Hope Growing in Citrus Research
For citrus growers across the Southeast, researchers at the University of Florida say a long-running field trial may finally be pointing toward more resilient citrus trees.
Earlier this year, researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS, completed harvest activities at the “Millennium Block” research grove in Fort Pierce, Florida. According to UF/IFAS, the seven-year project includes roughly 5,000 trees being evaluated for tolerance to HLB, also known as citrus greening disease.
Researchers are studying different citrus variety and rootstock combinations under real-world growing conditions while analyzing fruit quality, yields, sugar levels, acidity, and overall tree health.
UF/IFAS says citrus greening continues threatening production across citrus-growing regions, and researchers hope the project will help identify commercially viable trees growers can plant in the future. Findings from the project are expected later this year.
