UF/IFAS Receives $1 Million Grant To Explore Automation in Nursery Industry

Imagine a future where nursery growers can effortlessly manage their plants with cutting-edge automation technologies, using potting or weed-spraying robots, instead of having to dig each hole or spray each pot by hand. With the help of a $9.8 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), this vision is becoming a reality.

UF/IFAS will use about $1 million of the grant to lead research and development to tackle the labor challenges faced by the nursery industry. UF’s role in this grant includes evaluating herbicide, pesticide and fertilizer application equipment and testing people’s perceptions of and willingness to adopt new strategies related to automation.

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