By Robin Koestoyo
On Nov. 7, citrus growers will join University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Assistant Professor Flavia Zambon to view new citrus varieties that show tolerance to citrus greening. Zambon will guide visitors at the 2024 Millennium Block Field Day, a walk-through interpreted tour.
The Millennium Block is a seminal grapefruit trial on 20 acres at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce. Its 5,500 trees include UF/IFAS and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-bred scion and rootstock varieties.
Matt Mattia, a USDA Agricultural Research Service geneticist based at the U.S. Horticultural Laboratory adjacent to the IRREC, will join Zambon as a tour guide.
“Dr. Mattia and I will escort attendees to varieties that present tolerance to citrus greening and other desired characteristics,” said Zambon. “Visitors will see that there is more distance between trees that produce high yield, good Brix, or color from the trees that will not perform in HLB-conditions.”
Zambon emphasizes that not one variety in the Millennium Block offers all the desired traits growers seek in fresh grapefruit, but certain varieties show consistent good tolerance of the disease and other performance factors. Some of these varieties are exclusive to the Millennium Block grove.
Mattia and Zambon will escort event participants through the grove, stopping at the high-performing scion and rootstock varieties. Upon arrival, attendees will receive printed maps and data for onsite reference and personal use following the tour. During the tour, Zambon will interpret the latest findings and reference data collected since the grove’s 2019 implementation. Mattia will expand on the breeding and genetics of the experimental trees.
“With the upcoming harvest to take place this month and November, we are hopeful that we will see the same differences and continue with the yield among the variety contenders that consistently show promise for Florida citrus producers,” said Zambon.
Following the tour, attendees will sample fresh fruit harvested from the Millennium Block.
“The samples for taste tests will include varieties that show the most promise. However, the samples available for the tour date are subject to the fruit’s maturity,” said Zambon.
To sign up for the 2024 Millennium Block Field Day, register here. For more information, contact Zambon at f.zambon@ufl.edu or 772-237-1515.
Robin Koestoyo is a public relations specialist at the at the UF/IFAS IRREC in Fort Pierce.
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