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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Research”
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that food-service, agricultural and construction workers were among the most at-risk for dying from exposure to COVID-19. The study points out high-density workplaces in any industry are possibly high risk. The close proximity of employees in high-density workplaces creates a high risk for transmission of coronavirus disease. The …
Florida’s citrus growers are counting on research to help sustain what’s left of an industry decimated by huanglongbing (HLB). The disease remains a focal point of research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Scott Angle, vice president for agriculture and natural resources at UF/IFAS, understands the ramifications if improved HLB management options aren’t available …
By Jeb Fields (Editor’s Note: A previous Citrus Industry article described a Soilless Substrate Science project led by Jeb Fields, assistant professor and Extension specialist at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. The article noted that citrus growers are beginning to explore the potential of soilless culture. This is an update to that article.) Initially we had envisioned a physical …
The Scientific Research Advisory Committee met Jan. 21 to review recent updates from the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and to review and recommend to the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) for approval two new research proposals. The FCC serves as the FDOC’s governing board. Rosa Walsh, director of the FDOC Scientific Research Department, gave an update on the 2020–2025 Dietary …
The Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation has constructed a citrus research facility at the Docville Farm in partnership with the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter. The new facility, called the Center for Louisiana Citrus Innovation and Research, is in Violet, Louisiana. “This facility will be utilized to support Louisiana citrus growers as well as promote citrus and other specialty …
One obvious symptom of HLB is leaf chlorosis — yellow blotches appearing on otherwise dark green citrus leaves. Although chlorosis can indicate other health issues, in trees affected by HLB, it’s thought to be triggered by the underlying bacterial infection causing the disease. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant pathologist Nabil Killiny conducted a study …
A team led by the University of California, Riverside (UCR) is looking at tiny underground microorganisms for a way to prevent a huge problem — huanglongbing (HLB), a disease with no cure that has decimated citrus orchards worldwide. “Often times, it is thought of as an above-ground disease of the fruits, leaves and stems,” said Caroline Roper, plant pathology professor …
A company that recently obtained a patent for a natural peptide solution to treat HLB has received Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) funding to see if the product has efficacy for other citrus diseases. CRDF will fund the company, Elemental Enzymes, for about $61,200, said CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler. Elemental Enzymes proposes to do research “to see …
Researchers looking into the possibility that the old Parson Brown orange might fare better than Hamlins in the face of HLB will be funded by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler said the organization agreed to fund the project for $53,000 during its December meeting. The funding had been under consideration for several …
Waste from the citrus industry can provide biogas and valuable products for a range of industries, according to a doctoral thesis at the University of Borås in Sweden. “The citrus industry creates so much waste that it corresponds to between 40 and 60 percent of the total citrus mass,” said Lukitawesa Lukitawesa, who recently defended his doctoral thesis at the …
Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists have made a discovery that should help combat fastidious or “unculturable” pathogens, such as Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the HLB causal agent. HLB is also known as citrus greening disease. Kranthi Mandadi, a researcher with Texas A&M, and his colleagues have been working several years on developing new technologies to fight the fastidious pathogens. Mandadi and …
Several University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) faculty are collaborating with other universities and organizations on research, especially for HLB. Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), summarizes the work they are doing on a variety of grant-funded projects. Rogers starts with a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded project led by …
This year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated the nutrition facts label to highlight certain information, including added sugars, to help consumers make healthier food choices. A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study found that the label did not impact consumer beverage choices. “We were interested in how effective the newly updated nutrition label …
Four researchers from around the country summarized their work on culturing the causal agent of HLB and agreed to consider a large, joint culturing project. The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) hosted the panel discussion on Nov. 5 about culturing Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). CRDF organized the presentation after receiving a request for funding of a CLas culturing project …
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) recently approved three research projects aimed at further proving the health benefits of orange juice (OJ) consumption. The OJ-related projects had been recommended by the commission’s Scientific Research Advisory Committee. The projects were discussed by Rosa Walsh, director of the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Scientific Research Department, during the October FCC meeting. The FCC …
Use of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) technology has already produced trees that are highly resistant to citrus canker. In a Citrus Expo virtual presentation, microbiology and cell scientist Nian Wang reported on work that is being done with CRISPR to develop tree resistance to HLB. Wang is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …
A new, four-year study published in Public Health Nutrition found that drinking 100 percent orange juice (OJ) is not associated with negative effects on body weight, body mass index (BMI) or BMI percentile among 9- to 16-year-olds. It also found that higher OJ consumption is associated with increased height for girls and increased trends for physical activity levels in both …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) recently awarded 12 grants totaling more than $45 million for research to combat HLB. “USDA-NIFA’s Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program (ECDRE) brings the nation’s top scientists together to tackle this problem,” said Parag Chitnis, NIFA’s acting director. Following are the 12 ECDRE projects funded by USDA-NIFA …
University of Florida (UF) scientists achieved a major milestone in their quest to develop an HLB-resistant tree by sequencing the genome of a fruit plant that’s a close cousin to citrus trees. HLB is also known as greening disease. UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers sequenced the genome from trifoliate orange, in collaboration with scientists from the University …
Citrus growers are beginning to explore the potential of soilless culture. Ample opportunities exist for ever-evolving systems offering improved yield while overcoming a diminishing availability of soil fumigants and increased pest pressure. There is a need for flexibility in a constantly changing world of new production methods and regulations. Soilless culture provides an unprecedented opportunity to rethink how tree fruit …
