Category: Crops

A man harvesting carrots.

UF/IFAS and FAMU expand Small Farm Start-Up School to empower Florida’s next generation of farmers

by Meredith Bauer-Mitchell
March 16, 2026

Highlights: UF/IFAS and FAMU are expanding the Florida Small Farm Start-Up School statewide, offering a hybrid course that provides business planning, marketing training, production guidance and farm tours for new and aspiring farmers. ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida Small Farms And Alternative Enterprises Conference, Small Farm Start-up, Small Farm Start-Up School

A New Approach to Propagating the “World’s Most Valuable” Spice

by Eva Sailly
March 13, 2026

Often referred to as the most expensive spice in the world, saffron has been prized for thousands of years for its vibrant color, distinctive flavor, and aromatic compounds. Extracted from the red stigmas of the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Bioreactor, Controlled-environment Production Systems, Cryopreservation, Environmental Horticulture, Food Is Medicine, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Department, Micropropagation, Plant Science, Saffron, Vendrame Lab, Wagner Vendrame
Row of avocado trees with withered, brown leaves alongside green ones under a clear sky.

Aguacates resistentes al frío buscan transformar la industria frutícola de Florida

by Luz Bahder
March 12, 2026

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. ¿Cree que no puede cultivar aguacates en los fríos inviernos del norte de Florida? Piénselo de nuevo. La importante ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Aguacate Cultivado En Florida, Aguacate Hass, Aguacates, Antracnosis, Cascara, Español, Fitomejoramiento, Fitomejoramiento De Aguacate, Florida, Hass, Helada De Enero Del 2026, Heladas, Híbridos Guatemalteco-mexicanos, Jose Chaparro, Líneas De Fitomejoramiento, Mayor Resistencia Al Frío, Mejoramiento, Mejoramiento Genetico, Niveles De Resistencia Al Frío, Paltas, Panorama Agrícola, Progenitores, Sobrevivencia, Spanish, Temperaturas Bajas, UF-IFAS, Variedad De Aguacate
A close up of Dr. Jose Chaparro examining the first flowers from a cold-hardy avocado cultivar.

Cold-hardy avocados aimed at transforming Florida’s future fruit industry

by Lourdes Mederos
March 12, 2026

Highlights: University of Florida scientists proved their cold‑hardy avocado lines can survive the January 2026 freeze, enduring temperatures as low as 17 degrees, which is far colder than commercial varieties like Hass can tolerate. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agriculture, Anthracnose, Avocado, California, Central Florida, Cold Resistance, Cold-hardy, Cultivar, Disease Resistance, Florida, Florida Agriculture, Florida Avocado, Florida-grown Avocado, Freeze Resistant, Hass, Horticultural Sciences, Horticulture, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Jose Chaparro, Laboratory, Laurel Wilt, News, North Florida, Soil, South Florida, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, University Of Florida, Water
Close-up of Muhlenbergia capillaris with pink and purple feathery plumes.

Exploring Florida’s Natives: Muhly Grass

by Julia Sirchia
March 12, 2026

If you’re looking to create visual interest in your Florida landscape without adding extra maintenance to your to-do list, muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is a standout choice. This beloved Florida native is known for its delicate, ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, Home Landscapes
Tags: Coastal Landscaping, Exploring Florida's Natives Series, Fall Blooms, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscape, Landscaping, Native Gardens, Native Plants, Rocky Soil, Sandy Soil, Semi-evergreen, Smart Landscape
Close-up of fresh blueberries covered with water droplets, highlighting their deep blue color and juicy appearance.

Los productores de arándanos trabajan para recuperarse tras un invierno gélido y ofrecer una fruta exquisita a los consumidores

by Luz Bahder
March 11, 2026

Creado por Brad Buck, especialista sénior en relaciones públicas para UF/IFAS.  Tras un invierno que golpeó con más fuerza de lo esperado, congelando flores y frutos y debilitando las esperanzas, los productores de arándanos de Florida ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Alimentos, Arándano Azul, Arandanos, Arándanos Falcon, Arándanos Sentinel, Arándanos Sharper, Bayas, Cosecha, Cultivo De Arándanos, Danos, Doug Phillips, El Programa De Mejoramiento Genético De Arándanos De UF/IFAS, Encuesta, Español, Extension, Fresh From Florida, Fruta, Heladas, Hillsborough, Invierno, Josh Payne, Mercados, Spanish, Superfruta, Supermercado, Temporada, UF-IFAS, Variedades
Piebald white-tailed deer (a deer with irregular white patches caused by a genetic pigmentation trait) feeding no young crop plants in a cultivated agricultural field beside a fenced exclosure.

Florida Growers: Share Your Experience with Deer Damage

by williamsnigel
March 10, 2026

  White-tailed deer damage in agricultural fields can be substantial and is an increasing concern for growers across Florida. Deer may not be a major issue in every region, but understanding where damage occurs and what types of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Best Management Practices, BMP, BMPs, Cotton, Deer, Deer-crop Damage, Florida, Harvest, NFREC-SV, North Florida Research And Education Center-Suwannee Valley, On-farm Demonstrations, Peanuts, Small Farms, Suwannee Valley, Suwannee Valley Agriculture, SV Ag Update, UF/IFAS Extension
Florida with magnifying glass and insect

March 2026 First Friday with Florida First Detector

by Morgan Pinkerton
March 9, 2026

Recap of March 2026 First Friday with Florida First Detector This month, we took a closer look at thrips (Order: Thysanoptera), a group of tiny insects that can have outsized impacts on plants. Although there are more than 7,000 thrips species ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Early Detection, Eradication, FFD25-26, FloridaFirstDetector, Invasive Species, SeminoleCountyAg, Thrips
Demonstration of targeted application using Ecorobotix ARA Research Unit. Courtesy UF/IFAS Pawel Petelewicz

March 26: UF/IFAS 37th South Florida Turfgrass – Landscape Research and Expo Field Day set

by Lourdes Mederos
March 5, 2026

  Turf professionals will get a first look at the future of weed control and sustainable turf when the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) unveils new research and pioneering technologies at the ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Events, Lawn, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agronomy, Archive, Artificial Intelligence, Athletic Field Managers, CEU, Commercial Applicators, Field Day, Golf, Golf Course Superintendents, Integrated Weed Management, Landscape Professionals, Lawns, Marco Schiavon, Pawel Petelewicz, Pest Control Operators, Sod Producers, Truf, Turf, Turfgrass, Turfgrass Managers, UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research Education Center, Weed Control, Weed Science, Weeds

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