Is the Calabaza the Next Great Gourd for Growers in the Southeastern U.S.? UF/IFAS Is One Step Closer to a Choice Cultivar
Researchers at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are establishing the Calabaza as a choice cultivar in the Southeast.
Geoffrey Meru, a UF/IFAS vegetable geneticist and his team at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead have laid the groundwork to make Calabaza a choice cultivar for growers in the southeast. They hope to release the powerful potential of the calabaza that packs a punch for its nutritional content, adaptability and sustainability.
University of Florida Announces the 2023 National Academy of Inventors Fellows
The National Academy of Inventors has named two UF researchers to their 2023 class of distinguished academic inventors.
A 2023 Hurricane Season Success Story: Cedar Key’s Living Shorelines Bolster Resilient Community
Living shorelines, made of organic materials, are being used to defend coastal communities threatened by the effects of hurricanes.
Keep an Eye on Carinata
University of Florida researchers have teamed up with company Nuseed to research the viability of carinata, a crop that reduces carbon output and helps mitigate climate change.
New Pest Management Hub Will Address Florida’s Buggiest Problems
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will create a new network focused on finding novel ways to manage bugs and pests in homes and businesses, known as the Innovation Hub for Urban Pest Management.
President’s Office Announces $5.4 Million for Strategic Funding Awardees
The President’s Office at the University of Florida announced $5.4 million in awards for Strategic Funding. Various colleges and departments across campus received awards to fund their research projects and initiatives. The funding initiative is designed to advance the student experience and interdisciplinary scholarship.
University of Florida Shows Advances in AI Farming
The UF Southwest Research and Education Center in Immokalee, part of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is merging the powers of farming and AI. Researchers at the center are utilizing the latest technologies like drones and advanced AI systems to revolutionize the way we grow our food.
UF Working To Expand Your Options for Decorative Holiday Plants
University of Florida scientists want to add caladiums, known for their beautiful foliage, as an option for seasonal occasions. Bob Hartman, who runs Classic Caladiums LLC, a nursery in Avon Park, is enlisting the help of UF/IFAS plant breeder Zhanao Deng to research caladium bulb storage.
UF Part of Multi-Institutional, $22M Cereal Crops Project Funded by USAID
The U.S. Agency for International Development announced the creation of the Feed the Future Climate Resilient Cereals Innovation Lab, or CRCIL, to improve lives around the world by making cereal crops more readily available to those most at risk for hunger and malnutrition.
University of Florida researchers involved will focus on sorghum. Charlie Messina, UF/IFAS horticultural sciences professor — who is a leading expert in applying artificial intelligence to crop modeling and simulation techniques — will head the efforts from the Gainesville campus while utilizing the supercomputing powers of the UF HiPerGator.
UF Hopes To Speed Solutions to Citrus Greening, Other Crop Diseases With New Center
University of Florida scientists plan to utilize $2 million from an initiative by UF President Ben Sasse for a Crop Transformation Center to help Florida farmers improve production of citrus and specialty crops.
For now, front and center among goals for the center is to find citrus varieties that can tolerate or even resist citrus greening disease, also known as Huanlongbing (HLB).
Growers are looking for solutions to the disease, which has caused a 70 percent to 80 percent reduction in production to Florida’s signature crop.