Dr. Jonathan H. Crane

Associate Center Director, Professor, and Tropical Fruit Crop Specialist

Dr. Crane develops educational extension programs on tropical fruit production for producers, industry representatives, and extension agents. He updates, revises, and develops written and electronic multi-media material including but not limited to fact sheets, bulletins, video, and web-based material on tropical fruit culture in South Florida. Dr. Crane teaches a summer course on tropical fruit production and research (HOS 5555, 3 credits). This course is offered to graduate and advanced undergraduates in alternate even-numbered years. He conducts an applied research program in tropical fruit production and extends the results to the tropical fruit industry. Dr. Crane provides assistance to TREC as Associate Director as per instructions and consultations with the Center Director.

• Teaching

  The class will be held Summer Term B at the Tropical Research and Education Center. Learn more... 

  Target audience: This course offers graduate students, scientists, extension faculty, and other professionals (including experienced producers) an opportunity to increase their knowledge of tropical fruit crop horticulture and plant physiology.

  Objectives of the class:

  1. To emphasize horticultural practices of commercial tropical fruit crop management in Florida, the applied aspects of research, and explore the physiological basis for horticultural practices used in crop production of: avocado, mango, carambola, banana, papaya, pitaya, lychee, longan, mamey sapote, passion fruit, atemoya, sugar apple, guava and others.

  2. To expose students to various aspects of fruit production from other tropical areas of the world through presentations.

  3. To expose students to production practices through field visits to working orchards, nurseries, packinghouses, botanical gardens, and research/education institutions. Guest lectures will be offered in tissue culture, biotechnology, insect and disease management, genetics and plant breeding, hydrology, agricultural economics, and postharvest handling.

  4. To have students understand and be able to apply the principles, concepts, and information from the class to their own situations in production, research, and teaching.

  Brief Description: Classes are held Monday through Friday, beginning at 8:30 AM and ending between 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM daily. Typically, class lectures will be held in the mornings and field trips to commercial orchards, nurseries, and educational and research institutions will be made in the afternoon. Usually, two extended trips to other production areas in Florida are made. The course will emphasize applied aspects of research, the physiological basis for horticultural practices used, and the practices of commercial tropical and subtropical fruit crop production in Florida and the world.

  Other subject matter will include crop adaptation and selection, orchard establishment, environmental stress physiology and applied crop physiology, and modern production methods. Guest lectures will be offered in tissue culture/ biotechnology, soil and water science, environmental plant physiology, insect and disease management, hydrology, postharvest physiology and handling, agricultural economics, germplasm collection and retention, and genetics and plant breeding.

• Videos
  • Freeze Protection of Tropical Fruit Crops in Florida - Miami-Dade County
  • Freeze Protection of Tropical Fruit Crops in Florida - Outside Miami-Dade County
  • Is it feasible to grow ‘Tahiti’ limes again in Florida?
  • Laurel Wilt videos
• Websites
  • Laurel Wilt - Ambrosia Beetle (LW-AB)
  • Tahiti Lime

• Education
  • Ph.D. Horticultural Science, University of Florida, 1987 
  • M.S. Horticultural Science, University of Florida 1984 
  • B.S.  Horticultural Science, Oregon State University, 1981
• Publications
  • Extension Publications - EDIS
  • Research Publications - Google Scholar
• Awards and Honors
  • 2024 Honorary Member Award, issued by the Florida State Horticultural Society
  • 2024 Presidential Gold Medal, issued by the Florida State Horticultural Society
  • American Society for Horticultural Science 2004 Outstanding Extension Educator Award.
  • 2007 Seymour Goldweber Distinguished Extension Professional Enhancement Award. 2007. UF/IFAS, Office of the Dean for Extension.