UF/IFAS
UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center

Home » UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center

UF scientist honored with ASHS Early Career Award for genetic advances in vanilla, hibiscus and hydrangeas

by Lourdes Mederos
June 12, 2025

Xingbo Wu is a rising star in the field of horticulture sciences, as recognized by the highly acclaimed American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), a leading organization with over a century of advancing horticultural research and education. The ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: American Society For Horticultural Science, ASHS, ASHS 2025 Professional Early Career Award For Research, AskIFAS, DNA, Edis, Edward Evans, FDACS, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Florida Nursery Growers And Landscape Association Endowment Fund, FNGLA, Hibiscus, Hibiscus Breeding Program, Hydrangea, Innovation And Creativity, National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, News, Nifa, Plant Breeding, Soil Conditions, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Plant Breeding, University Of Florida, Usda, Vanilla, Xingbo Wu

UF/IFAS study: Drones, AI help farmers save money, protect the environment

by Lourdes Mederos
May 21, 2025

A new University of Florida study shows how drones can do more than just take aerial pictures and videos—they can help farmers grow better hemp by seeing the health of their crops with some artificial intelligence assistance. Researchers ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: #AI, Agriculture, Agroecology, Artificial Intelligence, Canopy, Crops, Dollar Drone Company, Drone, Fertilization, Fertilizer, Flower Production, Hemp, Hemp Canopy, Hemp Research, Nitrogen, Nutrients, Plant Health, Reflectance, Tropical Research And Education Center, Zachary Brym

UF/IFAS scientists confirm hybrid termites established in Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
May 21, 2025

Scientists confirm that two of the world’s most destructive invasive termite species are not only spreading in the United States but also hybridizing – the process of two different species crossbreeding to produce a hybrid. This raises ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Home Management, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Asian Subterranean Termites, Biology, Entomology And Nematology, Formosan Subterranean Termites, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Genetic, Hybrid, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasion, Invasion Science, Invasive, Lourdes Mederos, News, Proceedings Of The Royal Society B, Structural Damage, Termite Soldier, Termites, Thomas Chouvenc
Florida avocado

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Florida avocado tree; UF/IFAS expert offers tips to grow your own

by Lourdes Mederos
April 21, 2025

With Cinco de Mayo approaching, now’s the time to dig into guacamole and even plant the tree that produces it. Florida avocados offer a fresh, tropical twist on this fan-favorite fruit that stars in so many recipes. Did you know Florida ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, HOME LANDSCAPES, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Avocado, Avocado Toast, Avocado Tree, Choquette Avocado, Cinco De Mayo, Donnie Avocado, Extension, Florida Avocado, Fruit, Guacamole, Hass, Home Landscape, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Jeff Wasielewski, Lourdes Mederos, Miami-Dade Extension, Miguel Avocado, Monroe Avocado, News, Nutrition, Prune, Russell Avocado, Simmonds Avocado, Sub-tropical Fruits, Trees, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, University Of Florida

UF/IFAS scientists discover sea-level rise threat to Florida’s endangered pine rocklands

by Lourdes Mederos
April 17, 2025

Pine rocklands are home to plants and animals found nowhere else on earth. They are also one of the world's most endangered habitats. Unique to South Florida, the Florida Keys and some islands in The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, these upland ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Forests, Horticulture, NATURAL RESOURCES, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Beneficial Fungi, Caicos, Conservation, DNA, Droughts, Ecosystem, Elena Karlsen-Ayala, Endangered Habitat, Florida, Florida Keys, Forest, Fungi, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Limestone Forest, Matthew Smith, Miami Dade, Molecular Ecology, Mycorrhizas, News, Pine Rocklands, Plant Pathology, Reforestation, Regeneration, Rising Temperatures, Romina Gazis, Salinity, Salt Intrusion, Sea Level Rise, Slash Pines, Symbiotic Associations, The Bahamas, Tropical Research And Education Center, Turks, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida

Cultivating connections: Showcasing Miami-Dade’s blooming nursery industry and the need for more research on disease

by Lourdes Mederos
March 26, 2025

With a $31.4 billion economic impact, Florida leads the nation in nursery production. Miami-Dade County ranks No.1 in production nationwide, with nurseries accounting for 84% of the county's agricultural sector. It is no wonder with the ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: American Floral Endowment, American Hort Foundation Horticulture Research Institute, Dade County Farm Bureau, FNGLA, Gardenia, Hibiscus, Hibiscus Bud Weevil, Inc., Jeffrey DeMott, Miami Dade, Miami-Dade Chapter Of FNGLA, Orchids, Palms, Redland Nursery, Silver Vase, Subtropical Ornamentals, Thrips Parvispinus, Tropical Research And Education Center, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, USDA’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative, Xingbo Wu

April 10: UF/IFAS to host free online workshop on vanilla cultivation to encourage a domestic industry

by Lourdes Mederos
March 25, 2025

Aspiring vanilla growers and seasoned agriculturalists in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are invited to a free online workshop: An Introduction to Domestic Vanilla Cultivation. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., on April 10, leading ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, EVENTS, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Systems, Crop, Cured Vanilla Beans, Domestic Vanilla Industry, Extract, Farm, Farming, Flavor And Extracts Manufacture Association, Greenhouse, Low-maintenance Crop, Plant Breeding, Puerto Rico, Spice, Sustainability, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research And Education (USDA-SSARE), UF/IFAS Plant Breeding, UF/IFAS Tropical Research And Education Center, USDA-SSARE, Vanilla, Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Planifolia, Vanillin, Virgin Islands, Xingbo Wu
Student Spotlight Image of Sisi Chen, a PhD student in Dr. Xingbo Wu's lab

Student Spotlight: Tropical Hibiscus Genetics and Breeding

by moniquescoggin
March 18, 2025

About Sisi Chen is a Ph.D. student in Dr. Xingbo Wu’s Ornamental Plant Breeding and Genetics lab. Her research focuses on evaluating the genetic and phenotypic variation of tropical hibiscus. She is also developing genomic tools for breeding ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Bioinformatics, Genetics, Plant Breeding, Research, Tropical Hibiscus, Tropical Research And Education Center

Subscribe For More Great Content

IFAS Blogs Categories