Dr. Jugpreet Singh

Assistant Professor — Tropical Fruit Breeding & Genetics

Dr. Jugpreet Singh represents the Department of Horticulture at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) in Homestead. He holds a Ph.D. in Horticultural Sciences from the University of Florida.

Dr. Singh's research and extension programs focus on improving and releasing tropical and subtropical fruit cultivars for stakeholders and consumers in Florida and beyond. His lab leverages integrated conventional and modern breeding tools to characterize desirable traits and to enhance genetic gain in the target species of interest. They specifically apply quantitative and molecular genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics methods to identify genes and molecular markers that are relevant to improve production efficiency, flavor and nutritional quality, and resistance and tolerance to biotic/abiotic stresses in tropical fruit crops. The research program also aims to develop novel methods, tools, and technologies to accelerate genetic improvement of tropical fruit crops. The extension and outreach program focuses on developing and disseminating research-based knowledge to tropical fruit growers, industry, and extension agents through suitable media. Both research and extension programs complement in providing educational information about crop cultivars, growing practices, and major issues facing the tropical fruit industry in Florida.

• Education
  • Ph.D. Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida (2014)
  • M.S. Vegetable Breeding, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India (2007)
  • B.S. Agriculture (Hons), Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India (2004)
• Publications
  • ResearchGate
  • Google Scholar
• Awards and Honors
  • Award for recognition of high-impact from UF/IFAS, 2020
  • UF Informatics Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship for "An Integrated Genomics-Modeling Approach to Train Climate Resilient Crops", 2017