Category: UF/IFAS Research

Postharvest Lab Research Targets Strawberry and Blueberry Fruit Quality and Shelf Life

by Joe McQueen
April 13, 2026

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center’s (IRREC) Postharvest Technology lab, led by Mark Ritenour, is researching how to reduce decay in strawberries and blueberries ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Food Safety, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Blueberries, Fruit Quality, Postharvest, Strawberries

Smart irrigation for lettuce: Research highlights how deficit irrigation can support growers in heat and drought scenarios

by Joe McQueen
February 18, 2026

New UF/IFAS research shows that reducing irrigation volume while increasing frequency can help lettuce growers save water, reduce production costs, and maintain crop yield, even under heat and drought stress. Sandra Guzman, assistant professor of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: #SmartIrrigationandHydrologyLab, Heat, IRREC, Lettuce

The Hidden Fungi That Could Transform How We Protect Crops

by Joe McQueen
January 30, 2026

Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center’s (IRREC) Entomopathogenic Fungi Research Laboratory are investigating fungal endophytes and their potential ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, Farm Management, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: #citrusgreening, #EPF #EntomopathogenicFungi

Harvest underway at UF/IFAS Millennium Block, providing new hope for Florida’s citrus future

by Meredith Bauer-Mitchell
January 22, 2026

Highlights: UF/IFAS launches harvest for the Millennium Block, a seven-year, 5,000-tree research project in Fort Pierce designed to identify citrus varieties and rootstock combinations that show tolerance to citrus greening, which devastates ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Citrus, Millennium Block

Fort Pierce research center to host open house; Indian River Lagoon and citrus production to be featured

by Meredith Bauer-Mitchell
October 15, 2025

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) will host its annual open house on Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2199 South Rock Road in Fort Pierce, offering ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research

University of Florida Fresh Fruit Expert Honored Twice

by Robin Koestoyo
October 17, 2024

FORT PIERCE, Fla.---An expert in postharvest technology for Florida’s fresh produce industry received two honors in a week. IRREC Associate Director and American Society for Horticultural Science Fellow Mark Ritenour’s professional ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research,

UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center honors Ph.D. student for National Smart Irrigation Month

by Robin Koestoyo
July 13, 2024

FORT PIERCE, Fla.---In this national Smart Irrigation month, we honor graduate student Eduart Murcia for his work in bringing the next generation of advanced irrigation technology to Florida food producers. Murcia is a current Ph.D. student ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: #IrrigMonitor, #Smart Irrigation Month, #UFIFASIRREC A, Eduart Murcia, IRREC, Sandra Guzmán

Research professor who investigates understudied crop roots promoted to associate professor

by Robin Koestoyo
July 9, 2024

Lorenzo Rossi understands the support system necessary to sustain a prize crop and explore other prospects. University of Florida officials recognized Rossi’s precision planning and innovational research initiatives to confront the most ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Research,

UF/IFAS postdoctoral researcher recognized for standout leadership in management and mentorship

by Robin Koestoyo
February 29, 2024

FORT PIERCE, Fla.---A woman in science with expertise in nanotechnology for crop production has been honored with a prestigious award. Xiaoping Xin is a postdoctoral research associate at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Crop Production, Nanotechnology, Natural Resources Protection, Postdoctoral Researcher, Soil And Water Science, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida/IFAS, Women In Science

Fort Pierce native agriculturalist returns to horticultural science roots

by Robin Koestoyo
July 5, 2023

A Fort Pierce native whose life is immersed in St. Lucie County’s agricultural and 4-H programs is a scientist with more than two decades of research and professional publishing experience. Last month, Audrey Hamner Beany returned to ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Clubs & Volunteers, Crops, UF/IFAS Research

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