Page 13 - Strategic Plan

the most conducive to the new pests and disease pressures. Scientists have predicted that climate change/variability will have its greatest impact in these regions. Therefore, there is an urgency to de- velop new crops and improve existing crop systems to be more resilient to biotic and abiotic stresses. In addition, we cannot continue to view agriculture as simply a provider of food, feed, fiber, and fuel but must view it as the environmental steward that it is and acknowledge that agriculture can be an ef- fective means to conserve our natural resources.
There is no doubt that American agriculture has been and continues to be one of the most success- ful agricultural development models of our time. The land-grant system, which combines teaching, research, and extension, has been the foundation of this success. Future challenges require that ag- ricultural institutions continue to evolve and adapt their programs and structures to protect the natu- ral resource base while increasing sustainable pro- ductivity. As pointed out in the study titled Science Breakthroughs to Advance Food and Agricultural Research by 2030, continued success in agriculture will require a shift in the way the research commu- nity approaches its work to support trans-disci- plinary research, and advance critical scientific technologies in sensing, data acquisition, mining and analysis of agri-food informatics, genomics, precision breeding, and microbiomes. Tomorrow’s agriculture must be both climate smart and inno- vative. The implication is that there will be the need for new investments in technology and innovation and greater coordination of efforts between and among public and private institutions at national, regional, and international levels.
1.3 South Florida Agriculture and Natural Resources
Nursery and floricultural crops are important ag- ricultural commodities in Florida, which is second only to California in national sales of these crops. An enormously diverse selection of ornamental crops places ornamental plant production among the largest Florida agricultural commodity groups. Florida dominates the U.S. market for tropical fo- liage crops. With over 90% of national sales, Mi- ami-Dade County leads the state in the number of certified nurseries (1,355). In 2017, the Coun- ty’s nursery, greenhouse and floriculture sale was
valued at $697.4 million representing 83% of the County’s total value of agricultural sales (USDA Ag- Census 2017).
South Florida’s subtropical environment supports a diverse and robust horticultural industry, but it also creates a challenging situation for pest and disease management in ornamental plant produc- tion. The overall mild climate with hot, humid sum- mers, along with heavy tourist traffic, is very con- ducive to rapid pest and disease development. The major nursery production areas have increasingly populous urban centers, where water quality and quantity issues have become critical. Additionally, central and southeast Florida counties drain into or border on environmentally sensitive areas lead- ing to the Everglades and Biscayne National Parks and Florida Bay. Despite these challenging issues, nursery and greenhouse growers are producing an exceptionally diverse number of ornamental plants sold locally, regionally, nationally, and internation- ally.
Major Constraints
• Increased introduction of exotic insect and dis- ease pests.
• Increased land values curbing the establish- ment of new nurseries in Miami-Dade County.
• Increased environmental regulations and asso-
ciated costs.
• Increased labor and other input costs.
Enabling Conditions
• Increased diversity of crops grown and techno- logical expertise of the industry.
• Climate that is conducive to growing a large number of ornamental and landscape plants year-round.
• Continued expansion of the US ornamen- tals market.
• Increased number of core disciplines at UF/ IFAS/TREC that provide research and extension support.
South Florida Vegetable Crops Industry
Although vegetable production in the area has declined somewhat, the industry remains a major contributor to the Miami-Dade County and south Florida economies. In 2017, sales of vegetables from Miami-Dade County exceeded $86 million, representing 10% of the total market value of the County’s agricultural products. Sales had an eco-
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