The research of Dr. Bowman is focused on development of new citrus rootstock cultivars with greater disease resistance, higher productivity, broader soil adaptation, or more favorable influence on the fruit quality or tree size of common scion cultivars.  Important components of the research program include creating new hybrid rootstocks by genetic recombination, evaluating hybrids for important horticultural traits, and field evaluation.  The program interweaves new technologies for identifying useful traits with real world testing of new rootstock hybrids in the groves of citrus growers across Florida.  One new hybrid rootstock, US-852, was released by USDA in 1999 for commercial testing throughout Florida.  A second new hybrid rootstock, US-812, was released in 2001.  The development and commercial use of improved citrus rootstocks will result in increased profits for citrus growers and less expensive, better quality fruit for the consumer.