The Citrus Plant Improvement Team from UF/IFAS recently released the Sugar Belle mandarin hybrid and the Valquarius early maturing Valencia Orange — both available to nurseries and growers through the New Varieties Development & Management Corp. (NVDMC). These particular varieties were evaluated in the field prior to release and commercialization. However, the preponderance of new varieties (in various stages of development) are in the early stages of evaluation. How early? Hundreds will fruit this year for the first time, from a single tree on its own root. Others caught the eye of evaluators and have been replicated for second generation trials. None of these early selections have been evaluated in the field under a range of conditions (soils, rootstocks, etc.).
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How does one get involved in this process? NVDMC helps coordinate variety evaluation days at the campuses of UF/IFAS’ Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred (CREC) and the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Ft. Pierce. The scheduled UF/IFAS variety display opportunities for the 2011-2012 season are:
– November 2- Lake Alfred CREC (10 a.m.)
– December 13 – Lake Alfred CREC (10 a.m.)
– January 23 – Ft. Pierce IRREC (10 a.m.)
– February 20 – Lake Alfred CREC (10 a.m.)
It is not necessary for participants to attend all of the events. Attendees are asked to attend as many as possible, and to refer others who may have an interest. This is an exciting, fun, and interesting process — but also a serious and necessary element of the breeding process. Growers want an opportunity to experiment with varieties earlier in the process than ever before. Markets are changing and Florida growers are interested in maintaining and expanding market share. This all requires early evaluation, grower-based field trials, and greater interaction between researchers and industry than ever before. It all starts with evaluation days. Contact NVDMC today and come see the future.
Wild Bees Setting Good Example for Pollination of Sweet Cherries
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Come See The Future
Peter Chaires is the executive director of the New Varieties Development & Management Corp. See all author stories here.
September 14, 2011 
