Tag: breeding

UF/IFAS hosts global plant breeding virtual meeting January 28-29

by Samantha Murray
May 18, 2026

Media Contact: Brad Buck, 352-875-2641 (mobile), bradbuck@ufl.edu WHO: The UF Plant Science Council and UF/IFAS plant-breeding faculty and students. WHAT: Students and faculty from UF/IFAS and around the world present the Fifth Annual ... READ MORE

Category: Events
Tags: Breeding, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Crops, David Clark, Elaine Turner, Environmental Horticulture, Forage, Fruits, Ornamentals, Plant Science Symposium, Sugar Cane, Turfgrass, Vegetables, Zoom

UF technique to help pine forests adapt to climate change, bioenergy use

by BLOGS.IFAS
May 18, 2026

Cutline at bottom. Click here for high-resolution image. GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- A breakthrough in pine tree breeding will lead to forests better adapted to climate change and bioenergy use, University of Florida researchers report. The improved ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Breeding, Gary Peter, Genetics, Matias Kirst, Pine, University Of Florida

In the heart of Florida’s strawberry season, an expert explains why they’re so wonderful

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

When you think of February, you might dream of a Happy Valentine’s Day, roses and romance. If you live in central Florida, you might also want to buy the very best strawberries. Many local fields are rife with the red fruit. Wael Elwakil, ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, SFYL Hot Topic
Tags: Breeding, Economic Impact, Featured, Fruit And Vegetable Production, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Harvest, Hillsborough County, Special Topics, Strawberries, Strawberry Season, Taste, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, Valentine's Day, Wael Elwakil

Florida blueberry season: Top-notch fruit, tools and knowledge from UF/IFAS research

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

March brings the start of Florida’s blueberry production, harvest and shipping season. The state’s blueberry industry has grown rapidly in the past 20 years. Today, Florida farmers grow more than 5,200 acres of blueberries, producing about ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: 'Arcadia', 'Sentinel', Blueberries, Blueberry Growers Guide App, Blueberry Season, Breeding, Cultivars, Doug Phillips, Horticultural Sciences, Patricio Munoz, Production
Close-up of ripe blueberries with a powdery surface.

Prolific blueberry scientist named Horticulture Crop Breeding Endowed Chair

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

A veteran blueberry researcher has been named the University of Florida’s Horticulture Crop Breeding Endowed Chair, recognizing the royalties generated by the fruit varieties he’s developed for global farming and consumption. Patricio ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Blueberries, Breeding, Chris Gunter, Cultivars, Horticultural Sciences, Horticulture Crop Breeding Endowed Chair, J. Scott Angle, Patricio Munoz, Plant Breeding, Southern Highbush Blueberry
Close-up of ripe and unripe strawberries with a white flower among green leaves.

Peak strawberry season means more Florida-grown, flavorful fruit at the market

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

We’re at the height of the Florida strawberry harvesting season – a time when the state’s growers are doing all they can to make sure consumers can choose from among the best of their favorite fruit at the market. “It has been an ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Aroma, Best Practices, Breeding, Cultivars, Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticultural Sciences, Kenneth Parker, Strawberries, Strawberry Season, Taste, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, Vance Whitaker, Wael Elwakil, Yield

What’s next for UF/IFAS scientists on the Burmese python telemetry scout project?

by Lourdes Mederos
May 18, 2026

Highlights: Burmese python breeding season is in full swing in the Florida Everglades. For a team of scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), this ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Biology, Brandon Welty, Breeding, Burmese Python, Clutch, Croc Docs, Department Of Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, Florida Everglades, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Invasion Science, Invasion Science Research Institute, Invasive Species, Melissa Miller, Python Telemetry Scout Project, Radio Telemetry, South Florida, South Florida Water Management District, U.S. Geological Survey, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Wildlife Biologist
Person pouring yellow-green powder from a container into a cylindrical receptacle.

UF scientists meeting craft brewer demand by converting hops to pellets

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

Many craft brewers prefer to make their product using hops pellets because of several advantages they provide over whole cone hops. To address a request by Tampa Bay-area craft brewers, University of Florida scientists are converting the crop ... READ MORE

Category: SFYL Hot Topic
Tags: Breeding, Brewers Association, Brewery, Cones, Craft Beer, Field Trials, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Harvest, Hops, LED Lighting, Pelletizer, Pellets, Shinsuke Agehara, Spring Hops Field Day, Zhanao Deng
Close-up of ripe blueberries with some focus on a central berry with a pink spot.

Power through July, aka National Blueberry Month

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

As we celebrate National Blueberry Month in July, a University of Florida dietitian says the fruit could be called “power berries.” “Blueberries have fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and potassium, and they have some of the highest ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition, UF/IFAS
Tags: Andrea Nikolai, Antioxidants, Breeder, Breeding, Cutlivars, Doug Phillips, National Blueberry Month, Nutrition, Patricio Munoz, Southern Highbush Blueberry, Statewide Blueberry Extension Coordinator, UF/IFAS Extension Polk County
Person in sunglasses examining berry plants with varying ripeness under a bright blue sky.

Decoding blackberry DNA: UF study paves the way for enhanced breeding strategies and better berries for Florida farmers and consumers

by Brad Buck
May 18, 2026

Disease-resistant and tastier blackberries could be on the horizon — thanks to new genetic research from the University of Florida. New University of Florida blackberry varieties could provide a boon for Florida farmers looking to rebound ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: Blackberries, Breeding, Consumers, Disease Resistance, Environmental Horticulture, Flavorful, Genome, Genome Assembly, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Plant Breeding, Thornless, Zhanao Deng

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