Can Scientists Speed up Growth of Citrus Trees?
The ability to kick-start the growing process of plants is a superpower that has a universal appeal for producers of all crops. A new University of Florida research project aims to improve citrus plant performance and productivity by providing breeders with traits to enhance the photosynthesis of cultivated crops.
Research Provides Insights Into Citrus Greening Disease
Researchers used molecular plant pathology approaches to dissect the mechanisms of the ongoing tug-of-war between the citrus host and the bacterial pathogen that causes citrus greening disease.
University of Florida Citrus Faculty Highly Sought After as Research Partners in Fight Against Greening
University of Florida citrus researchers continue to be sought out as partners in ground-breaking research projects to fight Huanglongbing, also known as citrus greening disease.
Was the Secret to Save Citrus Trees Just Unlocked?
Has modern science finally caught up with citrus greening scourge (aka, HLB)? Apparently, University of Florida scientists have taken a giant step in their quest to develop a citrus greening-resistant tree by sequencing the genome of a fruit plant that’s a close cousin to citrus trees. According to UF/IFAS researchers, you’d need to print 54,000 pages of paper to […]
UF Scientists Make Big Stride Toward Greening-Resistant Citrus Trees
University of Florida scientists achieved a major milestone in their quest to develop a citrus greening-resistant tree by sequencing the genome of a fruit plant that’s a close cousin to citrus trees. UF/IFAS researchers sequenced the genome from trifoliate orange, in collaboration with scientists from the University of California at Berkeley, the U.S. Department of […]
UF/IFAS Researchers Try to Reduce Fruit Drop, Increase Yield in Valencia, Hamlin Oranges
UF/IFAS citrus scientists Tripti Vashisth and Fernando Alferez are trying to reduce the amount of fruit that drops from Hamlin and Valencia trees prior to harvest. If fruit drops, growers can’t harvest it, and that leads to losses for farmers and less fruit at the market for consumers. Normally, about 10 to 15 percent of […]
Growers, Researchers Seek Citrus Varieties Resistant to Citrus Greening
UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Services hosted citrus growers, packers, processors, gift-fruit shippers, and others the chance to taste, feel, and smell the latest varieties they’ve bred at their Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. Guests sampled more than 50 varieties of citrus fruits. They then filled out a survey gauging their […]
A Breakthrough in the Battle Against Citrus Greening
Washington is known for apples, but researchers at Washington State University — along with colleagues at the University of Florida — may have discovered a long-sought holy grail in the quest to stem citrus greening, the disease that has decimated Florida’s flagship crop. WSU scientists are able to grow the bacteria that causes citrus greening […]
Automated System Would Deliver Chemicals to Help Ward Off Citrus Greening
Imagine using a robotic arm to grip and puncture the trunk of a citrus tree to deliver chemicals into the vascular parts of the plant, reducing its susceptibility to the citrus greening disease. Ozgur Batuman, an assistant professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, leads a team […]
UF/IFAS Scientist to Work with Team Developing New Greening-Tolerant Citrus
When Nian Wang pieces together sequences of genes, he hopes to make citrus varieties that are more tolerant to the deadly disease known as greening, which has devastated a multibillion dollar-a-year industry in Florida. Wang, a professor of microbiology and cell science with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, will help […]