The significant cold snap of January 2026, which sent temperatures plunging across the Sunshine State, has become the optimal testing grounds for University of Florida scientists developing new cold-hardy avocados. The chill underscored just how valuable this research is and demonstrated that several UF/IFAS-bred avocado types can withstand temperatures that would normally wipe out commercial varieties.
José Chaparro, Associate Professor of horticultural sciences at UF/IFAS, is leading the effort to breed avocados that can thrive in North Central Florida. This ambitious goal is inspired by both personal passion and decades of UF/IFAS innovation in adapting fruit crops to challenging climates.
“I’m from Puerto Rico, and we love avocados,” Chaparro says. “But in Gainesville and North Florida, there are very few trees because the types grown in South Florida or California just can’t survive our winters.”…