LAKE ALFRED, Florida – Dr. Lavern W. “Pete” Timmer, Professor of Plant Pathology, will retire after more than 28 years of dedicated service to citrus research at the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Citrus Research and Education Center.

Several events are planned in his honor. First, Dr. Timmer will present “From Anthracnose to Xanthomonas – The Career of Pete Timmer in Citrus Pathology,” a look back at his distinguished work, on Friday, April 20 from 1:30 until 3 p.m. in the Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Citrus Hall at the CREC.

Immediately following the seminar, a retirement social will be held in Timmer’s honor from  3 until 4 p.m. also in the Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Citrus Hall at the CREC.

That evening, a reception will be held in the Lake Wales Country Club Ballroom from 5 until 8 p.m. The evening is hosted by the citrus industry with hor’dourves and a cash bar will also be available. Everyone is invited to attend these events.

Dr. Timmer graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s in botany and plant pathology. He earned his PhD in plant pathology from the University of California, Riverside. From 1970 to 78, he was plant pathologist at the Texas A&I Citrus Center in Weslaco, Texas where he also worked on citrus diseases.  

Early in his career at CREC, he was instrumental in developing diagnostic techniques and demonstrating graft transmissibility of citrus blight.  He developed assay procedures for Phytophthora populations in soil and demonstrated the effects of this pathogen on citrus yields. 

His most recent research program has focused on fungal and bacterial diseases of citrus trees, such as greasy spot, melanose, and scab. He has determined the environmental factors affecting the different diseases and developed predictive models for postbloom fruit drop and Alternaria brown spot. Many fungicides have been evaluated and spray programs have been developed to improve control of most of the foliar fungal diseases.

In recent years, his extension education program emphasized citrus canker and greening disease and he has developed useful tools for growers for identification, survey, and detection of these diseases.

Dr. Timmer has been active in the American Phytopathological Society (APS) as Associate and Senior Editor of both Phytopathology and Plant Disease and edited the Compendium of Citrus Diseases and Citrus Health Management.  He received the Lee Hutchins Award from APS for excellence in research on tropical fruit crops for his work on postbloom fruit drop and is a Fellow of that Society.  In the past, he also served as editor of the proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society and the International Organization of Citrus Virologists.  In recent years, he served as editor of the Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide.

He was named Distinguished Research Professor of University of Florida in 2003 and Distinguished Scientist at CREC in 2006. He served as the Assistant CREC Center Director from 1991 to 1993, and as manager of Grove Operations for the last several years.
 
Dr. Timmer and his wife, Nancy, live in Lake Alfred.

The UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center is located at 700 Experiment Station Road, Lake Alfred, Florida. The Lake Wales Country Club is located at 2925 State Road 60 East, Lake Wales, Florida.