Dr. Paul Mislevy

Professor - Pasture, Forage Crops, and Reclamation, Retired

Research Focus

Conduct management studies on tropical and temperate forages with emphasis on:

• clipping and grazing
• forage quality
• species persistence
• pasture renovation
• pasture herbicides, regarding smutgrass and tropical soda apple

Perennial grasses emphasized:

• stargrass, bermudagrass, bahiagrass, pangolagrass, Brachiaria, and Hemarthria

Annual forages:

• ryegrass, small grains, aeschynomene, red and white clover

Livestock used in perennial grass grazing:

• beef cattle and goats

Phosphate mine land reclamation.

Management of biomass crops for energy.

• Education
  • University of Florida. Professor. 1982-2007.
  • University of Florida. Acting Center Director. 1981-1983.
  • University of Florida. Associate Professor. 1977-1982.
  • University of Florida. Assistant Professor. 1971-1977.
  • Pennsylvania State University. Graduate Teaching Assistant. 1969-1971.
  • Pennsylvania State University. Graduate Research Assistant. 1967-1968.
• Employment
  • University of Florida. Professor. 1982-2007.
  • University of Florida. Acting Center Director. 1981-1983.
  • University of Florida. Associate Professor. 1977-1982.
  • University of Florida. Assistant Professor. 1971-1977.
  • Pennsylvania State University. Graduate Teaching Assistant. 1969-1971.
  • Pennsylvania State University. Graduate Research Assistant. 1967-1968.
• Creative Works
  • Forage cultivars released: 
    'Florico' stargrass 1989 Circular S-361
    'Florona' stargrass 1989 Circular S-362
    'Florakirk' bermudagrass 1995 Circular S-395
  • Forage cultivars assisted in release: 
    'Ona' stargrass 1984 Circular S-268A
    'Osceola' white clover 1984 Circular S-311
    'Floralta' limpograss 1984 Circular S-312
    'Cherokee' red clover 1993
    'Florida 80' annual ryegrass 1986
    'Surrey' annual ryegrass 1989 Circular S-364
    'Big Daddy' annual ryegrass 1996
    'Florida Rust Resistant' annual ryegrass 1997
    'Stampede' annual ryegrass 1998
    'Jumbo' annual ryegrass 1999
    'Florlina' annual ryegrass 1999
• Selected Grants and Contracts

  Total grant contracts and gifts-in-kind: $1,000,000

• University Governance and Service
  • Member of IFAS Promotion, Tenure and Permanent Status Committee 1980
  • Acting Center Director (Range Cattle REC) 1981-1983
  • Member IFAS Faculty Advisory Committee (1989 - 90)
  • IFAS, Member of Staff and Faculty Superior Award Comm. (1989-1990)
  • IFAS, Research and Education Center representative for Gamma Sigma Delta (1989-1992)
  • IFAS, Member Technical Advisory Committee for Phosphate reclamation (1989-1991)
  • Co-chairman of Florida Forage Advisory group (1993-1996).
  • University of Florida Senate Member.
  • Co-Chairman of Florida First Forage base paper. (1999)
  • Chair, Warm Season Forages, Florida Forge Workers.
• International Activities
  • 1990, Guatemala, Discuss forage management at professional meeting, tour country and advise farmers.
  • 1992, Venezuela, Discuss forage management with government scientists.
  • 1992, Venezuela, Discuss forage mgt. and tour Venezuelan ranches and advise growers.
  • 1994, Brazil, Present 3 professional lectures to government scientists and tour central Brazil and advise growers on forage management.
  • 1995, Brazil, Present 2 professional lectures on Cynodon forage production to government scientists and tour south central Brazil.
  • 1996, Brazil government scientists, Present 1 professional paper on tropical forage management and tour Parana state advising commercial growers.
  • 1989-1992 Traveled to Jamaica to assist in MS research programs of graduate students. Assisted in pasture renovation and forage establishment of experiments and toured Jamaica and advised on forage management of stargrass.
  • 1985-2001 Presented papers and studied forages in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, France, Canada and Brazil. As a direct result of these travels I have located about 20 new forage grasses and legumes which have entered Florida through the quarantine program. These plants are presently being studied in various Ona, FL experiments. Several of these forages have excellent possibilities for Florida in the future.
  • 1999, Mexico, Invited to trouble-shoot pasture and field crop problems.
• Membership in Professional Societies

  National

  • 1969 to present American Society of Agronomy, Member
  • 1981-1983 -ASA Forage and Grassland Committee, Member
  • 1982 -Organized ASA Allelopathy Symposium
  • 1978-80 1985-86 -ASA Membership Committee
  • 2000 - Senior author, Chapter on 'Phosphate mining and reclamation' ASA Monograph No. 41
  • 2001 - Co-Author, Chapter 'Bermudagrass and Stargrass' ASA Monograph, in review
  • 2001 - Co-Author, Chapter 'Stand Establishment' ASA Monograph, in review
  • 1978 to present Crop Science Society of America, Member
  • 1973 to present Weed Science Society of America, Member
  • 1982 -Local Arrangements Committee, Member
  • 1997 -Section Chairman: Forest, Pasture, Rangeland and Rights of Way
  • 1982 to present American Forage and Grassland Council, Member
  • 1985 -Awards Committee, Member
  • 1985 to present American Society for Surface Mining and Reclamation
  • 1987 -Senior author of Impounded Waste Tailings chapter for eastern US.
  • 1989 -Hosted S-99 reclamation tour
  • 1991- present -Memorial Scholarship Committee, member

  Regional

  • 1992 to 1993 Southern Pasture and Forage Crop Imp. Conf.
  • co-chairman 1978 Florida meeting tour
  • Secretary - Physiology and Ecology group 1978
  • Chairman - Physiology and Ecology group 1979
  • co-chairman of 1993 Florida meetings.

  State

  • 1971 to present Soil and Crop Sci. Soc. of Florida, Member
  • 1982-1984 Soil and Crop Sci. Soc. of Florida, Director
  • 1986 -President Elect
  • 1987 -President
  • 1991-1992 -Policy Rules & Regulations Committee
  • 1993 -Membership Committee
  • 1996-1998 -Nominating Committee, Member
  • 2001 -Nominating Committee, Member
• Honors
  • 1981 to 1983 Acting Center Director, AREC, Ona
  • 1984 Presented invited paper at First Annual ASSMR meeting in Kentucky
  • 1996 National Brazilian Brahman Award
  • 1996 Award of Merit, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.
  • 1996 Rural Society of Parana, Brazil, Award
  • 1997 Fellow, American Society of Agronomy
  • 2000 Researcher of the year, Florida Cattlemen Association
• Summary of Research and Extension Activities

  My position at the Range Cattle REC is 100% research. However, 25% of my time is spent in extension related activities such as trouble shooting and visiting ranches regarding forage management, field and forage crop selection, fertilization, pasture herbicide program, pasture insect and disease problems. Handle most biomass and phosphate reclamation questions for south Florida as related to tropical conditions.

  I have released three Cynodon grasses (Florona and Florico stargrass and Florakirk bermudagrass) to commercial growers. These grasses are used by 50% of the beef cattle people and by most central and south Florida dairymen. These three grasses have been requested by more than 60 countries in the tropical world and reports indicate good success.

  During the past 15 years have developed a pasture renovation program to accelerate pasture establishment (11-mo. 15 yrs ago to 2-months today). Commercial growers are utilizing the pasture renovation program with outstanding results.

  Florona stargrass is being planted at Disney Worlds new Animal Kingdom, to provide forage and ground cover for African animals. Also advise Disney World contractors on pasture establishment surrounding the new Animal Kingdom Lodge.

  I have been invited by the countries of Jamaica, Guatemala, Venezuela, Brazil, China, Cuba, Philippines, Mexico, Nigeria and Vietnam to present numerous talks on forage management and tour the respective countries to answer forage questions and recommend forage management. All trips were sponsored by the foreign government.

  Phosphate reclamation research conducted during the mid-80's is providing basic and applied information to industry and commercial producers today.

  In 1990, the tropical soda apple (weed) entered our south Florida pastures and by 1995 covered 0.5 million acres. Cooperative research between J. J. Mullahey, myself, and others have determined the biology, life-cycle and developed control measures. Research is being conducted on smutgrass (sporobolus sp) which also occupies nearly 0.5 million acres of pasture area.

  Working at a research center has tremendous advantages, allowing one to conduct research as needed for the grower and test the research results on commercial ranches.

  In summary getting research out to growers so they can make a profit.

• Publications
  • View Dr. Mislevy's publications