Tropical Insights: Tropical Fruits and Climate Change with Drs. Jonathan Crane & Edwin Gutierrez

Tropical Insights: Tropical Fruit Crops and Climate Change in Southern Florida

Join us in this fruitful conversation on the production of tropical fruits in Southern Florida and the challenges posed by climate change. Our guests are Dr. Jonathan Crane, Associate Center Director and Tropical Fruit Crop Specialist, and Dr. Edwin Gutierrez, Postdoctoral Associate at the Plant Ecophysiology lab, from the Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead. They will provide valuable insights into the tropical fruit crop production in the region and the anticipated changes under evolving climate conditions. As extreme weather becomes more frequent, the growers will face significant challenges cultivating these crops in South Florida. The increasing cultivation of tropical fruits in Central Florida, is expected, with avocados and mangoes emerging as promising additional alternatives in that area. Considering these challenges, exploring new alternatives is crucial, as the diversity of planted cultivars and crops is key to the industry’s sustainability.

Host: German Vargas