Interest in the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation programs has increased following record funding of more than US$100 million from the Florida Legislature.
A new CRAFT initiative, the Emerging Varieties Program, will provide citrus growers with a US$40 per tree payment to plant selected unreleased or recently released varieties included on the CRAFT eligible list. Planting must be completed by June 30, 2027. Participants must commit to an eight-year term and provide annual harvest data.
John Chater, assistant professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), spoke during the August episode of the All In For Citrus podcast about the varieties on the eligible list. Several have drawn interest for their reported tolerance to HLB.
The eligible varieties include Parson Brown, Carney 2, Carney 3, Roble, Donaldson, Lennon Early R20-T30 (Parson Brown), Lennon Early R21-T36 (Hamlin), Hamlin N14-10, Sweet Orange UF OLL-DC-3-36, Sweet Orange UF OLL-DC-3-40, and CarriCea T1 or other Soilcea rootstock.
Chater also provided updates on ongoing trials and breeding work. He noted the potential of new bud lines and rootstocks, as well as yield metrics being studied across test blocks. Additional information was shared on tree inoculation methods and the use of somaclonal technology in developing new citrus varieties.
The CRAFT Foundation states that these programs aim to support growers in planting and testing varieties with potential advantages in current production environments.
Source: Citrus Industry