CRDF Funds Fruit Drop Research, Hears Antibiotic Presentations

Josh McGill Diseases, Research

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) governing board on Jan. 25 approved a project aimed at reducing fruit drop by using potassium, zinc, gibberellic acid and the herbicide 2,4-D in different timing scenarios. The funding will allow University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher Fernando Alferez to finish two years of work that CRDF Chief …

HLB-Tolerant Tree Among CRDF Topics

Tacy Callies CRDF

Research proposals and a newly discovered tree that shows tolerance to HLB were among the topics discussed at the Dec. 7 Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors meeting. Rick Dantzler, CRDF chief operating officer, provided a summary of actions taken at the meeting. OFFICERS AND DIRECTORSCRDF officers for the next two years were determined. Rob Atchley will …

CRDF Approves Five Projects

Ernie Neff CRDF

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors acted on proposed research projects during its Oct. 26 meeting. “The board meeting was the culmination of the 2021 request for proposals (RFP) process,” CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler reported. “Of the 12 proposals considered, the board approved funding five as presented and requested revised budgets on two more. …

CRDF Update: Maximizing Funds and Testing Tree Injection

Tacy Callies CRDF

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors met on Sept. 28. Rick Dantzler, CRDF chief operating officer, shared highlights from the meeting. “The primary action was the endorsement of the idea to pull together a group of plant breeders from across the country to help us decide where to invest our funding in plant improvement,” said Dantzler. …

NVDMC, CRDF History and Updates

Ernie Neff Florida Citrus Commission

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) recently heard presentations about the history and current work of both the New Varieties Development and Management Corporation (NVDMC) and the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). NVDMCRosa Walsh, Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) director of scientific research, said from 2003 to 2005, the FCC discussed the need for a program that would develop, license …

soil

CRDF on Plant Breeding and Peptides

Ernie Neff Breeding, CRDF, Peptides

Plant breeding, project terminations and peptide discussions dominated the July 27 meeting of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) board of directors. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler provided the following report: PLANT BREEDINGWe continue to believe that plant breeding will ultimately be how we put HLB in the rearview mirror. As a result, we continue to put a …

CRDF Sets Tax; Seeks Researcher Diversity

Ernie Neff CRDF

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) board of directors on June 22 approved a 3-cents-per-box tax on Florida growers’ fruit to help fund operations for the coming year. This was the sixth year in a row the CRDF tax has been at that rate. “We feel like we have to earn it (the tax) every year,” said CRDF Chief …

CRDF Conducts Review and Aids CRAFT

Ernie Neff CRDF

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) governing board on May 25 suggested ways the agency and its chief operating officer (COO) could improve. The board also discussed operations it is happy with. “Overall, it (the board’s review) was complimentary,” said the COO, Rick Dantzler. On the room for improvement side, the board suggested “that we needed to have a …

CRDF Research Proposals Include Peptides

Ernie Neff CRDF, Research

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) received 59 proposals for funding of projects in response to the organization’s recent request for proposals (RFP). “This is the best RFP we’ve ever done since I’ve been here,” said CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler.   The deadline for submitting proposals was April 26, a day before the CRDF’s board of directors …

CRDF Selects Research Topics

Ernie Neff CRDF, Research

Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) directors on March 23 voted to request research proposals from scientists in nine topic areas for the coming year. The nine areas, mostly focusing on HLB, are: Understanding the mechanisms for increasing fruit retention in HLB trees by manipulating hormonal balance in the fruit and the tree or by altering the relationship between vegetative …

CRDF Selects Rootstocks for Trials

Tacy Callies CRDF

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) directors recently ratified the rootstock selections for the planned rootstock field trials and discussed the organization’s involvement in future research, CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler reported. The board ratified 10 rootstock selections for the new field trials, overseen by CRDF’s Select Committee on Plant Improvement. According to Dantzler, the field trials will evaluate …

nutrition

CRDF Addresses Plant Improvement, Budget

Ernie Neff CRDF

Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) directors recently received an update on planned rootstock field trials and discussed the organization’s budget, CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler reported. ROOTSTOCK TRIALSThe new rootstock trials will be overseen by CRDF’s Select Committee on Plant Improvement, which met on Oct. 22 with citrus grower John Gose as chairman. Dantzler said the field trials …

CRDF Defers Project Funding

Ernie Neff Research

Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) directors on Sept. 22 had a lengthy discussion about a nutrition research proposal from Rhuanito (Johnny) Ferrarezi. Ferrarezi is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor at the Indian River Research and Education Center. Because of budgetary concerns expressed by CRDF, Ferrarezi cut $158,000 from his original proposed project …

nutrition

CRDF Addresses Leaf Sampling and Breeding Research

Ernie Neff Research

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board recently chose leaf sampling timing and frequency as its top priority for a new nutrition research project. The board also agreed to create a Select Committee on Plant Improvement to help plant breeders decide which new cultivars should go into final field trials. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler discusses the board’s …

CRDF Looking at Peptide for HLB

Ernie Neff HLB Management

When news broke in July that University of California Riverside (UCR) scientists had found a peptide that might control HLB, Rick Dantzler quickly contacted lead UCR scientist Hailing Jin. Dantzler is chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), which was organized in Florida primarily to find ways to solve or cope with HLB. Jin had found …

soil

CRDF Sets Tax, Discusses Research Plans

Ernie Neff CRDF

The grower assessment to help fund Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) programs will remain at 3 cents per box for the 2020-21 season. CRDF directors, sitting June 23 as the Box Tax Advisory Council, approved the assessment on commercial citrus grown in Florida. “We don’t take for granted that we’re entitled to that money,” CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick …

nutrition

CRDF Acts on Bayer HLB Effort

Ernie Neff HLB Management

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) on Jan. 28 did its part to continue a Bayer Crop Science effort to develop new technologies to combat HLB. “What we agreed to do was partner with the California Citrus Research Board (CRB), Pepsi and Coca-Cola and share equally in the costs (of continuing the HLB effort) for another six months,” said …

nutrition

CRDF Has Spent $149 Million

Ernie Neff CRDF

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) has spent $149 million during 10 years of existence, Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler reports. He adds that 457 projects have been funded. Dantzler made a report on total CRDF activities to the group’s board of directors in November. He also announced a new slate of CRDF officers. “This has been quite an …

nutrition

Bayer-CRDF HLB Effort Updated

Ernie Neff CRDF, HLB Management

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) in 2017 agreed to partner with Bayer Crop Science for three years in an effort to develop new technologies to combat HLB. On Dec. 3, a Bayer representative provided a progress update to the CRDF board of directors. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler discusses the history and possible future of the endeavor. …

nutrition

Dantzler on Forecast and CRDF Research

Ernie Neff CRDF, Crop Forecast

Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler discusses the recent Florida citrus crop forecast and new CRDF research projects. Dantzler says the orange forecast of 74 million boxes was “a little lower than I thought it was going to be, but it’s about in line with what most growers thought … I think the good news …