Research Archives - Specialty Crop Industry https://specialtycropindustry.com/category/research/ Vegetable and Specialty Crop News Mon, 16 Oct 2023 17:22:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.1 116110416 $3.2 M USDA Grant: CAES Leads Research to Improve Organic Onion Production https://specialtycropindustry.com/3-2-m-usda-grant-caes-leads-research-to-improve-organic-onion-production/ Tue, 17 Oct 2023 15:30:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=23277 A team of researchers from the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) is partnering with colleagues from Texas A&M University to find more effective production practices for organic onion growers in the southern United States where short-day onions — those that bulb with 11 to 12 hours of sunlight each day — are primarily grown. ...

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]]> 23277 It Is Time to Talk About Quality https://specialtycropindustry.com/it-is-time-to-talk-about-quality/ Wed, 11 Oct 2023 09:30:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=23221 By Gerardo H. Nunez Long gone are the days when blueberries were a seasonal product. Nowadays, blueberries are available at the grocery store year-round thanks to innovations in plant breeding and a flood of imported fruit. This is changing the scenario for blueberry growers in the Southeast. Suddenly, growing fruit for the early spring market is not enough. The market ...

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]]> 23221 UF/IFAS Using AI to Apply Herbicides More Efficiently https://specialtycropindustry.com/uf-ifas-using-ai-to-apply-herbicides-more-efficiently/ Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:30:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=23198 By Clint Thompson One University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher is using artificial intelligence (AI) to apply herbicides more efficiently. Nathan Boyd’s research will help growers to not make chemical applications where they are not needed. “We use artificial intelligence that we’ve trained to differentiate. You could train it to differentiate species. We’ve decided that’s ...

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]]> 23198 UF/IFAS MREC Looks for Growth Under New Leadership https://specialtycropindustry.com/uf-ifas-mrec-looks-for-growth-under-new-leadership/ Fri, 22 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=23058 By Clint Thompson The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Mid-Florida Research and Education Center (MREC) has a new director, and it is a win for Florida’s ornamental horticulture industry. Rob Gilbert, interim senior vice president at UF/IFAS, talked about the appointment of Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski, previously the associate center director at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education ...

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]]> 23058 UF/IFAS Conducted More Than $300 million in Research for Historic Fiscal Year 2023 https://specialtycropindustry.com/uf-ifas-conducted-more-than-300-million-in-research-for-historic-fiscal-year-2023/ Wed, 20 Sep 2023 10:30:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=23029 The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) reached a new record for fiscal year 2023 with more than $300 million in research expenditures. This number is up 8% from last year’s $278 million. UF/IFAS is the second-largest contributor to UF’s record-breaking $1.25 billion in research spending for fiscal year 2023, a nearly 15% increase from 2022. ...

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]]> 23029 Better Watch Out: Neopestalotiopsis Still a Concern for Florida Strawberry Growers https://specialtycropindustry.com/better-watch-out-neopestalotiopsis-still-a-concern-for-florida-strawberry-growers/ Tue, 12 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=22960 By Clint Thompson Florida strawberry growers are on the brink of planting this season’s crop. One University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) expert is cautioning producers about disease control. One disease specifically comes to mind, says Natalia Peres, professor of plant pathology at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “I think Neopestalotiopsis is still ...

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]]> 22960 UF/IFAS Leader: Plant Pathology Department Has Broad Reach on Variety of Crops https://specialtycropindustry.com/uf-ifas-leader-plant-pathology-department-has-broad-reach-on-variety-of-crops/ Fri, 08 Sep 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=22941 By Clint Thompson Mathews Paret’s appointment as the new head of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant pathology department starts on Sept. 15. It is a critical time for Paret to take over the department considering the plethora of plant diseases that specialty crop growers must manage every year in Florida. “It’s a department ...

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]]> 22941 UF/IFAS Research: On Verge of Developing Domestic Industry for Valuable Spice https://specialtycropindustry.com/uf-ifas-research-on-verge-of-developing-domestic-industry-for-valuable-spice/ Wed, 30 Aug 2023 11:15:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=22843 Vanilla takes the crown as the second most valuable spice (after saffron) and the world’s most popular flavor among consumers. University of Florida researchers in Homestead are on the verge of developing a domestic vanilla industry, poised to transform agriculture in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for interested small growers and investors. Thanks to nearly $400,000 in grants from ...

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]]> 22843 Interim Senior Vice President: UF/IFAS Vision is to Become Silicon Valley of Agriculture https://specialtycropindustry.com/interim-senior-vice-president-uf-ifas-vision-is-to-become-silicon-valley-of-agriculture/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=22789 By Clint Thompson A legislative success story this year for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will help pave the way for the future of agriculture. Rob Gilbert, interim senior vice president at UF/IFAS, discussed the financial backing that was provided to support the new artificial intelligence (AI) center at the Gulf Coast Research and ...

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]]> 22789 UF/IFAS Research: Lahiri Studies Chilli Thrips on Borders of Fields https://specialtycropindustry.com/uf-ifas-research-lahiri-studies-chilli-thrips-on-borders-of-fields/ Wed, 09 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0000 https://specialtycropindustry.com/?p=22701 By Clint Thompson University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research has yielded confirmation on why chilli thrips are an annual problem for strawberry growers, especially early in the season. Sriyanka Lahiri, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of entomology and nematology at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, talked ...

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