Tag: crops

Setting the table: UF/IFAS ‘Food is Medicine’ farm shows how culturally relevant crops can strengthen agriculture

by Lourdes Mederos
April 27, 2026

In South Florida, a new University of Florida initiative is bringing the concept of “Food is Medicine” to life by helping farmers grow nutrient-dense, culturally relevant crops that reflect the region’s diverse consumer preference. That ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Alternate Crops, Asian, Caribbean, Community Engagement, Consumer Demand, Cover Crops, Crops, Culturally Relevant Crops, Food Is Medicine, Growers, Harvest, Homestead, Latin American, Nutrient Dense, Producers, Production Systems, South Florida, Sustainable Farming, Sustainable Farming Practices, Tropical Research And Education Center, U-pick, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, Vegetable Garden
Participants evaluate and explore diverse ethnic vegetable crops and varieties during the field day. Photo credit: Laura Vasquez

Setting the table: UF/IFAS ‘Food is Medicine’ farm shows how culturally relevant crops can strengthen agriculture

by Lourdes Mederos
April 27, 2026

In South Florida, a new University of Florida initiative is bringing the concept of “Food is Medicine” to life by helping farmers grow nutrient-dense, culturally relevant crops that reflect the region’s diverse consumer preference. That ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Alternate Crops, Asian, Caribbean, Community Engagement, Consumer Demand, Cover Crops, Crops, Culturally Relevant Crops, Food Is Medicine, Growers, Harvest, Homestead, Latin American, Nutrient Dense, Producers, Production Systems, South Florida, Sustainable Farming, Sustainable Farming Practices, Tropical Research And Education Center, U-pick, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, Vegetable Garden
Black-eyed susan UF/IFAS

Companion Planting Can Help Reduce Or Eliminate Insecticide Use In The Garden

by Duval MGV
March 2, 2026

Spring has returned and now is the time to start planting your warm season vegetables Part of the fun of gardening is trying new methods like companion planting. In the past, gardening wisdom would just declare that certain vegetables did not ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Crops, Duval, Florida Gardening, Gardening, Landscape, Mulch
Two individuals outdoors, one operating an orange drone over crops.

University of Florida to be new host for major plant and animal breeding accelerator program

by Brad Buck
September 25, 2025

The University of Florida is the new home for an important partner in the effort to provide nutritious food for the nation and to keep farms competitive – a USDA-Agricultural Research Service-funded program called Breeding Insight (BI). The ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Livestock
Tags: #aiatuf, Animal Breeding, Artificial Intelligence, Breeding Insight, Crops, Damian Adams, Ecosystems, Food, Growers, High-performance Computing, Moira Sheehan, Plant Breeding, Prec-ag, Ranchers, Software, UF/IFAS Research
Here Braham Dhillon is demonstrating a new web app called Robigus. He is a molecular plant pathologist at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center and a specialist in fungal pathogens of palms, woody plants and agricultural crops. His research program combines basic and applied science to better understand how these pathogens infect and spread. the app can help detect crop threats globally with the tap of a screen or keyboard.

Can Robigus be the new crop guardian? This app tracks plant diseases globally

by Lourdes Mederos
September 8, 2025

Named after the Roman god who once guarded wheat fields from blight, Robigus is the newest tech ally in the fight against plant diseases. Developed by a scientist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agriculture, App, Braham Dhillon, Cavendish Bananas, Crops, Disease Outbreaks, Farms, Fields, First Reports, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Fruit, Fungal Pathogen, Gardeners, Global, HiPerGator, Homeowners, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Molecular Plant Pathologist, News, Nursery, Palms, Plant Disease, Plant Pathology, Plants, Robigus, Roman God, Scientists, Tropical Race 4 Of Fusarium, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Supercomputer, Vegetable
Photo of papaya open on a table.

Better mangoes, papayas and other tropical fruit: Breeding fruits consumers love, growers need

by Lourdes Mederos
August 27, 2025

Florida has long held a special place in America's fruit bowl. With its subtropical climate, the state remains one of the few parts of the continental United States where exotic fruits -- from mangoes and avocados to papayas and dragon fruit ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Avocado, Consumers, Crops, Cultivars, Diseases, DNA, Dragon Fruit, Exotic Fruits, Flavor, Florida, Gardens, Genetic Markers, Genetic Tools, Growers, Health, Jugpreet Singh, Laurel Wilt, Mango, Nutrition, Papaya, Papaya Ringspot, Pests, Production, Shelf Life, Subtropical Climate, Tropical Fruit, Tropical Research And Education Center
Jose Rolando, an assistant professor of microbiology at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. Photo UF/IFAS

From Peru’s wild landscapes to Florida’s farms: Scientist harnesses microbes to protect agriculture, environment

by Lourdes Mederos
August 17, 2025

For Florida growers, Jose Rolando’s research is focused on promoting healthier soils, reduced input costs and crops able to withstand droughts, heat and shifting weather patterns. For consumers, it aims at more sustainable food production ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Amazon Rainforest, Andes Mountains, Coastal Wetland, Crops, Department Of Microbiology And Cell Science, Droughts, Ecosystem Services, Farmer, Fertilizer, Florida Bay, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Georgia Institute Of Technology, Grower, IFAS, Indian River Lagoon, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, José Rolando, Lima, Lourdes Mederos, Mangroves, Microbiologist, Microbiology, National Institute Of Agricultural Innovation, News, Peru, Public, Sea Level Rise, Sechura Desert, Sustainable Food Production, Tropical Zones, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Weather

From Peru’s wild landscapes to Florida’s farms: Scientist harnesses microbes to protect agriculture, environment

by Lourdes Mederos
August 17, 2025

For Florida growers, Jose Rolando’s research is focused on promoting healthier soils, reduced input costs and crops able to withstand droughts, heat and shifting weather patterns. For consumers, it aims at more sustainable food production ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Amazon Rainforest, Andes Mountains, Coastal Wetland, Crops, Department Of Microbiology And Cell Science, Droughts, Ecosystem Services, Farmer, Fertilizer, Florida Bay, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Georgia Institute Of Technology, Grower, IFAS, Indian River Lagoon, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, José Rolando, Lima, Lourdes Mederos, Mangroves, Microbiologist, Microbiology, National Institute Of Agricultural Innovation, News, Peru, Public, Sea Level Rise, Sechura Desert, Sustainable Food Production, Tropical Zones, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Weather
Sunflowers

Plant Survival in Hardee County: Understanding Water, Nutrients, and Smart Plant Choices

by Jonael Bosques
July 14, 2025

Welcome to the summer rainy season in Hardee County! Geographically, your home sits on a unique blend environmental zones with a diverse subtropical weather puzzle —hot, humid summers with frequent thunderstorms punctuated by dry spells ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Livestock, Natural Resources, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Biology, Crops, Extension, Farm, Fertilizer, Florida, IFAS, Nutrients, Plants, Water
Florida Gators logo

Long-time UF/IFAS Extension agent inducted into national agriculture hall of fame

by Megan Winslow
July 7, 2025

Bob Hochmuth grew up on a 1,000-acre vegetable farm on Maryland’s eastern shore. As a child, he watched his father and two uncles manage the farm, and the three men were always busy. They didn’t allow anyone to disrupt their work. Except ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agent, Agriculture, Blue Dye, Bob Hochmuth, Crops, Dave Woodward, Eric Simonne, Extension, Extension Mentor Of The Year, Extension Professional Of The Year, Farmer, Florida Farm Bureau Federation, Grower, Hall Of Fame, IFAS, Inductee, Induction, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Kevin Athearn, Live Oak, Megan Winslow, NACAA, National Association Of County Agricultural Agents, NFREC-SV, North Florida Research & Education Center – Suwannee Valley, Regional Specialized Agent, Regional Specialized Extension Agent, Research, Robert Hochmuth, Robert Miller, Scott Jensen, Support, SV Ag Update, Terri Hochmuth, Tyler Jones, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Vegetable, Water Conservation, Watermelon

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