The use of highly HLB-tolerant genotypes as interstocks on a tree with a Swingle rootstock and a Valencia scion infected with HLB is offering hope for help against HLB, Jude Grosser reports. Grosser is a plant breeder with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. “Virtually every …
Jude Grosser: Giving Growers Better Options
By Tacy Callies Some people start young adulthood by following in their parents’ footsteps. Jude Grosser began by following the path of his oldest brother, Tim, instead. Both went to Thomas More College and majored in biology. After that, their education and careers took different turns. Grosser thought he would work in wildlife or fisheries, but then had an opportunity …
Update on Thermotherapy Research
Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation As early as 1965, high-temperature treatments were shown to reduce HLB bacterial infection without killing the tree. Trials [Ehsani, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)] using portable, semi-transparent, plastic houses were placed over trees, achieved temperatures of above 120 F for several hours over several days, and reduced …
Root Biologist Joins UF Fight Against Citrus Greening
By Robin Koestoyo, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences An inventive fruit tree researcher has joined the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center. Lorenzo Rossi is the center’s first-ever root biology professor and will support the university’s statewide Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ commitment to restore Florida’s $9 …
UF/IFAS Researchers Awarded $10.5M to Work on HLB Resistance/Tolerance
With citrus greening devastating Florida’s $8.6 billion-a-year citrus industry, three University of Florida scientists will use $10.52 million in federal grants to study ways to help growers cope with the disease, including research on genetic editing that may produce potentially resistant fruit and trees. Since greening — or huanglongbing (HLB) — was first reported in Florida in 2005, Florida’s citrus …
Dialoging to Climb Out from the HLB Hole
By Bill Castle and Pete Spyke There’s an old story that goes something like this: A farmer was out walking one evening and fell into a hole deep enough to require help to get out. Later, another farmer was walking by and jumped into the hole. The farmer in the hole was astounded and asked, “Why did you do that?” …
HLB Resistance Update
Updates on the search for trees that are resistant to HLB drew more than 40 growers and others to an OJ Break in Bartow on Jan. 9. Leadoff speaker Fred Gmitter, a plant breeder with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, discussed an effort to see if so-called “survivor” trees might offer a solution. Survivors are …
UF/IFAS, Tropicana Test Promising New Citrus Varieties for Greening Tolerance
Grafted orange trees showcased at the 100th anniversary of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) may give the state’s citrus growers new reason to hope the industry can cope with the citrus greening crisis, UF/IFAS researchers say. University of Florida scientists and Tropicana are teaming up to test promising new UF/IFAS-bred …
Super-Root Mutants for HLB
A citrus nursery employee has found super-root mutants that might offer hope for developing trees that are less susceptible to HLB. The employee is Beth Lamb, a tissue culture expert at Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus breeder Jude Grosser tells about her discovery. “She discovered some mutants of some of the …
Plant Biostimulants — Snake Oils or Beneficial Substances?
By Ute Albrecht and Sarah Strauss Recent years have seen an explosion of products termed “biostimulants” as alternatives to traditional chemical products to improve plant growth and productivity, and to enhance the sustainability of agricultural systems. Although there is currently no legal definition of biostimulants, they are usually defined as “substance(s) and/or microorganisms that when applied to plants or the …
Millennium Block Resurrected for HLB Research
An approximately 35-acre research plot that fell victim to citrus canker years ago will soon become a new research site helping growers pick trees that fare best with HLB. The plot at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce will keep its former name, the Millennium Block. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …
Agenda
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See Science in Action at CREC’s 100th Anniversary Celebration
Oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and limes. Most people think of these as signature plants of Florida, but scientists have traced their origins back millions of years and across continental land masses, said Fred Gmitter, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor of horticultural sciences. Scientists can describe the evolutionary paths of your favorite citrus, from prehistoric …
Progress on Engineering HLB-Tolerant/Resistant Citrus
By Manjul Dutt and Jude W. Grosser Huanglongbing (HLB) threatens the survival of the Florida citrus industry. Both conventional cultivars and genetically engineered cultivars that can grow in the presence of HLB have been developed at the University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. Among the two citrus improvement techniques, engineering citrus remains the fastest …
A Look Back at 100 Years of Citrus Innovation
By Beverly James, Alec Richman, Brad Buck, Samantha Grenrock and Tom Nordlie The year was 1917. In April, the United States entered World War I. Florida’s population was fast approaching 1 million, and agriculture was the state’s most important economic driver. Citrus cultivation, introduced to Florida 400 years earlier by Spanish explorers, had spawned an industry following the Civil War. …
Greatest CREC Accomplishments
Editor’s note: This article is part of the special coverage on the 100th Anniversary of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, found in the October 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. By Tom Nordlie Throughout the Citrus Research and Education Center’s (CREC) 100-year history, the collective efforts of its faculty and staff have supported Florida citrus growers in myriad …
Citrus Production in Argentina
By Stephen H. Futch and Ariel Singerman In May of 2017, we visited the northwestern citrus production region of Argentina in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán. The purpose of the trip was to learn more about Argentina’s citrus industry and programs being developed to deal with both the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and huanglongbing (HLB). Argentina has a …
Bactericides, Psyllids and HLB-Resistance/Tolerance
At a recent meeting of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) Commercial Product Delivery Committee, approximately half of the agenda was devoted to bactericides and HLB-spreading psyllids. Reflective mulch that keeps psyllids away and field trials for HLB-resistant or tolerant rootstocks and scions were also addressed. CRDF Chief Operations Officer Harold Browning summarizes some of the discussions. “The issue …
Time to Get Serious About Trialing New Scion/Rootstock Combinations
By Jude W. Grosser and Frederick G. Gmitter It’s no secret that citrus greening disease, or HLB, continues to take a heavy toll on the beloved Florida citrus industry. It has been estimated that the industry will need to replant over 3 million trees per year for the next 10 years just to get back to normal. So the million-dollar …
Fred Gmitter: Slow Road to Fast Genetics
By Ernie Neff Even Nostradamus would have struggled to predict a career path for a 25-year-old Fred Gmitter. Gmitter had quit college after three years at Rutgers University, where he studied English literature with plans to teach. He said he “became completely disillusioned” with that plan. He married, worked as a delivery truck driver and warehouse laborer, and traveled out …