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 …
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 …
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees Chosen for 2018
Two distinguished leaders will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame (FCHOF) during the 56th Citrus Celebration Luncheon on Friday, March 9, 2018, at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. L. Gene Albrigo, of Daytona Shores, and Marvin D. Kahn, of Sebring, will be honored at the luncheon, scheduled to take place at 11:30 a.m. Gene Albrigo has led …
Walls Aim to Keep Psyllids Out
Walls consisting of insect-proof screen held up by telephone poles hold promise for helping growers reduce the cost of controlling HLB-spreading psyllids. The walls serve as artificial windbreaks in a new model grove planted in June at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). The grove was one of numerous projects viewed by more than 500 attendees who came to …
100th Anniversary of the Citrus Research and Education Center
Officials, citrus scientists, growers and other stakeholders will gather at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred this Wednesday, November 29, for the 100th anniversary of the CREC. Dr. Jack Payne, University of Florida senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, is looking forward to the big event. …
Update on Citrus Undercover Production Systems Research
By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Alan Wright and Rhuanito Ferrarezi Authors’ note: This article was written before Hurricane Irma passed through Florida. We are still assessing the full impact and implications of storm damage to both University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus undercover production systems (CUPS) facilities and will provide updates in future articles. Citrus …
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 …
What Lies Ahead for Florida Citrus?
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 Although it’s difficult to predict future events, directors of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) …
Current Challenges to Florida Citrus
Editor’s Note: This article was written before Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida and damaged the state’s citrus industry. This article is part of the special 100th anniversary coverage of the Citrus Research and Education Center, found in the October 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. By Tom Nordlie What are the current challenges to Florida’s citrus industry? To a …
FCM Says Irma Damage Threw Off USDA Citrus Crop Estimate
Florida’s largest citrus grower organization said Thursday the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) initial estimate of the 2017-2018 citrus crop is well above the crop predicted by the results of their grower damage survey. Florida Citrus Mutual believes the agency could not accurately account for the full extent of the catastrophic damage from Hurricane Irma. Historically, the USDA has a …
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. …
Sneak Peek: October 2017 Citrus Industry Magazine
The October issue of Citrus Industry magazine celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). An in-depth article recaps the history of the University of Florida center, decade by decade. Also included is a timeline of major citrus events as well as CREC’s greatest accomplishments over the years. In addition, the issue looks at the present …
Argentinian Lemon Import Lawsuit Update
Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice asked for dismissal of the lawsuit by California lemon growers challenging a new import rule allowing Argentinian lemons into the United States. The U.S. Citrus Science Council (USCSC), representing approximately 750 family citrus farmers, filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in federal district court in Fresno, California, earlier this …
System Screens Out Citrus Greening-Carrying Insect
Imagine camping in the deep woods. You’d want a tent with mesh that prevents bugs – even those as small as gnats – from entering into your wildlife hangout. That’s the idea behind citrus under protective screens, or CUPS, which helps keep away a pinhead-sized insect that causes citrus greening, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientists …
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 …
Citrus Leprosis: a Continuing Threat in Florida and North America
By Richard F. Lee The old-timers called citrus leprosis “nailhead rust.” Prevalent in Florida in the early 1900s, the disease was first called leprosis in the 1920s by H.S. Fawcett. Although the disease was widespread in Florida at one time, it mysteriously disappeared in the mid-1960s. L.C. Knorr [University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education …
Hunt Brothers Fellowship Grows Future Citrus Industry Leaders
Even when Matt Mattia was studying tomato breeding as a master’s student at the University of Florida (UF), he was dreaming of citrus. Now a doctoral student at UF, he’s working toward achieving that dream of working in one of Florida’s most important industries. Thanks to the Hunt Brothers Fellowship, which funds graduate research in citrus, Mattia can live, work …
Management Plan for Roots of HLB-Infected Trees
By Jaci Schrekengost As huanglongbing (HLB) continues to decimate citrus crops, researchers continue to search for new, efficient ways growers can manage the disease. HLB, also known as citrus greening disease, is vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid. The disease affects the entire tree, including the roots and fruit. Tripti Vashisth, assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist at the University …
UF Researcher Working on HLB Solutions
By Jaci Schreckengost All research at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) at the University of Florida (UF) currently deals with huanglongbing (HLB) to help protect the citrus industry. “Even if we’re interested in looking into other things, this needs to be solved in order to be able to have an industry to work with in the future,” says …
UF/IFAS Microbiologist Works Toward Greening Treatment
by Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences In the same year the University of Florida’s (UF) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) celebrates its 100th anniversary, Nian Wang believes he may be close to finding the “off switch” for greening, the disease devastating Florida’s multi-billion-dollar-a-year citrus industry. Wang, an associate professor of microbiology and cell sciences …





























