By Shinsuke Agehara Craft beer brewed with Florida hops sounds very attractive. But can hops be grown in Florida? Will the crop produce high yields? The most important question is: Will it be profitable? There are lots of rumors, myths and hype about growing hops in the Sunshine State. That’s probably because hops have never been grown commercially in Florida …
Establishing an Olive Industry in Florida
By Michael O’Hara Garcia With weather and soils similar to the Mediterranean Basin, olives grow in Florida and throughout much of the southeastern United States. Currently, Florida has approximately 800 acres of olives under active cultivation by 60 to 80 individual farmers in 20 counties. The groves range from backyard hobby plots with several trees to high-density commercial operations of …
Coming Soon: White Strawberries From the Wild
By Seonghee Lee and Vance M. Whitaker The University of Florida will soon commercialize a new strawberry variety. It doesn’t have a name yet, but it is already drawing attention for a very unusual characteristic. When it is ripe and ready to eat, it is white inside and out, with a slight pink blush on the exterior and red seeds. …
Trialing and Developing Blackberries for Florida
By Zhanao Deng Blackberry has emerged as an alternative crop in Florida. More and more Florida growers are growing or trialing blackberries for commercial production. They have indicated a dire need for suitable blackberry cultivars that can yield well and produce berries of good quality. PAST CULTIVARS AND RESEARCH In the 1950s, University of Florida (UF) released two blackberry cultivars, …
Bioengineered Sentinel Plants Could Help Protect Future Crops
By Jenelle Patterson As a plant molecular biologist, I often hear tales of gardening mishaps or plant-related tidbits from my friends and family. A few years ago, a friend excitedly relayed her experience at a Niagara wine tour, where the tour guide explained that they grow rose bushes at the end of each row not only for aesthetics, but as …
UF/IFAS Awarded USDA Grant to Lead Multistate Research, Study Disease Resistance in Lettuce
By: Lourdes Rodriguez, 954-577-6363 office, 954-242-8439 mobile, rodriguezl@ufl.edu BELLE GLADE, Fla. – Lettuce is one of the top 10 vegetables cultivated in the United States and for good reason. Romaine, iceberg, leaf and butterhead types of lettuce are staples in refrigerators around the world. Used as a basis for salads, as a topping for burgers and sandwiches, as a bread …
UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project Research Expands to On-Farm Trials
By: Tory Moore, 352-273-3566, torymoore@ufl.edu As the UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project moves into its second year, on-farm research trials begin with commercial growers across the state.Twenty farms across 12 Florida counties were selected for the UF/IFAS on-farm trials. These farms are in different agricultural regions to provide a variety of conditions to study the growth and success of hemp …
UF/IFAS Appoints Interim Director of Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center
By: Lourdes Rodriguez, 954-577-6363 office, 954-242-8439 mobile, rodriguezl@ufl.edu DAVIE, Fla. – Jack Rechcigl has been appointed as interim Center Director of the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (UF/IFAS FLREC). On May 12, Rechcigl stepped in to oversee the operations and research at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, previously led by retiring center director Robin …
UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project: Progress and Plans
By Lourdes Rodriguez Just past the midpoint of a pilot project to study if industrial hemp grows well in Florida, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are already looking ahead to see what more they can learn. The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project team of scientists is engaged in a two-year research project started with hemp plantings in the spring of 2019. A report on the project’s findings will go …
Coronavirus Pandemic affects UF/IFAS Research Programs
By Clint Thompson The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on agricultural research programs at the University of Florida/IFAS. Some research has been halted since quarantine and social distancing rules were put in place in early March. “It is definitely having an impact on our research. We are slowing down many of the projects because there’s not a safe …