Tag: Vance Whitaker

A person kneeling in a strawberry patch surrounded by green plants and ripe strawberries.

Two UF/IFAS-bred strawberries better at resisting nasty pest

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2026

Chilli thrips plague farmers worldwide, but new research from the University of Florida has found two strawberry varieties that show less harm from these pests. The finding comes through research funded in part by the USDA National Institute ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops
Tags: Chilli Thrips, Cultivars, Entomology And Nematology, Florida Brilliance, Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Host Plant Resistance, Integrated Pest Management, Kenneth Parker, Lovely Adhikary, Sriyanka Lahiri, Strawberries, Sweet Sensation, UF/IFAS Strawberry Breeding, Vance Whitaker
Man standing in a sunlit field of young plants.

UF scientists use AI technology to breed better-tasting strawberries

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2026

A tastier strawberry may come from a computer. New University of Florida research shows artificial intelligence can help scientists breed more flavor into the fruit. Consumer panels are the tried-and-true method for UF researchers to gauge ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: #aiatuf, Algorithm, Aroma, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Breeding, Computer, Flavor, Food Science And Human Nutrition, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticultural Sciences, Sensation, Strawberries, Taste Panels, UF Sensory Lab, Vance Whitaker, Volatiles

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

by Brad Buck
May 14, 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
A professor looks at a beaker in his lab.

‘Dr. Saba’ named Outstanding Graduate Educator by national horticultural society

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2026

As a University of Florida professor, Bala Rathinasabapathi spends many hours in the lab and the classroom – not to mention at his office. He puts just as much emphasis on student success as he does on his scientific pursuits. Often student ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: American Society For Horticultural Science, Bala Rathinasabapathi, Doctoral Student, Graduate Educator Of The Year, Horticultural Sciences, UF/IFAS CALS, Vance Whitaker
Hands holding a bunch of ripe strawberries with green leaves.

Fall: A time to grow and eat your own strawberries at home

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2026

While Florida is known as the winter strawberry capital of the world, you can plant strawberries at home now. Yes, fall is officially here – even if the temperatures don’t always match the calendar date. That means the air is soon going ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Breeder, Cultivars, Fall, Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Home Gardening, Horticultural Sciences, Strawberries, Vance Whitaker, Wendy Wilber
Two men examining plants in a field with agricultural machinery in the background.

First graduates of UF’s plant-breeding Ph.D. use genetics to help growers boost yields, improve shelf life, more

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2026

About four years ago, a small cohort of ambitious young scientists stepped into uncharted territory as the first students in the University of Florida’s new plant breeding Ph.D. program in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, part ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Agronomy, Ali Babar, Anandi Karn, Blueberries, College Of Agricultural And Life Science, Elissar Alam, Estafania Flores, Esteban Rios, Forage, Fusarium Wilt, Graduates, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticultural Sciences, Jessica Chitwood-Brown, Manuel Gastelbondo, Pablo Sipowicz, Patricio Munoz, Ph.D., Plant Breeding Ph.D. Program, Samuel Ipinyomi, Strawberries, Sudip Kunwar, Tomatoes, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS Plant Breeding, Vance Whitaker, Vanilla, Wheat, Xingbo Wu
Muchas fresas rojas maduras.

La temporada de fresas en Florida llega llena de dulzura

by Luz Bahder
May 14, 2026

Creado por Brad Buck, especialista sénior en relaciones públicas para UF/IFAS.  El final del otoño y la temporada de invierno en Florida no solo traen un clima más fresco y menos húmedo, sino también la llegada de las fresas cultivadas ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Consumidores, Cosecha, Cultivares, Ember, Encore, Español, Fitomejorador, Florida Brilliance, Forma Uniforme, Fresas, Fresas Cultivadas En Florida, Fresas De Florida, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pineberry, Plantas, Polk, Rendimiento, Sabor, Spanish, Temporada, Textura, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Vance Whitaker, Variedades, Vibrante
Close-up of strawberries in a clear plastic container and yellow trays.

Florida strawberry season bursts with sweetness

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2026

Florida’s late fall and winter don’t just bring cooler, less humid weather. The seasons bring the sweet burst of locally grown strawberries. Juicy, vibrant and fresh from the fields, these Sunshine State gems are waiting for you at your ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: Aroma, Consumers, Diseases, Ember, Encore, Flavor, Florida Strawberry Season, Genetics, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticultural Sciences, Pests, Pineberry, Plant Breeding, Strawberries, Strawberry Breeder, Strawberry Season, Vance Whitaker
Manos sosteniendo semillas en una placa de Petri y un tubo de ensayo.

Semillas cultivadas en Florida formarán parte de un experimento de agricultura espacial en una misión de SpaceX

by Luz Bahder
May 14, 2026

Creado por Meredith Bauer, especialista sénior en relaciones públicas para UF/IFAS. Aspectos destacados: Investigadores de University of Florida enviarán semillas a la Estación Espacial Internacional para estudiar cómo los vuelos ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Events, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultura, Arabidopsis Thaliana, Banco De Semillas De UF, Berro De Thaliana, Cabo Cañaveral, Cápsula Dragon, Condiciones Extremas, EMBRAPA, Espacial, Espacio, Español, Estrategia Espacial, Fuera Del Espacio, Genes, Genetica, Instituto Espacial Astraeus De UF, Investigadores, Jaguar Space, Laboratorio De Plantas Espaciales, Laboratorio De Plantas Espaciales Del Departamento De Horticultura, Luna, Marte, Microgravedad, Planeta Tierra, Plantas, Producción De Alimentos Y La Purificación Del Aire, Pruebas Genéticas, Resilencia, Resilencia De Plantas, Semillas, Space X, Spanish, Tierra, University Of Florida, Vance Whitaker, Vuelos Espaciales, Wagner Vendrame
Close-up of strawberries, with ripe red and unripe greenish-yellow fruit, and a white flower.

UF study traces complex history of the strawberry

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2026

If you eat fruits or vegetables, how often do you think about their history? Former University of Florida post-doctoral researcher Zhen Fan did, as he traced the strawberry back over centuries. In a new paper published in the Proceedings ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease
Tags: Chromosome, Cross, Diseases, DNA, Doug Soltis, Evolution, Florida Museum Of Natural History, Genetic Diversity, Genetics, History, Hybrid, Octoploid, Pam Soltis, Pests, Plant Breeding, Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, Species, Strawberries, Strawberry, Vance Whitaker, Zhen Fan

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