UF/IFAS Scientists Uncover Root Causes Threatening Guava, Passion Fruit and Dragon Fruit in South Florida

University of Florida scientists have identified the root causes threatening the health and productivity of some of Florida’s most beloved tropical fruits: dragon fruit, guava, and passion fruit.

The reveal: New species of the microscopic roundworms known as nematodes that live in the soil and feed on the roots marks a major step in creating control methods to safeguard the high-value crops in the Sunshine State’s agricultural landscape, said Abolfazl Hajihassani, an assistant professor at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center.

“We found by surveying nurseries and farms that more than 95 percent of the growers were unaware they had this problem and were attributing yellowing of leaves, stunted trees, and even loss of crops to water and nutrient deficiencies,” he said. “The findings are the missing puzzle pieces we needed that will have significant implications for agricultural practices and the sustainability of tropical fruit production in the state.

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