Category: Blog Community

Scientists will use $1M grant to build a support system addressing sea level rise and flooding in South Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
July 17, 2025

A team of University of Florida scientists has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to tackle one of South Florida’s most urgent environmental threats: groundwater flooding and saltwater intrusion caused ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Disaster Preparation, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Ashley Smith, Biochemistry, Conservation, Eban Bean, Edward Evans, Flood, Flood Mitigation, Flood Risk, Food And Resource Economics, Grant, Green Infrastructures, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Mangrove Restoration, Miami, National Science Foundation, News, Rain Gardens, Saltwater Intrusion, Sea Level Rise, Soil And Water Sciences, Soil Sciences, Southeast Florida, Stormwater, Stormwater Runoff, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida, Young Gu Her, Zachary Brym

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

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

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

UF/IFAS team secures $5M USDA grant to expand avocado production into Central Florida, combat Laurel wilt disease

by Lourdes Mederos
December 12, 2024

Scientists with the University of Florida have secured a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to combat the lethal Laurel wilt disease and the redbay ambrosia beetles responsible ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, EVENTS, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Pests, Avocado, Avocado Cultivation, California, Climate Change, Diseases, Florida Avocado, Florida Crops, Florida Economy, Growth, Insects, Jeffrey Rollins, Jonathan Crane, Kentucky, Laurel Wilt, Mexico, Miami-Dade County, Mitigation Strategies, Nifa, Pests, Red Ambrosia Beetle, Redbay Ambrosia Beetle, Research, Sustainability, Tropical Research And Education Center, U.S. Department Of Agriculture, Usda, USDA National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, USDA-NIFA, Workshop

Commissioner Danielle Cohen-Higgins to launch Miami-Dade Farmers Month at 10th Annual One Night in the Tropics

by Lourdes Mederos
October 23, 2024

On Nov. 2, District 8 Miami-Dade County Commissioner Danielle Cohen-Higgins will inaugurate Miami-Dade Farmers Month at the 10th annual One Night in the Tropics. This much-anticipated UF/IFAS philanthropic event will take place from 6 p.m. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: 10th Annual One Night In The Tropics, Agricultural Education And Communication, Celebration, District 8 Miami-Dade, Dormitory, Edward Evans, Graduate Housing, Graduate Students, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, Miami-Dade Farmers Month, News, Pauline O. Lawrence Student Residence, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS

UF/IFAS, Miami-Dade FNGLA chapter to honor South Florida horticulture pioneers John DeMott and Charles Buster

by Lourdes Mederos
October 14, 2024

The Miami-Dade County Chapter of the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) will dedicate the “Charles S. Buster and John C. DeMott Greenhouse” at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) in Homestead ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Blog Community, Conservation, EVENTS, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Alpha Foliage, Carol DeMott, Charles S. Buster And John C. DeMott Greenhouse, Charles “Chuck” Buster, Chuck Buster, Commercial Horticulture, Edward "Gilly" Evans, Edward Evans, FNGLA, Horticultural Sciences, Horticulture Pioneers, Inc., Jackie Torres, Jeffrey DeMott, John DeMott, Margie Buster, Miami-Dade Chapter Of FNGLA, Miami-Dade County Chapter Of The Florida Nursery Growers And Landscape Association, News, Plant Science, Redland Nurser, Trailblazers, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS, Vanilla, Xingbo Wu

Dragon fruit workshop spurs excitement and collaboration for a robust industry in Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
July 31, 2024

Dragon fruit is a heart-healthy superfood, low in calories and fueled with plenty of fiber and antioxidants - and it’s in high demand among consumers worldwide. An increasing number of consumers are growing this fruiting cactus vine ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Blog Community, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Dragon Fruit, Jonathan Crane, Romina Gazis, Super Fruit, Superfood, U.S. Department Of Agriculture, U.S. Dragon Fruit Industry, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, UF/IFAS TREC Plant Diagnostic Clinic, USDA National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, USDA-NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative

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