The application window for Cycle 4 of the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program is expected to open in early October and remain open for a period of 60 days. Projects approved for year four of the CRAFT program in Florida will have a planting deadline of June 2024.
CRAFT is working to finalize a presentation of factors of interest and participation rules. Those will be posted to CRAFT’s website for growers to review as soon as possible.
Cycle 4 has been approved for funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Multi-Agency Coordinating group. CRAFT has also responded to the recent Citrus Research and Development Foundation request for proposals for large-scale scientific research field trials and demonstrations for additional funding to support Cycle 4.
Since 2019, CRAFT has worked with growers to develop a total of 148 projects conducted by 77 grower entities in the first three cycles. CRAFT projects account for 6,238 acres of newly planted solid and reset citrus groves across 15 counties and cover all major citrus-growing regions in Florida. Rootstock/scion trials account for 2,267 of the acreage in CRAFT, followed by 1,260 acres in tree/soil nutrition trials, 1,240 acres in reset trials, 826 acres in biostimulant trials and 735 acres in pest management trials. The average size of a CRAFT project it 42.75 acres.
All of the Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 projects have been completely planted and are fully involved in the data collection process. Grower participants are actively submitting production data to the CRAFT data portal. CRAFT partners — Aerobotics and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry — are collecting tree health and pest management data.
Cycle 3 projects are beginning to go in the ground and will all be fully planted by June 2023. Upon completion of planting, Cycle 3 growers will also begin submitting data.
Questions regarding the CRAFT program may be directed to CRAFT Executive Director Tamara Wood at tamara@craftfdn.org or 863-698-9276.
Source: Florida Citrus Mutual
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