Florida grapefruit growers look to new varieties to combat citrus greening
At the 2017 Florida Citrus Show last week in Ft. Pierce, industry leaders spoke about these varieties. Dr. Jude Grosser, UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, made a strong case for new grapefruit varieties that are ready to roll out. In particular, Grosser spoke highly about ‘UF 914.’ The fruit is being heralded as the possible answer for those who love grapefruit, but can’t eat it because they take prescription medications.
In addition to that healthy attribute, Grosser said the variety’s taste (no sugar needed) is what make it a real all star. “‘914’ is gonna be a home run in the market,” Grosser said. In addition, Grosser mentioned new cybrid grapefruit clones coming with improved canker tolerance and possibly HLB tolerance. “This is breakthrough stuff,” he remarked.
Pat Schirard, President of the Indian River Citrus League and longtime grower, stressed to attendees the importance of getting off the sidelines when deciding on whether to plant new selections. “There are lots of new (promising) varieties,” he said. “We need to get in the game and grow this industry.”
source: growingproduce.com
