Category: Fruits & Vegetables

UF/IFAS warns of emerging pest threatening South Florida crops: Two-spot cotton leafhopper detected

by Lourdes Mederos
September 15, 2025

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is alerting growers to a new pest of concern making its mark in South Florida farms and nurseries: the invasive two-spot cotton leafhopper. Measuring ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Acarology, Alexandra Revynthi, Cotton, Entomology And Nematology, FDACS, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services Division Of Plant Industry, Flowers, Hibiscus, Hibiscus Flowers, Home Gardens, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, Okra, Ornamental Hibiscus, Peanut, Plant Pathology, Potato, Soybean', Sunflower, Tropical Hibiscus, Tropical Research And Education Center, Two-spot Cotton Leafhopper, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, University Of Florida

Better mangoes, papayas and other tropical fruit: Breeding fruits consumers love, growers need

by Lourdes Mederos
August 27, 2025

Florida has long held a special place in America's fruit bowl. With its subtropical climate, the state remains one of the few parts of the continental United States where exotic fruits -- from mangoes and avocados to papayas and dragon fruit ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Avocado, Consumers, Crops, Cultivars, Diseases, DNA, Dragon Fruit, Exotic Fruits, Flavor, Florida, Gardens, Genetic Markers, Genetic Tools, Growers, Health, Jugpreet Singh, Laurel Wilt, Mango, Nutrition, Papaya, Papaya Ringspot, Pests, Production, Shelf Life, Subtropical Climate, Tropical Fruit, Tropical Research And Education Center

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, Farm Management, Forests, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, 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

Student Spotlight: Saving Florida’s avocados- a potential biocontrol

by moniquescoggin
July 16, 2025

Marielle de Moraes Berto is a fourth year PhD candidate in Dr. Daniel Carrillo’s tropical fruit entomology lab at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research & Education Center (TREC). Marielle is a native of Piracicaba, Brazil where she studied Biological ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Acarology, Avocados, Biological Control, Entomology, Tropical Fruits

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

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

May 21: Discover the sweet secrets of Florida-grown mangos at UF/IFAS online, expert-led workshop

by Lourdes Mederos
May 16, 2024

What makes Florida-grown mangos a commodity that growers and enthusiasts alike adore? Find out May 21 at a free online Mango Growers Workshop. Whether you grow, pick, pack, sell or simply enjoy mangos, scientists at the University of ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Blog Community, Crops, EVENTS, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Edward Mango, Florida-grown, Florida-grown Mangos, Jonathan Crane, Maha Chinook Mango, Mango, Mango Cultivation, Mango Season, Palmer Mango, Rosigold Mango, Southern Blush Mango, Tropical Research And Education Center

Mango season 2024 is taking shape: UF/IFAS experts offer their views

by Lourdes Mederos
May 2, 2024

Mango season is here. Mango trees on home landscapes and orchards in South Florida are working their way through the fruiting stage, making it prime time as the tiny flowers have begun to reveal tiny fruit. The 2023 mango season erupted ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Angie, Anthracnose, Charles Sims, Fairchild, Jeff Brecht, Jeff Wasielewski, Jonathan Crane, Mango, Orange Sherbet, Rosigold, Tropical Fruit, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, Yu Wang, Zill High Performance Plants

Attention growers: May 9 hybrid workshop explores climate risks, opportunities for tropical fruit production in Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
May 1, 2024

What conditions are ideal for farmers to successfully grow tropical fruit in different regions of Florida? Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) say this question is at the root ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: AgroClimate, Climate Change, Climate Risk, Clyde Fraisse, Haimanote Bayabil, Jeff Wasielewski, Jonathan Crane, Miami-Dade County, Southeast Climate Hub, Tropical Fruit, Tropical Research And Education Center, Young Gu Her

Unlocking the secrets of mites: Agricultural acarology workshop aims to increase expertise in this emerging science

by Lourdes Mederos
March 25, 2024

Mites are arachnids that are found in almost every environment with more than 55,000 described species worldwide. Some mites are classified as pests, while others are beneficial. Those who study mites are known as acarologists. Fewer ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life
Tags: Acarology, Alexandra Revynthi, Arachnids, Biological Control Practitioners, Daniel Carrillo, Entomology And Nematology, Extension, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Mites, News, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS TREC, UF/IFAS Tropical Research And Education Center

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