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University of Florida
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Postdoctoral Associate in Disease Management and Germplasm Evaluation of Winter Vegetable Crops University of Florida in United States
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Agriculture
Funding
Grant-funded, time-limited postdoctoral position with funding available for up to one year. Salary is commensurate with education and experience.
Deadline
Nov 19, 2026
Country
United States
University
University of Florida
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About this position
The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences invites applications for a postdoctoral research associate at the Everglades Research and Education Center (EREC) in Belle Glade, Florida. The project focuses on disease management and germplasm evaluation in winter vegetable crops, especially celery and lettuce.
The primary research area is management of celery early blight caused by Cercospora species. The postdoctoral associate will identify and evaluate locally sourced biological control agents through laboratory and greenhouse studies, develop fungicide spray programs, and integrate drone-based disease monitoring with artificial intelligence. Work will include fungicide-sensitivity assays and field trials assessing biological control agents, fungicide efficacy, and application timing at EREC and in commercial growers’ fields.
A complementary component will screen lettuce germplasm for disease resistance and tolerance to abiotic stresses. Drone-based phenotyping will be used to assess plant responses. The researcher may also investigate emerging diseases in winter vegetable crops and characterize their causal agents through microbial isolation and culture maintenance, pathogenicity testing, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing, sequence analysis, and phylogenetic-tree construction.
The role combines laboratory, greenhouse, and field research with applied agricultural collaboration. The associate will work with growers, support field days and Extension communication, contribute to grant proposals and peer-reviewed manuscripts, mentor students, and coordinate daily research activities within the EREC and UF/IFAS research environment.
Funding details
Grant-funded, time-limited postdoctoral position with funding available for up to one year. Salary is commensurate with education and experience.
What's required
Applicants must hold a Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in Plant Pathology or a related field and support the mission of the Land-Grant system and UF core values. Preferred qualifications include proficiency in statistical analysis using R, Python, or similar software; experience processing and analyzing drone imagery with Agisoft Metashape, PIX4D, QGIS, or similar software; a drone pilot license; grant-writing and peer-reviewed publication experience; strong written and oral communication skills; and the ability to mentor students and coordinate research activities. The successful candidate must possess or obtain an appropriate pesticide applicator license, be able to conduct outdoor fieldwork in hot and humid conditions, and be eligible to work in the United States.
How to apply
Apply through the University of Florida Careers portal by 11:55 p.m. Eastern Time on November 19, 2026. Submit a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, a curriculum vitae, and contact information including email addresses for three referees. An official transcript is required upon hire.
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Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.