Category: Florida Agriculture

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson unveiled a sweeping proposal within the Florida Farm Bill aimed at safeguarding the state’s farmers, ranchers, and hunters from drone harassment. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Keith Truenow and Representative Kaylee Tuck, seeks to prohibit the use of drones…

Read More Florida Farm Bill Proposes Protections Against Drone Harassment For Farmers And Hunters

Florida’s multi-million-dollar pet fish trade is skyrocketing. But in the Sunshine State, only 10% of that industry breeds salt-water fish. And yet, demand for real-life, ocean-dwelling Dorys and Nemos is greater than ever. This leaves a big gap for Florida fish farmers who want to…

Read More UF/IFAS’s Pet Fish Breeding Research Is Saving Reefs, Creating Florida jobs

Managing orange groves in Florida – a state prone to hurricanes and citrus greening disease – is no easy task. But for fifth-generation citrus grower and University of Florida alum Morgan McKenna Porter, it’s a passion. “[Growing up], I developed a love for the outdoors, thanks to…

Read More Carrying On A Family Tradition: UF/IFAS CALS Grad Inspires The Next Generation Of Citrus Growers

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson unveiled sweeping proposals under the 2025 Florida Farm Bill on Tuesday, taking a bold stand against environmental, social, and governance (ESG) lending practices that threaten the state’s agricultural industry. The bill, sponsored by Senator Keith Truenow and Representative Kaylee…

Read More Florida Farm Bill 2025: Ag Commissioner Takes Aim At ESG Lending Discrimination To Protect Farmers And Ranchers

Vegetable growers use herbicides to kill weeds to prevent crop loss. Meanwhile, a University of Florida researcher is using artificial intelligence to reduce herbicide sprayed on crops. “We are building multiple AI-powered herbicide application units, each of which works in different ways,” said Nathan Boyd,…

Read More AI Technology Uses Less Herbicide To Kill Weeds

From vibrant tropical fish for aquarium enthusiasts to succulent shellfish served as the center of the plate, Florida’s aquaculture industry serves as an economic powerhouse and a national leader. In 2022, the state’s tropical fish sales alone totaled $62.4 million, with many other species adding…

Read More Behind The Scenes: How UF/IFAS Risk Assessments Sustain Florida’s $191M Aquaculture Industry

Science tells us invasive species are always on the move. Scientists face a challenge in simulating their spread and further predicting where they will go next. Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences took a deep dive to understand why…

Read More University Of Florida Researchers Develop New Model To Predict Invasive Species Spread

Florida’s struggling citrus industry received another blow on Tuesday as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revised its production forecast for the current season downward. The latest report projects that Florida will produce just 11.5 million boxes of oranges this season, a significant drop from…

Read More Florida’s Citrus Industry Faces Further Decline As Production Forecast Drops Again

Trust in scientific experts – even more than understanding their work – is the strongest predictor of support for artificial intelligence applications in agriculture. The finding is among conclusions reached by a new UF/IFAS study exploring Americans’ perceptions of AI-supported food and agriculture systems. “This…

Read More Trust In Scientific Experts Key To Public Support For AI In Agriculture, UF/IFAS Study Finds

As you nibble on a chocolate truffle or bite into a chocolate-dipped strawberry on Valentine’s Day, consider the elongated, ribbed pods of the cacao tree, which made that sweet treat possible. A group of UF/IFAS plant pathologists has partnered with the Mars confectionary company to…

Read More UF/IFAS Researchers Partner With Mars To Combat Cacao Disease