Tag: crops

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

by Lourdes Mederos
May 5, 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 28, 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

UF/IFAS awarded 1st Ph.D. plant breeding program in Florida, one of few in USA

by Brad Buck
April 13, 2026

Working in labs and fields across Florida, a new generation of students will start earning a Ph.D. in plant breeding from the University of Florida – the first program of its kind in Florida and one of a few in the nation. The UF/IFAS College ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Artificial Intelligence, Citrus, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, Corn, Crops, Elaine Turner, Environmental Benefits, Fiber, Forage, Gene Editing, Genetics, Global Food Security, Hunger, Lettuce, New Program, Peanuts, Ph.D., Plant Breeding, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Vance Whitaker
Cluster of unripe green tomatoes on the vine amidst leaves.

UF scientists receive grant to study fumigation impacts on soil health

by Brad Buck
April 2, 2026

Soil health is an important aspect to strawberry and tomato production. Farmers often apply a type of pesticide called fumigants to the soil months before planting to manage soil health. Fumigants reduce harmful diseases such as Fusarium ... READ MORE

Category: Pests & Disease
Tags: Crops, Fusarium Wilt, Gary Vallad, Grant, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Mary Lusk, Nathan Boyd, Nitrogen, Root-knot Nematodes, Sarah Strauss, Soil Health, Soil Microbes, Soil Microbiome, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Soil-borne Diseases, Southwest Florida Research And Education Center, Strawberries, Tomatoes, USDA-NIFA
People loading large cabbages onto a green John Deere tractor outdoors.

UF/IFAS research gives back food year-round

by Brad Buck
March 31, 2026

UF/IFAS research and education centers (RECs) grow fruits and vegetables all across Florida to develop growing techniques and cultivars that benefit farmers. These centers are spread from Jay in the Panhandle to Homestead in Southeast Florida. So, ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, UF/IFAS
Tags: Alan And Cathy Hitchcock Field And Fork Pantry, Crops, Field And Fork Gardens, Food, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Hastings Agricultural Extension Center, North Florida Research And Education Center-Suwannee Valley, Plant Science Research And Education Unit, Research And Education Centers, West Florida Research And Education Center
A flooded field with rows of submerged crops and dry plants in the background.

UF ag engineer to assess crop damage after tropical storms, hurricanes, using AI

by Brad Buck
March 31, 2026

University of Florida scientists will use artificial intelligence technology to quantify damage to fruits and vegetables caused by extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Ian. When Ian struck on Sept. 28, it brought winds up to 155 mph ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Agrosense, Agroview, Artificial Intelligence, Assessment, Crops, Damage, Drones, Extreme Weather, Hurricanes, Model, Southwest Florida Research And Education Center, Yiannis Ampatzidis

Nutrient Management for Vegetable Growers in the Florida Panhandle

by Abbey Smith
March 30, 2026

Best Management Practices (BMPs) for water quality enhancement and conservation are essential to the long-term sustainability of agriculture and natural resources in Northwest Florida. BMPs allow producers to gain knowledge and understand how ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Crops, Horticulture, Nutrition, Panhandle Agriculture, Vegetable
Aerial view of green agricultural fields with rectangular plots, separated by narrow paths and patches of water.

New public-private partnership allows UF/IFAS scientist to work on growing plants, storing carbon in clay soil

by Brad Buck
March 27, 2026

In a new, public-private partnership, University of Florida scientist Zachary Brym wants to see if he can utilize plants to store carbon in clay soil in Polk County. Eventually, he’d like to see how collections of crops and other plants can ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Agroecology, Agronomy, Carbek, Carbon, Carbon Sequestration, Crops, Ecosystem Services, Plants, Polk County, Regenerative Agriculture, Soil, Soil Health, Tropical Research And Education Center, Zachary Brym

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

by Lourdes Mederos
March 11, 2026

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, Archive, 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
Close-up of a broccoli head with leaves, covered in water droplets.

UF scientists finding new way to keep broccoli – and perhaps other vegetables — fresher, longer

by Brad Buck
March 11, 2026

When consumers go to the grocery store, they want their produce, including broccoli, to look, feel and taste fresh. This desire compels University of Florida scientist Tie Liu to study ways to keep vegetables fresh. In newly published research, ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Aging Process, Archive, Broccoli, Cold Chain, Controlled Atmosphere, Crops, Fresh, Horticultural Sciences, Jeff Brecht, Molecular Mechanisms, Plant Breeding, Postharvest, Produce, Tie Liu

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