Citrus growers in Florida’s “River” production region along the Indian River Lagoon develop unsurpassed flavor and texture in a fresh grapefruit product coveted worldwide. However, growers in the area have watched the industry steadily decline in the last two decades. They await scientific results from two active research projects involving more than 39,000 trees, expected to reveal which new varieties will tolerate pressure from the most serious citrus disease worldwide.
HLB, or citrus greening, has cost Florida millions in fruit sales that once supported the economy with jobs for its citizens. It has hit hard an industry that so many consider a birthright and a career shared by generations of families and their communities.
But among the nearly 40,000 trees researched in two trials—hope also grows. Some trees are expected to stand against the disease, tolerate it, thrive and produce market-ready fresh fruit.
Source: blogs.ifas.ufl.edu