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Welcome

The Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida is a team of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to improving fruit and vegetable production for the benefit of farmers and consumers. Florida’s climatic diversity and the facilities at UF provide opportunities for research with temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical crops on a nearly year-round basis. We conduct cutting-edge research in plant breeding & genetics, plant and environmental physiology, fruit & vegetable production, postharvest physiology, biochemistry, and other disciplines. We offer high-quality education and training for undergraduate and graduate students to equip them with the skills needed to be successful in satisfying, high-paying careers. Our diverse faculty is located throughout the state, integrating our research/teaching/extension programs to provide practical experience for our students, technical support for our farmers, relevance for our horticulture industry, and a pipeline to bring leading research from our labs to you.

 
Agriculture

UF researchers find tomato plants resistant to devastating disease

University of Florida researchers may have found the key to developing tomatoes that can resist a catastrophic disease. Although it has been around for 50 years, target spot of tomato has become increasingly problematic during the last few years. The disease causes lesions in both leaves and fruits. It’s commonly found in the tropics and the subtropics worldwide. Target spot of Read More

Agribusiness

New app is quick reference for perishable transport pros

FoodTransport, a free new app from University of Florida postharvest experts, provides brief but authoritative recommendations for shipping perishable foods via truck or rail. The user-friendly app is the next step in a years-long project that started in 2017 when the UF/IFAS scientists began working to revise and digitize a USDA handbook last updated in Read More