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    Florida Sustainable Agriculture

    Florida Sustainable Agriculture

    Research

    Enhancing Seed Production of Regionally Adapted Crops in the Southeastern Farmer Seed System

    Yukina savoy seed pod measured post-harvest
    Yukina savoy seed pod measured post-harvest in the UF Environmental Horticulture seed biology lab in Gainesville, FL (PC: M.T. Davidson)

    Research Objectives

    1. Assess relationships between fruit/seed phenology and physiological aspects of seed development to identify harvest timing thresholds for maintenance of seed quality
    2. Compare desiccant-based drying technologies that maintain quality of crop seeds produced in warm, humid environments
    3. Develop a socio-ecological model of farmer decision-making that accounts for the roles of economic factors, farmer expertise, known and unknown risks, and potential benefits
    4. Perform quantitative economic and risk analyses that examine the economic feasibility of new production methods for selected crop seeds

    Project Details

    This work is supported by Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) project no. LS19-315 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. View the final project report.

    • Activities

      Project Timeline

      Season Activity Location
      Fall 2019:
      Sept – Dec      		 Yukina savoy planted (year 1) Siembra Farm
      UF Field and Fork Farm
      Frog Song Organics Farm
      Spring 2020:
      Jan – Apr      		 Yukina savoy flowers tagged:
      • fruit phenology study
      • seed development study
      • seed desiccation study
      		 Siembra Farm
      UF Field and Fork Farm
      Frog Song Organics Farm
        Yukina savoy seeds harvested:
      • seed drying experiment
      • seed storage experiment
      		 Siembra Farm
      UF Field and Fork Farm
      Frog Song Organics Farm
         Milkweed planted (year 1) Florida Wildflower Cooperative Farm
        Bellevue butternut planted (year 1) Siembra Farm
      UF Field and Fork Farm
         Cowpea planted (year 1) Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
      Summer 2020:
      May – Aug      		 Bellevue butternut flowers tagged:
      • fruit phenology study
      • seed development study
      • seed desiccation study
      		 Siembra Farm
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Bellevue butternut seeds harvested:
      • seed drying experiment
      • seed storage experiment
      		 Siembra Farm
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Milkweed flowers tagged:
      • fruit phenology study
      • seed development study
      • seed desiccation study
      		 Florida Wildflower Cooperative Farm
        Milkweed seeds harvested:
      • seed drying experiment
      • seed storage experiment
      		 Florida Wildflower Cooperative Farm
        Cowpea flowers tagged:
      • fruit phenology study
      • seed development study
      • seed desiccation study
      		 Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
      Fall 2020:
      Sept – Dec      		 Cowpea seeds harvested:
      • seed drying experiment
      • seed storage experiment
      		 Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Yukina savoy seed experiments (year 1):
      • storage assay
      • growth experiment
      • field establishment study
      		 UF Seed Biology Lab
        Bellevue butternut seed experiments (year 1):
      • storage assay
      • growth experiment
      • field establishment study
      		 UF Seed Biology Lab
      Spring 2021:
      Jan – Apr      		 Producer Expert Panel Meeting (1) Virtual
        Yukina savoy planted (year 2) Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Cowpea seed experiments (year 1):
      • storage assay
      • growth experiment
      • field establishment study
      		 UF Seed Biology Lab
        Yukina savoy flowers tagged:
      • fruit phenology study
      • seed development study
      • seed desiccation study
      		 Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
      Summer 2021:
      May – Aug      		 Yukina savoy seeds harvested:
      • seed drying experiment
      • seed storage experiment
      		 Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Bellevue butternut planted (year 2) Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Cowpea planted (year 2) Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Milkweed flowers tagged:
      • fruit phenology study
      • seed development study
      • seed desiccation study
      		 Florida Wildflower Cooperative Farm
        Milkweed seeds harvested:
      • seed drying experiment
      • seed storage experiment
      		 Florida Wildflower Cooperative Farm
        Bellevue butternut flowers tagged:
      • fruit phenology study
      • seed development study
      • seed desiccation study
      		 Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Bellevue butternut seeds harvested:
      • seed drying experiment
      • seed storage experiment
      		 Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
      Fall 2021:
      Sept – Dec      		 Cowpea flowers tagged:
      • fruit phenology study
      • seed development study
      • seed desiccation study
      		 Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Producer Expert Panel Meeting (2) Virtual
        Cowpea seeds harvested:
      • seed drying experiment
      • seed storage experiment
      		 Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
         Yukina savoy planted (year 3) Siembra Farm
      The Family Garden
      UF Field and Fork Farm
        Yukina savoy seed experiments (year 2):
      • storage assay
      • growth experiment
      • field establishment study
      		 UF Seed Biology Lab
    • Photos
      • Bellevue Butternut
    • Team Members

      University of Florida

      Hector PerezHector Perez, Ph.D. (Lead Project Investigator)

      Department of Environmental Horticulture
      352-273-4503
      Email
      Website

      Jorge Ruiz-MenjivarJorge Ruiz-Menjivar, Ph.D.

      Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences
      352-294-1380
      Email
      Website

      Tere DavidsonTere Davidson, M.S.

      Department of Environmental Horticulture
      Email
      Website

      Kaylene SattannoKaylene Sattanno, B.S.

      Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences
      352-273-3530
      Email

      Working Food

      Melissa DeSaMelissa DeSa, M.S.

      Community Programs Director and SeedEO
      Email
      Website

      Collaborating Farms

      • Siembra Farm    
      • The Family Garden
      • UF Field and Fork Farm  
      • Wildflowers of Florida, Inc.
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    Contact

    Feedback
    Florida Sustainable Agriculture
    3031D McCarty Hall D Gainesville, FL 32611
    (352) 273-3538

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