UF and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have received more than $4.57 million to study specialty crops in Florida.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture grants will fund research for 34 Florida projects, including 24 studies by the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced about $118 million in grants to state agricultural departments to improve specialty crops, according to the USDA.
Mary Duryea, a professor and associate dean for research with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences said with the grant, UF/IFAS can focus on Florida’s specialty crops such as blueberries and strawberries.
“Florida is a leader as a specialty crop state,” Duryea said. “We’re No. 1 in the U.S. in production of oranges, grapefruits, tropical foliage, sweet corn, sugar cane, beans, green beans, bell peppers, watermelons and tomatoes.”
One project will focus on strawberry breeding. The study will look into gene sequencing to strengthen strawberries against disease and increase their production. Elise Stoddard, a 22-year-old agricultural education and communication junior, said people often underestimate how much the USDA contributes to agricultural research.
“The fact that we are getting that large a sum in grants is a great way to show the USDA’s support in what we are doing,” she said.
Duryea said that she is excited that these grants will be supporting IFAS’s many research goals. More than 400 researchers will be working on these projects, studying topics like genetically altering crops to increase yield and to make better quality, sweeter strawberries.
In a press release, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources Jack Payne said the awards show UF and IFAS are vital to the agricultural needs of Florida and the country.
