Location: Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-30400-001-054-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2024
End Date: Jul 14, 2028
Objective:
The primary goal of the Citrus Research and Field Trials Foundation program is to conduct large-scale field trials to evaluate newly developed or identified treatments and cultural practices that will promote increased production of citrus through new plantings that successfully produce fruit in an Huanglongbing disease environment. In order to achieve the primary goal of CRAFT, specific objectives have been identified.
Objective 1 is to develop, contract and plant an estimated 2,500 program acres worth of trees in commercial settings while demonstrating updated Huanglongbing disease mitigation treatments within the parameters of the experimental designs and collect and manage data from these projects.
Objective 2 is to administer the cultivation of a total of approximately 8,800 program acres of trees in a commercial setting while demonstrating Huanglongbing disease mitigation treatments within the parameters of the experimental designs, collecting and managing data.
Objective 3 is to collect and analyze data related to Citrus Research and Field Trials Foundation to assist in the correlation of treatments to potential outcomes.
Objective 4 is to effectively communicate the program's activities and results to all interested parties.
Approach:
A diverse array of management practices will be deployed across citrus farms in the state of Florida. Climate, soil, and management impact on citrus tree health and yields will be assessed using direct measures and through remote sensing via drones.