Tag: Horticultural Sciences

Gator head peeking out of the surface of water.

UF/IFAS names Mathews Paret interim Center director of Mid-Florida Research and Education Center

by Chris Vivian
August 25, 2026

Highlights: UF/IFAS appoints plant pathology leader Mathews Paret as interim director of the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center (MREC). Paret brings expertise in plant pathology, diagnostics and crop protection. Former directory ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Department Of Plant Pathology, Horticultural Sciences, Mathews Paret, MREC
Three-panel image showing a rocket launch, a gloved researcher handling a small plant sample in a laboratory tube, and a ripe passion fruit growing on the vine.

Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Garcia Uses Plant Science to Support Future Space Exploration

by Eva Sailly
August 24, 2026

Ellen Garcia is a recent graduate of Horticultural Sciences, earning her Ph.D. in August 2025 and immediately starting as a postdoctoral research associate with NASA at Kennedy Space Center in September 2025.  Her research uses hyperspectral ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth
Tags: Alumni, Alumni-feature, Dr. Ali Sarkhosh, Dr. Ellen Garcia, Dr. Tie Liu, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Department, Kennedy Space Center, NASA, Ph.D., Postharvest And Handling, Space Science, Student, UF/IFAS CALS
Close up of deep fuchsia hibiscus flower

Plant Science Student Spotlight: Afrifa Amoah-Mensah

by Eva Sailly
August 7, 2026

"My mom’s Jamaican, so I grew up drinking sorrel made with ginger and cinnamon from plants we grew in our backyard. Now I want to bring that same hibiscus into my own breeding projects and see what new varieties we can create. As a plant ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Afrifa Amoah-Mensah, Biodiversity, Horticultural Sciences, Plant Breeding, Plant Science, Student, Teaching, UF/IFAS CALS
Featured image: Adobe Stock File 291720491: Fallen tree hurricane tornado storm devastation. By Noel.

July 23: Get storm-ready at UF/IFAS workshop for HOA leaders, arborists, landscape industry, homeowners

by Lourdes Mederos
July 13, 2026

One poorly maintained tree can cause thousands of dollars in damage during a hurricane, leaving homes and neighborhoods devastated. On July 23, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is hosting “Be ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Disaster Preparation, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Arborist, Commercial Landscape, Disaster Preparation, HOA, Homeowners, Horticultural Sciences, Hurricane, Hurricane Impacts, Hurricane Preparedness, Hurricane Ready, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Landscape Management, News, Nurseries, Residential Tree Trimming, Severe Weather, Storm Damage, Tree Damage, Tree Trimming, Trees, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, University Of Florida

From fields to space farming, new tool detects crop drought stress before it’s visible

by Jamie Groh
June 30, 2026

When it comes to drought stress, timing can be the difference between saving a crop and losing it, whether in a greenhouse or the high-stakes environment of future space missions.   In a recent study published in Plant Phenomics, researchers ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Innovation, Agricultural Technology, Artificial Intelligence In Agriculture, Automated Irrigation Systems, Blog Community, Controlled Environment Agriculture, Crop Monitoring, Crop Resilience, Crop Stress Detection, Department Of Horticultural Sciences, Drought Management, Drought Stress Detection, Featured, Greenhouse Farming, Horticultre, Horticultural Science, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Department, Hyperspectral Imaging, Indoor Farming, Irrigation Management, Lettuce Plants, Mars Farming, Moon Missions, NASA Agriculture, Non-destructive Crop Monitoring, Plant Health Monitoring, Plant Phenomics, Precision Agriculture, Precision Irrigation, Smart Farming Technology, Space Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture, UF-IFAS, USDA Research, Water Conservation
People picking flowers in a garden.

Therapeutic Horticulture Program Finds a New Home

by Eva Sailly
June 17, 2026

Relocation from Wilmont to the Teaching Farm This summer, the UF/IFAS Therapeutic Horticulture Program is joining the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Teaching Farm, relocating from Wilmot Gardens. The move will connect the program more closely ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Blog Community, Events, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Community Programming, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Teaching Farm, Leah Diehl, Students, Teaching, Therapeutic Horticulture
Lauren Goldsby, UF/IFAS Extension Agent, leads a hands-on blueberry workshop for community members in Bay County.

Alumni Spotlight: Lauren Goldsby’s Path to Extension

by Eva Sailly
April 13, 2026

Lauren Goldsby’s path to becoming a UF/IFAS Extension Agent in Bay County, Florida's panhandle, wasn’t linear. During her undergraduate years at UF, she worked in the Forage Breeding and Genomics Lab and the Blueberry Breeding Lab, gaining ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life
Tags: Alumni, Alumni-feature, Bay County, Blueberry, Extension, Gerardo Nunez, Goldsby, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Department, Plant Science, Student, Teaching, UF/IFAS CALS, UF/IFAS Extension
Potted plants being fertilized. Photo taken 09-30-25

Therapeutic Horticulture Program Awarded Burpee Grant

by Eva Sailly
March 31, 2026

On the south side of UF’s campus, between UF Health Shands Hospital and IFAS’s research greenhouses, is a small team making a deep impact. The greenhouse at Wilmot Botanical Gardens is home to UF’s Therapeutic Horticulture Program, where ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Health & Nutrition, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Community Engagement, Experiential Learning, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Department, Horticulture Therapy, Leah Diehl, Mental Health, Student Health, Therapeutic Horticulture, Well-being, Wilmot Gardens
Close-up of a green artichoke with surrounding leaves.

From field to fork: UF scientists uncover the artichoke’s health power

by Brad Buck
March 24, 2026

Are you craving a nutrient-packed bite to eat? The artichoke might just be your new super-snack, a University of Florida researcher says. “Artichokes are not only a tasty vegetable, but they are also rich in nutrients that are good for ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Antioxidants, Artichoke Field Day, Artichokes, Bioactive Compounds, Consumers, Fiber, Food Is Medicine, Gardeners, Gibberellic Acid, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticultural Sciences, Plant Hormone, Shinsuke Agehara, Tie Liu
Triptych of velvet bean related research. [From Left to right] biological scientist pipettes liquids in tray; a group of velvet bean pods at the research plot in Citra; close up of soy beans cooked at home (similar to velvet beans as researchers are attempting to elevate L-DOPA levels).

Velvet Bean’s Potential for Parkinson’s Treatment

by Eva Sailly
March 20, 2026

Mucuna pruriens, or velvet bean, naturally produces L-DOPA, the precursor to dopamine and the primary compound used to manage symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. When neurons lose the ability to produce dopamine, patients ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Crop Breeding, Dr. Guodong Liu, Dr. Jeongim Kim, Dr. Kelly Balmant, Dr. Md Jahidul Islam Shohag, Food Is Medicine, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Department, Julia Ball, L-DOPA, Max Munro, Parkinson's Disease, Plant Breeding, Plant Genetics, Plant Metabolism, Plant-based Medicine, PMCB, UF Health, Velvet Bean

Subscribe For More Great Content

IFAS Blogs Categories