Researchers in Florida are shifting the fight against citrus greening toward stronger rootstocks and more resilient trees. Scientists say breeding work now focuses on trees that can survive the full nursery-to-grove cycle and tolerate field pressures from pests, stress and disease. rootstocks boost resilience
Matthew Mattia, a USDA researcher, says the effort begins in the nursery where clean, vigorous trees must be propagated and shipped to growers reliably. "The first stage is the nursery: the nursery needs trees to be able to propagate them and send them to the grove for growers to be able to grow them," Mattia says. In the grove, he adds, trees must tolerate stress and disease while producing fruit that can be harvested and transported.
Adoption of the program's newer rootstocks is rising across Florida, and industry officials point to greater grower uptake as evidence the selections deliver value under pressure. Mattia reports recent increases in use, noting that growers are choosing the new material more often because it better endures grove conditions. 40% adoption rate
Breeding for resilience
The program has developed and released several new and improved rootstocks intended to help trees withstand the disease and other pressures in the field. Field trials and grower feedback are guiding which rootstocks move from experimental blocks into commercial production, and nurseries play a central role in scaling promising lines for broad grower use.
State support has followed industry need: last year Florida lawmakers approved funds aimed at revitalizing the citrus sector, with much of that money targeted to research and field trials testing rootstock performance under real-world conditions. $140 million approved
Grower adoption continues to drive which rootstocks achieve commercial scale, and nurseries are adjusting propagation to meet demand for the newer selections. Adoption stands at more than 40% of rootstocks grown in Florida.
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