Florida is a national leader for producing plants such as tropical, foliage and house plants. The Sunshine State's nursery, greenhouse, landscape, and garden industry generates more than $30 billion in output sales and provides more than 266,000 jobs statewide, according to a 2022 study by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association and Farm Credit of Central Florida.
However, the industry is going through a labor shortage due to multiple factors, including immigration policies, recent hurricanes, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, scientists are hoping to replace outdated and tedious systems to make production smoother and keep nursery growers in business longer.
Robots instead of people may soon be potting, fertilizing, and watering plants, along with spraying weed and insect killers, thanks to a federal grant that aims to tackle the industry's labor challenges.
Read more at WUSF