By Peter Chaires
Commercial and nursery growers, processors, packers, suppliers, caretakers, associations and research scientists came together on Dec. 5 to participate in the A.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm Open House and Field Day. This great event is co-hosted annually by the Florida Citrus Research Foundation (FCRF) and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS).
Photo by Frank Giles
TOUR
The event provided a broad overview of USDA-ARS citrus research. After opening comments from Phillip Rucks of FCRF and Scott Adkins of USDA-ARS, folks loaded up for a wagon tour that made eight stops. Each stop offered an overview of current research projects and findings. This included a citrus rootstock seed block (Rucks), new avocado plantings (Anne Plotto and Erin Rosskopf, USDA-ARS), citrus rootstock trials (Kim Bowman, USDA-ARS), an FCRF early-season orange trial (Rucks), the original Donaldson tree (Matt Mattia, USDA-ARS), a black spot update (Clive Bock, USDA-ARS) and the scion breeding block (Mattia).
Photo by Frank Giles
FRUIT DISPLAY
At the conclusion of the tour, attendees were treated to a display of USDA-ARS citrus and avocado varieties for sampling. Survey data was collected to help inform decisions related to consumer acceptance and potential releases. Citrus varieties included selections for the fresh and processed markets.
USDA-ARS has a strong focus on developing orange-like hybrids with favorable traits for the juice stream. Fresh grapefruit and specialty fruit are also focal points of this research. Many of the citrus varieties included in the display show good early HLB tolerance. Plotto and Rosskopf also provided updates on avocado research, focused on disease tolerance, productivity and superior eating quality.
STAKEHOLDER CONNECTION
One of the most valuable aspects of this event is the opportunity for communication between research teams and stakeholders. There is always plenty of time for reconnecting with old friends, establishing new connections, exchanging ideas and partaking in Q&A with the USDA-ARS researchers. There is something for everyone!
The A.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm was established in 1959 and is owned and managed by the FCRF. The foundation board of directors is comprised of 15 volunteers from various sectors of the industry. Phillip Rucks of Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery currently chairs the board of directors. The foundation has enjoyed a long and beneficial relationship with USDA-ARS, and the farm serves as an important location for USDA-ARS citrus research. Many of the USDA-ARS varieties currently under development are planted at Whitmore and also in Fort Pierce, to determine suitability and performance in both production areas.
The FCRF and USDA-ARS are grateful to gold sponsors Florida Citrus Mutual and Wedgworth’s, Inc. Mutual again provided an outstanding BBQ chicken and rib meal courtesy of Rusty Wiygul and Kevin Metheny, and Wedgworth (represented by Sean McCrate) helped defray the cost of rented items for the event. New Varieties Development & Management Corp. (NVDMC) was also a sponsor and assisted with planning and communications. Sincere appreciation goes to the Florida Department of Citrus for its continued support of foundation and farm activities.
Peter Chaires is executive director of NVDMC.
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