UF/IFAS Scientists Help National Team Breed Better Pomegranates

California farmers produce 90% of the nation’s pomegranates, but ‘Wonderful’ pomegranates come from cuttings in Florida, and some Florida farmers seeking alternative crops see pomegranates as among their options.

Zhanao Deng, a professor of environmental horticulture at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), soon will collaborate with researchers nationwide to breed more disease- and pest-resistant pomegranates.

“For Florida pomegranate growers to be successful and sustainable, we need new varieties that are better adapted to our climate and more resistant to diseases commonly found in Florida,” Deng said.

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