IMMOKALEE, Fla. – The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) helps citrus growers better forecast their production. So far, they’ve found in a University of Florida preliminary study, its technology predicts yields with 98% accuracy. That’s a substantial increase from the 75% to 85% accuracy growers get when they count their trees manually, said Yiannis Ampatzidis, a UF/IFAS associate professor of …
Weed Identification: Identify Pests with New Tool From UF/IFAS
Proper weed identification is key in eradicating it from the landscape or a field. University of Florida/IFAS has developed a set of resources for homeowners and vegetable growers to follow to avoid misidentification. “If you don’t take the time to identify the weed first, often times you may treat it incorrectly,” said Chris Marble, associate professor of environmental horticulture at …
UF/IFAS’ Night in the Tropics on Nov. 6
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The University of Florida/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center will host One Night in the Tropics on Nov. 6. The event will take place amid tropical fruit-filled orchards and ornamental plants that grace the grounds of the campus in Homestead. Silent auctions and live music will set the stage from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. for an …
Favorable Outcome for UF/IFAS
The 2021 Florida legislative session will be described in the history books as unique. COVID-19 protocols resulted in empty and eerily quiet hallways in the Capitol. Masks and regular COVID-19 tests were required, and citizens and lobbyists made public comments virtually from a building blocks away from the Capitol. The beginning and end of the session were polar opposites. Based …
UF Scientist: Understanding the Past is Really a Window to the Future
LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — University of Florida scientists aiming to find a solution to citrus greening disease are looking to the past to hopefully find the answer. In a new study, published in Nature Communications, UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences collaborated with an international team of scientists and analyzed 69 genomes from the East Asian mandarin family, alongside their …
UF’s Natalia Peres ‘Optimistic’ About Strawberry’s Future in Florida
By Clint Thompson Natalia Peres, Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, is confident Florida’s strawberry industry will survive Neopestalotiopsis Fruit Rot Disease. But it will take time. “The industry has faced challenges before with other diseases like anthracnose. It’s one that has been devastating in the past, and we have been …
Drought-Less Region: Sufficient Moisture Remains in Alabama, Florida and Georgia
According to Thursday’s release of the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of the Southeast continues to have sufficient moisture amid a wet summer. No areas of Alabama or Georgia are abnormally dry. Only a small part of Miami-Dade County in Florida is abnormally dry. South Carolina has sufficient moisture, except for a small region across the northwest part of the state. …
Papaya Popularity Prompts UF/IFAS Research Trial
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Popularity in papaya prompted University of Florida scientists to conduct a research trial. The results, just published in Scientia Horticulturae, examines 21 different varieties ripe for growing in South Florida for fruit quality, aroma, plant height and yield components. “This research is timely as growers are looking for higher value crops that resonate with consumers,” said Alan …
Hemp Update: UF/IFAS Pilot Project Yields Interesting Results
The University of Florida/IFAS’ two-year Industrial Hemp Pilot Project yielded interesting findings, though further research is needed. Variety trials showed some promising aspects of hemp genetics for grain and flower production in Florida. Key factors impacting genetics that will also determine the crop’s success include planting date, fertility management and pest control. Many varieties exceeded the 0.3% total THC threshold …
Ph.D. in Plant Breeding: UF/IFAS to Offer Program
By Clint Thompson Students interested in earning a Ph.D. in plant breeding can now turn to the University of Florida/IFAS as their collegiate home. The Florida Board of Governors granted approval to the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences to start a Ph.D. Plant Breeding program, which will begin in August. “We certainly have had a long history of …