New Funding for CRAFT Emerging Varieties Program

Tacy CalliesCRAFT, financial

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation recently provided information about a new funding opportunity for growers participating in the Emerging Varieties (EV) Program. CRAFT received additional funding from the Florida Department of Citrus, which will be used to reimburse growers for some of their costs associated with the royalties for five of the varieties included in the EV …

director

Florida Citrus Show To Feature CRAFT Insights

Tacy CalliesCRAFT, Events, FCS24, Florida Citrus Show

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation has been a lifeline to Florida’s citrus industry in the battle against HLB. CRAFT’s programs provide incentives for new plantings and existing tree therapies in exchange for growers submitting data for those projects. In 2025, CRAFT received more than $100 million dollars from the state legislature to fund more cycles of the …

CRAFT

Sharing CRAFT Knowledge at the Florida Citrus Show

Daniel CooperCRAFT, Events, FCS24, Florida Citrus Show

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation has been a lifeline to Florida’s citrus industry in the battle against HLB. CRAFT’s programs provide incentives for new plantings and existing tree therapies in exchange for growers submitting data for those projects. CRAFT then analyzes that data for trends and potential solutions. Another key mission of CRAFT is sharing the results …

program

CRAFT Issues Program Updates

Daniel CooperCRAFT

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation recently reported it has already issued more than $12 million in grower payments for CRAFT Year 7 programs and completed more than 600 contracts. Executive Director Steven Hall issued the following program updates:  FAST TRACK PROGRAM CYCLE 7 TRADITIONAL PROGRAM EMERGING VARIETIES PROGRAM CRAFT expects to begin issuing contracts for the Emerging …

CRAFT

CRAFT Provides Program Updates

Daniel CooperCRAFT, planting

The Citrus Research and Field Trial Foundation (CRAFT) recently reported it has processed more than 2,000 applications for its Year 7 programs. It has received more than $207 million in eligible applications across all program areas, with approximately $106 million available for funding projects this year. FAST TRACK All eligible Fast Track applications have been funded, and 220 contracts have …

craft

CRAFT Informational Meetings Draw Big Interest

Daniel CooperCRAFT, planting

With a record amount of funding from the Florida Legislature, the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation hosted a road show in early September that included stops in Fort Pierce, Lake Placid and Lake Alfred to provide information about grower programs. All three stops were well attended by growers interested in learning about the latest cycle of funding. With …

CRAFT

Applications Open for CRAFT Programs

Tacy CalliesCRAFT

Applications are being accepted for the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) seventh program year. Applications must be submitted at the CRAFT website by Oct. 3. Here is a summary of available 2025 CRAFT programs:    TRADITIONAL NEW TREE PLANTING PROGRAMThis program evaluates grower recommended rootstock/scion combinations in real-world commercial conditions. FAST TRACK NURSERY STOCK PROGRAMThe CRAFT board has identified …

CRAFT

CRAFT to Put $104.5 Million to Work

Daniel CooperAs Seen On Instagram, CRAFT

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation recently announced that the Florida Legislature allocated an historic amount of funding to citrus research in the 2025–26 state budget. CRAFT is expected to receive $104.5 million of the allocated funding to continue applied research through large-scale field trials. The CRAFT Foundation is designing new programs with this investment. Information about the upcoming …

CRAFT

CRAFT Continues to Push New Plantings and HLB Therapies

Daniel CooperCRAFT, Events

During the recent Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference, Steven Hall provided an update on the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) programs. Hall is executive director of the CRAFT Foundation. CRAFT programs have been very popular among growers to incentivize new plantings and build knowledge about HLB therapies like trunk injection, the use of individual protective covers, plant growth regulators …

programs

Update on CRAFT Programs

Daniel CooperCRAFT

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation recently provided an update about its programs: EXPEDITED PROPAGATION The supplemental Program for Expedited Propagation application period closed April 30. Contracts should be issued to the selected projects in May.  EXISTING TREE THERAPY The CRAFT board of directors approved amendments to all Existing Tree Therapy (ETT) Round 1, 2 and 3 contracts …

replanting

Strong Interest in CRAFT Foundation Projects

Daniel CooperCRAFT

By Steven Hall The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation received applications in Cycle Six for almost 10,000 acres of New Tree Planting (NTP) proposals and applications for nearly 47,000 acres for inclusion in Cycle Three of the Existing Tree Therapies (ETT) program. WAITLIST ESTABLISHED This demand exceeded the funding available for both programs. The selected applicants have received …

CRAFT

Funding Available for More CRAFT Plantings

Daniel CooperCRAFT

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation board of directors has approved the opening of a supplemental Program for Expedited Propagation (PEP) Solid Set Planting application window. The application link is live here. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on April 30. PEP projects must be solid-set plantings of scions released as part of the Florida Department of Citrus- …

Programs

Status Update on CRAFT Programs

Daniel CooperCRAFT

The application window for the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) New Tree Planting Cycle Six and Existing Tree Therapies Round Three closed in November. Updates on the programs follow. NEW TREE PLANTING CRAFT received 227 New Tree Planting applications, including 13 solid set projects featuring plant material from the Program for Expedited Propagation, 50 traditional solid set projects and 164 …

director

CRAFT’s New Director Discusses Program Progress

Daniel CooperCRAFT

Recently, Steven Hall joined the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation as its new executive director. The CRAFT Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) direct support organization of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry. It was incorporated in June 2019 to act as mechanism to direct and manage a broad-scale field-trial program to determine …

program

CRAFT Extends New Tree Planting Application Deadline

Daniel CooperCRAFT

The application deadline for Cycle Six of the traditional Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) New Tree Planting Program has been extended until 5 p.m. on Nov. 15. The extension will give growers impacted by recent storms the opportunity to evaluate their new tree planting plans and consider submitting applications for the CRAFT program. The application deadline for Round Three …

applications

CRAFT Applications Open Until Nov. 1

Daniel CooperCRAFT

Applications are available online for Cycle Six of the traditional Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) New Tree Planting Program and Round Three of the Existing Tree Therapies Program. Growers may submit their applications until 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1.  The CRAFT board of directors, with the help of the Technical Working Group, has established a list of factors …

director

CRAFT Foundation Has New Leader

Daniel CooperCRAFT

Steven Hall on July 8 succeeded Tamara Wood as executive director/program manager of the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation. Wood will return to her former full-time employer Florida Citrus Mutual after a short period helping with the transition to Hall. Hall most recently served as assistant deputy commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), …

CRAFT

CRAFT Program Promotes New Planting and Knowledge

Daniel CooperCRAFT, planting, Research

Since its founding in 2019, the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program has been responsible for the planting of just under 10,000 acres of new trees. This includes about 6,000 acres of solid-set groves and just shy of 4,000 acres of resets. CRAFT is a first-of-its-kind program and considered an innovation among funding agencies needed to support such efforts. …

cycle 2

California’s CRaFT Accepting Cycle 2 Applications

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Psyllids

California’s Citrus Research and Field Trials (CA-CRaFT) program is now accepting Cycle 2 applications from commercial growers. This initiative aims to showcase the efficacy of additional control measures against the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). ACP is the carrier of the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus bacterium causing huanglongbing (HLB) disease in citrus. For Cycle 2, applications will be accepted until program capacity …

CRAFT program

Update on Florida’s CRAFT Program

Daniel CooperCRAFT, Florida Department of Citrus

Florida’s Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) board of directors recently approved a slate of Cycle 5 solid set Program for Expedited Propagation (PEP) projects following recommendations from the Technical Working Group. Eleven projects totaling 455 acres were approved. Projects will focus on comparisons of five scions (Parson Brown, Roble, Carney 2, Carney 3 and Donaldson) on the same rootstock. …