Growers who saw historic cold weather and freezes this year are still recovering from disrupted production and widespread losses. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates the freeze caused approximately $3 billion ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
As a double Gator, Dr. Christina Finegan earned both her bachelor’s and Ph.D. through UF’s Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology program, where she honed her interests in plant genetics and breeding. Her time in research labs within the ... READ MORE
Category: Academics, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life
Jaboticaba: A Unique Fruit Tree for Florida Home Gardeners By Ajay Das and Jianjun Chen Jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora) is a slow-growing, ornamental fruit tree suited to Florida’s climate (Zones 9a–11). It thrives in acidic, consistently ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
UF's Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (PMCB) Graduate Program grew from the understanding that addressing complex challenges in plant science requires collaboration. Built Against the Grain Dr. Indra Vasil joined UF in 1967, ... READ MORE
Category: UF/IFAS Teaching
By Meredith Bauer-Mitchell and Eva Sailly Highlights: UF/IFAS researchers launch study of velvet beans as a potential plant-based Parkinson’s disease treatment. The research addresses global access challenges to Parkinson’s disease ... READ MORE
Category: UF/IFAS Research
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 Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life![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).](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/hosdept/files/2026/03/UF-IFAS-Blogs-Feature-Image-36.png)
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: Academics, Crops, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Research
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: Academics, Community Volunteers, Health & Nutrition, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Often referred to as the most expensive spice in the world, saffron has been prized for thousands of years for its vibrant color, distinctive flavor, and aromatic compounds. Extracted from the red stigmas of the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus, ... READ MORE
Category: Academics, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Research
Newly Translated Publication Achachairu (Garcinia humilis), árbol frutal: botánica y cultivo comercial en el sur de Florida Por Federico W. Sanchez, Jonathan H. Crane, Haimanote Bayabil, Ali Sarkhosh, Muhammad A. Shahid, Bruce Schaffer. Este ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, , Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture