UF/IFAS Scientists Help National Team Breed Better Pomegranates

YOU CAN ENJOY POMEGRANATES in myriad ways. You can toss them in salads, sprinkle their seeds on yogurt or oatmeal or add them to smoothies. When you consume pomegranates, you’ll savor their sweet and sour flavor. You may be drawn not only to their taste, but perhaps to their nutritional value. They contain antioxidants that help boost your health.

- BRAD BUCK

How special is this fruit? One of the most popular varieties is literally called “Wonderful.” Scientists nationwide, including researchers at the University of Florida, soon will try to improve the “Wonderful” pomegranate and other varieties of the fruit. In Florida, research will start as soon as scientists can return to their fields and labs.

California farmers produce 90% of the nation’s pomegranates, but “Wonderful” pomegranates come from cuttings in Florida, and some Florida farmers seeking alternative crops see pomegranates as among their options.

Zhanao Deng, a professor of environmental horticulture at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), soon will collaborate with researchers nationwide to breed more disease- and pest-resistant pomegranates.