Citrus Scion - Mission
Development and Mission
The CREC mission is to meet the needs of the citrus industry through its research programs. This mission is accomplished by solving short-term problems through applied research, and developing fundamental knowledge on which to help solve future long-term problems.
Our research forms a part of the CREC plant improvement program. The overall goal of this program is to develop, evaluate, and release improved scions and rootstocks. Our primary responsibilities involve all aspects of screening and evaluation particularly with rootstocks. To that end, we have developed an extensive network of cooperating citrus growers who serve as the major source of sites for field trials. These trials provide the initial horticultural information regarding tree growth and survival, productivity, juice and fruit quality, and responses to various environmental conditions like cold temperature, and responses to various pests and diseases like citrus blight. Data from long-term field investigations are also used for statistical studies to determine optimum plot sizes and replication numbers, and for financial analysis as a superior means to select rootstocks.
Other elements of our research are:
- Development of an expert system for preplant decisions which includes site, scion, and rootstock selection. This activity is part of a DISC (Decision Information System for Citrus) project and is designed to integrate information in a more powerful and useful decision-aid for growers.
- Much of the Florida citrus industry is located in coastal soils that are poorly drained and must be bedded to provide planting sites. The soils in these regions are quite variable and are disturbed when beds are prepared. We are investigating the relationship of disturbed soil profile physical and chemical characteristics to rootstock performance.
