Progress Surrounding Citrus Being Sucked Into A Vacuum

In eras gone by, new citrus varieties would be studied in replicated field trials throughout the production areas, covering a range of rootstocks, soils, water, and other variables. Data would be gathered, compiled, studied, and published. This process was an effective vetting that would either result in adoption by industry, release for niche uses, or rejection. However, there was no impending sense of doom from deadly diseases, no urgency to the process, and existing varieties were performing quite nicely. Today is a much different story.

Getting On Track

The FAST TRACK program, a model supporting early release along with trial and potential commercialization of fresh UF/IFAS citrus selections, requires participating nurseries and growers to share information about their experience. Licensed FAST TRACK growers/nurseries will (minimally) complete an annual written survey, but also will likely be required to participate in grower-group conversations.

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Although the fruit of citrus selections included in the FAST TRACK program demonstrated commercial market potential, information supporting production, economic, and postharvest viability has not yet been collected. Questions about rootstocks, soil adaptability, salinity tolerance, disease tolerance, pollination, productivity, postharvest performance, etc. all remained unanswered. There was broad consensus that grower trials and grower groups would need to feed information into the system. Doing so would not replace long-term trials, but would provide a bank of information from which growers could make reasonably informed planting decisions. Through this process, the industry is able to access material much earlier than previously possible.

Close-up of Sugar Belle LB 8-9

Photo courtesy of UF/IFAS

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Similar to selections entering the FAST TRACK system, other fresh citrus varieties were made commercially available before substantive information was known about their performance and characteristics. The LB8-9 Sugar Belle, Tango, and US Early Pride all are being produced in commercial quantities, but very little cultural information is available to nurseries and growers. In the case of Tango, information collected in California conditions is of little value to growers in subtropical conditions.

Florida Foundation Seed Producers Inc. has responded to industry demand and released new orange and rootstock varieties to nurseries and growers. Growers are encouraged to try the new varieties and privately gauge their performance. The expectation is that successful private trials will generate much of the practical information sought that would lead to larger-scale adoption. One industry leader identified the immediate challenge as showing growers that there is an interest and — indeed — an effort under way to collect whatever data and information are available, and to actually initiate this process. Some growers might want more information than is available from short-term observations or a conversation with a neighbor. How can a bank of meaningful information be gleaned from a diverse collection of private trials, scattered throughout traditional and non-traditional growing areas?

Let’s Talk

This past January, New Varieties Development & Management Corp. (NVDMC) invited growers of US Early Pride, LB8-9 Sugar Belle, and Tango to meet for an open discussion in Bartow. Approximately 70 people registered for the event, and more than 60 showed up. The audience included attendees from nurseries, growers, packers, UF/IFAS Extension agents, as well as UF/IFAS and USDA breeders. The attendance alone bears witness to the demand for information. The meeting lasted roughly two hours, and conversations covered rootstocks, disease tolerance, canopy management, nutrition, harvesting, and postharvest performance.

Sugar Belle brand LB 8-9 orange tree

Photo courtesy of UF/IFAS

The meeting was called in response to dozens of phone calls and emails asking for information. Some anecdotal information was shared. However, although the room was filled with notebooks and pens, it seemed clear the sharing of information was not as complete as desired. As soon as the meeting was adjourned, attendees formed smaller groups and talked openly for another 45 minutes. Some found the meeting valuable; others were somewhat frustrated by the experience.
Some of the comments offered:

  • • “I don’t know whether my approach is the right one.”
    • “My competitors were in the room. I was reluctant to speak up.”
    • “I was there to learn what hole not to step in, as much as I was to learn what is working.”
    • “I don’t even know what to ask anymore at this point.”
    • “I have made mistakes with rootstock selection and nutrition. I am learning as I go. This was an investment on my part. I am hesitant to freely offer this kind of information.”
    • “I came to listen, not talk.”
    • “We need a baseline of information gathered about each of the topics, so that it primes the conversation pump. Then we can poke holes in it.”
    Some offered suggestions:
    • Send a survey to registered participants. A completed survey is due a week before the meeting so that results can be compiled. Only those who complete it can come to the meeting.
    • We need regional meetings. The River, Southern Flatwoods, Western Flatwoods, and Ridge offer unique challenges. Hold regional meetings first, then come together as a whole.
    • We need someone on the road conducting one-on-one interviews. This will be far more revealing. Then compile and schedule a group discussion.

We need a new approach. The January meeting was about fresh selections that have been around for a while. Far less is known about fresh FAST TRACK selections, which may make that conversation even more difficult. Consider the challenge of nurseries and growers trialing new oranges and rootstocks and the volume and complexity of information-sharing grows exponentially.

We are clearly on the right track by moving promising material to the industry as soon as possible. Growers need options now. Early adopters are gaining experiential knowledge, even when they don’t necessarily attribute any value to their work. Nurseries are noticing nutritional and performance differences among varieties and experimental selections that might be relevant to field plantings.

Dr. Bill Castle recently submitted an open letter to the Florida citrus industry, encouraging dialogue and an exchange of information among growers. He is absolutely correct. This must be done. But how?

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