Category: Agriculture

From 5,000 strawberries to DNA breakthrough: Doctoral grad sweetens the future of fruit

by Brad Buck
December 18, 2025

As we enter the height of Florida’s strawberry production season, many consumers crave the taste and aroma of the fruit. That’s part of what compels Mark Porter to try to enhance those qualities.For his doctoral dissertation, Porter led ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Horticulture
Tags: Aroma, Consumers, DNA, DNA Test, Doctoral Dissertation, Flavor, Genome, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Mark Porter, Ph.D., Plant Breeding, Plant Breeding Ph.D. Program, Seonghee Lee, Sour, Strawberries, Strawberry Breeding, Sweet, Taste
A bunch of red strawberries

La temporada de fresas en Florida llega llena de dulzura

by Luz Bahder
December 3, 2025

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, Espanol, 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

Florida strawberry season bursts with sweetness

by Brad Buck
December 3, 2025

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

AI center goal to put technology directly into growers’ hands to solve problems

by Brad Buck
December 2, 2025

It’s one thing to listen to a farmer describe the challenges of battling pests, unpredictable weather or dwindling resources — and quite another to hand them a tool that can tackle those problems head‑on. Imagine technology that manages ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, UF/IFAS
Tags: #aiatuf, Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Agriculture, Center For Applied Artificial Intelligence In Agriculture, Climate, Dana Choi, Diseases, Drones, Economy, Farmers, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticutural Sciences, Kevin Wang, Nathan Boyd, Pests, Prec-ag, Precision Spraying, Prototype, Technology, Weather
A closeup of an iguana in South Florida

’Tis the season for courting iguanas: Ask IFAS unwraps bilingual guide with timely tips

by Lourdes Mederos
December 2, 2025

Just in time for the holiday season — and the start of the iguana mating period — the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has unwrapped a bilingual resource for living with one of Florida’s most ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Home Landscapes, Home Management, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Ask IFAS, Ask IFAS En Español, Bilingual, Damage, Florida Law, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Green Iguanas, Herbivores, Homeowners, Iguana, Invasive, Legal Considerations, Mating Period, News, Non-native, Personal Property, Plants, Resources, South Florida Landscape, Species, Spiny-tailed Iguanas, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Unprotected
Hands passing a dish during holiday meal.

UF experts share easy, stress-free ways to waste less, save money, enjoy the holidays

by Lourdes Mederos
November 20, 2025

  The holidays are all about good food, great gatherings and plenty of gratitude. It can be a time of extended budgets, overflowing trash bins and wasted leftovers. How does one plan with precision to maximize savings, guarantee ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Money Matters, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Work & Life
Tags: Beneficial Microorganisms, Brenda Marty-Jimenez, Budget, Compost, Cooking Temperature, Decomposition, Egg, Environmental Horticulture, Food, Food Planning, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Grocery, Holiday Meal, Holiday Savings, Josey Pearce Keener, Leftovers, Meal, Meat, Mica McMillan, Micronutrient, Overcooking, Portions, Poultry, Savubgs, Thawing, UF IFAS Extension Broward, UF IFAS Family And Consumer Sciences, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County, Undercooking, University Of Florida, Usda
A bunch of dark purple grapes resting on a yellow bin, with a close-up of a hand picking up one of the clusters.

La primera cosecha exitosa de uvas resistentes a una enfermedad da esperanzas de un renacimiento del vino en Florida

by Luz Bahder
November 13, 2025

Creado por Meredith Bauer, especialista sénior en relaciones públicas para UF/IFAS. En un hito para la agricultura de Florida, investigadores han cultivado y cosechado uvas para vino resistentes a la principal enfermedad bacteriana que ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Ali Sarkhosh, Bodega De Vino, Cabernet Sauvignon, Château Le Coeur, Consumo De Vino, Enfermedad De Pierce, Espanol, Florida, Industria, Infección Bacteriana, Investigacion, John Choquer, Mercado, Merlot, Muscadinia, Resistencia A Enfermedades, Sauvignon Blanc, Spanish, UF/IFAS, Uva Resistentes A La Enfermedad De Pierce, Uvas, Vid, Vides, Vinifera, Vitivinicola
Dead palm tree in an open field.

Innovative tool offers palm owners, growers new line of defense against trunk rot, protecting iconic trees

by Lourdes Mederos
November 13, 2025

Ever wonder why some palm varieties flourish while others suddenly bend at the trunk or topple over completely? From the iconic coconut palm to towering royal palms, these signature features of Florida’s landscapes are facing a silent ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Advancement, Biological Controls, Braham Dhillon, Canary Island Date Palms, Coconut Palm, Conservation, Date Palms, Disease, Disease Resistance, Entomology And Nematology, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Fronds, Fungicides, Germplasm Collection, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive, Leaflets, Lethal Fungus, Monica Elliott, News, Palm, Palm Landscape, Pathogens, Plant Pathology, Plant Pathology Department, Research, Resilient, Royal Palms, Thielaviopsis Trunk Rot, Trunk Rot, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research And Education (USDA-SSARE), UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Usda, USDA-ARS, Wahingtonia Palms
A field of cogongrass - ubiquitous in a field.

Can invasive plants increase tick exposure risk? Scientists reveal a surprising link to human health

by Lourdes Mederos
November 12, 2025

An invasive grass found on almost every continent and considered a pest in 73 countries isn’t just weeding out native plants, it is creating a haven for disease-carrying ticks and raising public health risk concerns. A new University of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agronomy Department, Ask IFAS, Cogongrass, Conservation Efforts, Disease, Drew Hiatt, Entomology And Nematology, Forest, Health, Human, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasion Science, Invasion Science Institute, Invasive Species, Lakeland, Lime Disease, Luke Flory, Mosquito, News, Rick, Southeast United States, Tick-borne, U.S> Forestry Service, UF, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida

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