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Title: Protocol for introducing new and licensed citrus varieties into California. A Florida case study.

Author
item LAVAGI, IRENB - Dominican University Of California
item CHRISTIANO, ROCK - University Of California
item GREER, GREG - University Of California
item GROSSER, JUDE - University Of Florida
item GMITTER, FREDERICK - University Of Florida
item Bowman, Kim
item Stover, Eddie
item McCollum, Thomas
item ROSSON, BEN - Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services
item SIEBURTH, PEGGY - Bureau Of Citrus Budwood
item Polek, Marylou
item Krueger, Robert
item VIDALAKIS, GEORGIOS - University Of California

Submitted to: Citrograph
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2016
Publication Date: 1/15/2017
Citation: Lavagi, I., Christiano, R., Greer, G., Grosser, J., Gmitter, F., Bowman, K.D., Stover, E.W., McCollum, T.G., Rosson, B., Sieburth, P., Polek, M., Krueger, R., Vidalakis, G. Protocol for introducing new and licensed citrus varieties into California. A Florida case study. Citrograph. 8(1):56-59.

Interpretive Summary: A new multi-agency effort has been assembled to identify citrus scion and rootstock varieties that have tolerance to huanglongbing, and introduce those cultivars into California through the California Citrus Clonal Protection Program. This article describes progress that has been made to develop the necessary model for budwood movement and obtain the necessary permits and agreements.

Technical Abstract: In the light of the current Huanglongbing (HLB) threat to the California (CA) citrus industry, and preliminary data indicating that some citrus varieties in Florida (FL) may possess some degree of tolerance to HLB, the California citrus growers indicated a strong interest in proactively introducing new, licensed or public domain, citrus germplasm from FL in to CA. However, to this day there is no well-defined protocol for the introduction and commercialization of licensed citrus varieties in to CA. Projects supported by the industry (Citrus Research Board-California Research Board (CRB)) and by the USDA HLB (huanglongbing) Multi-Agency Coordination (HLB-MAC) aim to introduce over 50 citrus scions and rootstocks from two FL breeding programs; University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred and USDA-ARS, Fort Pierce. The streamlined procedure includes over 130 pages of federal and state permits, HLB/Asian citrus psyllid movement mitigation protocols, and non-propagation and material transfer agreements. The introductory pathway includes the Bureau of Citrus Budwood Registration, FL and the Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP) while as citrus material is released from quarantine and becomes available to the citrus centers of the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN), entities such as the Florida Foundation Seed Producers (FFSP) and the New Varieties Development and Management Corporation (NVDMC) will be invited to coordinate the use of citrus varieties. This project has already transformed the landscape of citrus germplasm exchange. The CCPP has received inquiries about this “new model” of citrus budwood movement and exchange from major citrus producing countries, such as Spain, due to the global threat of HLB and the need to have simple yet secure access to public and protected novel rootstock and scion citrus varieties. For real time updates on the introduced varieties visit www.ccpp.ucr.edu.