and alternative strategies for weed and labor management in container nurseries and landscapes
• Development of alternative and non-chemical methods of weed control by altering production practices and cultural management strategies
• Assessment of herbicide efficacy, leaching, and fate in container nurseries
• Growth response of weeds to differing soilless substrate compositions, fertilization, and irrigation management practices
• Screening preemergence herbicides and ornamentals for safety and efficacy to develop more effective preemergence herbicide rotations for nursery growers
• Determining ornamental crop response to weed management strategies and their growth and resource utilization when grown in competition with weed species
• Plan, design, manage, and conduct controlled environment experiments to investigate weed physiology and horticultural production practices
• Collect, manage, analyze and interpret data from the experiments, and produce publications and reports synthesizing research results in the context of relevant literature
• Coordinate undergraduate students and interns assisting in research projects

Benefits

• health and dental
• 130.5 hours of annual leave

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree