UF/IFAS Extension Agent: North Florida Watermelon Acres Up At Least 10%

Clint ThompsonFlorida, Watermelon

By Clint Thompson North Florida watermelon producers have the majority of this year’s crop in the ground … and there is a lot of it following a substantial increase in acres. “I think the consensus is there is an increase in acreage in this vicinity. Exactly how much? It seems like it’s 10% more,” said Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida …

UF/IFAS Scientists Hope to Lengthen Shelf Life of Artichokes

Clint ThompsonArtichoke, Florida

It is the heart of Florida’s artichoke season. When consumers go to the grocery store, they want this favorite to be ripe and fresh. But the vegetable has a short shelf life – about two days at 62 degrees, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experts say. UF/IFAS researchers are using genetics to preserve artichokes an …

UF Tomato Breeder Discuss New Role at GCREC

Clint ThompsonFlorida, Tomatoes

Jessica Chitwood-Brown is the new tomato breeder at the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). Chitwood-Brown coordinates the lab where she earned Ph.D. and conducted her post-doctoral research, in the northern end of Florida tomato country. She’s taken the position of her doctoral adviser, Sam Hutton, at the GCREC.  “I really admire Sam, so I have a …

UF/IFAS Plants Grown in Space Flown Home

Clint ThompsonFlorida

ET may have phoned home, but plants from a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experiment were recently flown home from the International Space Station (ISS). Plants, specifically Arabidopsis thaliana, grown from seeds by astronauts in the ISS were harvested, launched on a return capsule that touched down to Earth and shipped to eager researchers at …

UF/IFAS Research Unlocks Control Methods Against Thrips Parvispinus

Clint ThompsonFlorida

The invasive thrips parvispinus is a tiny, elusive insect that has spread across Florida with a growing appetite for various fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops. Since it first emerged in a central Florida greenhouse in 2020, the pest has caused significant damage to various industries and even spread to residential areas. In South Florida, the gardenia and mandevilla production industries experienced major …

UF/IFAS Extension Receives $2.7 Million in Strategic Funding to Upgrade Technology Infrastructure

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Data-driven decision making is at the core of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). To support this effort, Extension will receive a software makeover with $2.7 million in strategic funding from the office of UF President Ben Sasse. “IFAS is one of UF’s powerhouses, positively shaping the future of Florida’s agricultural industry,” Sasse said. “The …

UF/IFAS Blueberry Scientist Named Horticulture Crop Breeding Endowed Chair

Clint ThompsonFlorida

A veteran blueberry researcher has been named the University of Florida’s Horticulture Crop Breeding Endowed Chair, recognizing the royalties generated by the fruit varieties he’s developed for global farming and consumption. Patricio Muñoz, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor of horticultural sciences, was recently awarded the professorship by J. Scott Angle, UF interim …

UF/IFAS Research: Is Calabaza the Next Great Gourd for Southeast Growers?

Clint ThompsonFlorida

If you have eaten at various Caribbean, Central or South American restaurants, you might be familiar with a specialty pumpkin called the calabaza. It is the center of the plate for a team of University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers hoping the gourd is ripe for a new industry in the Southeast. With two years …

Mechanical Harvesters a Key Focus of UF/IFAS Tomato Breeding Research

Clint ThompsonFlorida, Tomatoes

By Clint Thompson Sustainability in the tomato industry likely will rely on automation. It only makes sense for tomato breeding research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) to focus on developing varieties that can be harvested mechanically. Edgar Sierra, a post-doctoral researcher at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, discussed tomato breeding …

UF/IFAS Food Safety Expert Provides Scoop on Holiday Leftovers

Clint ThompsonFlorida

When it comes to holiday planning, the last item on anyone’s list is a bout with food poisoning. “Most people are lulled into a false sense of security because foodborne illnesses are rare,” said Keith Schneider, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) food safety expert in the UF/IFAS food science and human nutrition department. “You …