The Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture "La Mayora" was created to unite the efforts of the groups of the pre-existing Experimental Station "La Mayora" of the Spanish National Research Council (EELM-CSIC) and groups from various departments of the University of Malaga (UMA) to promote and more efficiently coordinate scientific research in intensive horticulture and subtropical fruit growing that had been developing in the two entities.