UF Research: Mesh Covers Protect Citrus Trees From Psyllids That Transmit Greening Disease
New UF research shows that citrus trees grown under individual protective covers (IPCs) show no signs of the greening disease. Specifically, scientists found that psyllids cannot penetrate the bags (IPCs) under which the trees are growing because the diameter of their openings is smaller than the insects.
UF Scientist Works on Improving Tomato Production, Size
Florida growers produced 606 million pounds of fresh-market tomatoes last year, which brought in $463 million in revenue. But with competition from places like Mexico, farmers are always looking for an edge – to grow more and bigger fruit. That’s why University of Florida scientist Tong Geon Lee spends countless hours in his lab and fields looking for the right combination of genes to expand the size of individual tomatoes and to help growers increase their yields.
UF Professor Recognized for a Career of Accomplishment
Fred G. Gmitter, Jr., professor of horticulture and citrus breeder at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center, has been recognized as a 2021 Fellow by the American Society for Horticultural Science.
‘Dr. Saba’ Named Outstanding Graduate Educator by National Horticultural Society
Bala Rathinasabapathi, an horticultural sciences professor at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, was named the Graduate Educator of the Year by the American Society for Horticultural Science on August 2021.
Back to the Future: Citrus Breeders Look to Ancient Varieties for Modern-Day Answers
In the ongoing race to find a solution to the devastating citrus greening disease, University of Florida scientists may find the path to the future by looking to the past.
Robots May Eventually Help Kill Weeds That Impede Strawberry Yield
Think of University of Florida scientists Nathan Boyd and Arnold Schumann a bit like surgeons. Except, in this case, their operating room is a strawberry field. With their research, Boyd and Schumann hope to eventually help growers unleash surgical strikes on weeds – without vanquishing their fruit.
Can Artichoke Become a New Winter Crop in Florida?
Shinsuke Agehara, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of Horticultural Sciences based at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Balm, has been leading research efforts for years into making artichokes less alternative and more mainstream for hungry growers in the Sunshine State.
UF Scientist Finds Way To Reduce Greenhouse Gas in Soil
Liu, a UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences, believes he has laid the groundwork to lower nitrous oxide in agricultural soils. In an experiment on a research farm in Gainesville, Liu used fertilizer and water to successfully lower the chemical compound in the soil.
Impatient For Impatiens? New UF Research Gives Hope
If you’re impatient for impatiens, a University of Florida scientist has good news for you: Some varieties of the popular flower resist the deadly downy mildew disease better than others.
From Yellowed Broccoli to Mushy Avocados: How UF Scientists Are Using AI To Cut Food Waste, Loss
If you have ever brought home seemingly fresh produce from the grocery store only to find it wilted and moldering a few days later, Tie Liu feels your pain. “Everybody has this problem: Which of these vegetables or fruits should I use first? Guess wrong, and you end up throwing out the food,” said Liu, a postharvest researcher and assistant professor in the UF/IFAS horticultural sciences department.
