All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go, Floral Industry Takes Hit Due to COVID-19

With virtually every large gathering across the country canceled due to COVID-19, cut-foliage growers had nowhere to send their product, greenery used to decorate and accent bouquets. But Sunday is Mother’s Day, and some will buy flowers for mom.

Researching the Next Niche Crop in South Florida: New Breeds of Pumpkins, Calabazas Making Headway

The goal is to develop varieties of pumpkins varieties that are attractive to growers because they produce high-yielding, superior quality (flesh sweetness, texture, flavor and color) that can withstand hot, humid, and wet conditions of South Florida all year round. An additional component to the research focuses on the calabaza, also known as the Cuban pumpkin.

Updated Perishable Food Transportation Guidelines Now Available

A 1987 handbook published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s division of Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) received a 21st-century update thanks to a team led by University of Florida researchers.

Florida Growers Favor UF Blueberry Strains, and so do Competitors

As Florida blueberries begin to show up in farmers’ markets here and in grocery stores across the nation, Alachua County growers say they understand why better plant strains developed by the University of Florida are being licensed globally — including to exporters with whom they compete.

UF/IFAS-Developed ‘Florida Brilliance’ Shines on State’s Strawberry Industry

For years, University of Florida scientists looked for a few characteristics in a more desirable strawberry. Among those traits was a higher yield in November and December — the early part of the Florida season when prices are highest.