FORT PIERCE, Fla.—Flavia Zambon welcomed more than 60 attendees, including citrus growers, state regulators and journalists, at the UF/IFAS 2024 Millennium Block Field Day on November 7.
New citrus varieties show citrus greening tolerance
The UF scientists and visitors enjoyed the second consecutive year of data that points to two new varieties that appear to tolerate citrus greening, the world’s most serious citrus disease.
“The Millennium Block Field Day 2024 was successful due to a revamp on the event’s format and the participation from growers and those who have a stake in the industry,” said Zambon, assistant professor of horticultural production at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce. Zambon leads citrus production research at IRREC. Joining Zambon for the guided tours was Matt Mattia, a research geneticist (plants) at the neighboring U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agriculture Research Service – U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory (USDA-ARS-USHRL).
New format: guided tours
The new format of the Millennium Block Field Day included guided tours through the 20-acre active research block. Tour participants could explore the trees by exiting the trolley, observing fruit showing tolerance to citrus greening, and comparing valuable research data in the handout guide. This year marks the third harvest of the 5-year-old trees, to begin in one week. Trees at the Millennium Block never received any antibiotic injections, said Zambon.
“Dr. Zambon led the tour that stopped at six citrus combinations, among grapefruit and navels. But two grapefruit varieties that tolerate citrus greening and can produce ample fruit yield and juice for profitable grower operations were the event’s highlight,” said Mark Kistler, IRREC’s center director.
‘Triumph’ and ‘UF-914’
“The two varieties that give our growers hope are a grapefruit-orange hybrid called ‘Triumph’ and a pummelo-hybrid named ‘UF-914’. The two varieties stand out in our efforts to identify citrus that tolerate the disease, which is one of the current research aims of the Millennium Block,” said Zambon.
“UF-914′ is a clear winner
At this year’s Millennium Block Field Day, attendees could taste the fruit from the trees they visited during the tour and choose their favorite. Kistler said the variety ‘UF-914’ won the taste test based on the best flavor, Brix–also known as sugar content, and overall appearance and texture.
“The red flesh of the ‘UF-914’ fruit bred by UF/IFAS Professor Dr. Fred Gmitter resembles a grapefruit, except for its thick rind, characteristic of pummelos. It produces market-ready fruit,” Zambon said.
“‘Triumph’ is a white seedy grapefruit-orange hybrid showing exceptional tolerance to citrus greening, with a full-dark green canopy, and reaching the industry’s juice quality and yield standards. We expect to insert ‘Triumph’ into the breeding pipeline to produce seedless fruit, desired by elite markets domestically and in European and Asian markets,” said Zambon.
To reach this intended goal, Zambon is collaborating with researchers across the state to unveil the secrets that ‘Triumph’ holds, giving the growers the solutions they need to produce the world’s finest grapefruit.
High turnout by researchers and policy makers
Field day attendees included researchers and administrators representing the UF/IFAS Horticulture Science Department, the USDA-ARS, the Florida Department of Citrus, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).
Trevor Smith, director of the FDACS – Division of Plant Industry, was among the first attendees to arrive at the Millennium Block Field Day.
Multiple agencies work together
“Florida’s citrus industry is in a tight spot right now. We will use a multi-prong approach to solve the citrus greening problem: trees that can withstand the disease, treatment for psyllids, the invasive insect associated with citrus greening, breeding and other factors,” said Smith. “The Millennium Block is an excellent example of multiple agencies working together for a common cause: to find varieties that will produce high-quality fruit in the conditions we find ourselves in today.”
If you have any questions or want to schedule a visit at the Millennium Block, please contact Flavia Zambon at f.zambon@ufl.edu or 772-577-7376.
Research for the Millennium Block was previously funded by The Florida Department of Citrus, The UF/IFAS Dean for Research, and the Citrus Research and Development Foundation.
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