Citrus Research and Development Foundation

Conduct peer-reviewed contracted discovery Research on elements of Citrus health, focusing on the tripartite disease system involving a bacterial pathogen, liberibacter asiaticus, the insect vector, asian Citrus psyllid, and the commercial and residential Citrus trees in Florida. Crdf has maintained a robust portfolio of discovery science in north america, continuing to support important background and intervention Research at universities, federal labs, and other entities across the us. Significant progress has been made in 2023-2024 in understanding biology of the elements of this disease, as well as the interactions between the elements that lead to disease and health decline, and which form targets for intervention.

Translational work to move Research results to solutions for Florida and us Citrus growers has increased in importance at crdf as Research results are being analyzed and next steps are designed. Crdf has enlisted national experts to assist in selecting which Research proposals to fund and in interpreting the results of individual projects and topics, leading to a vision for how field deployment of the Research and its adoption by growers can increase yield and quality. Notably, crdf is among few public/private partnerships with government and farmers to conduct both discovery and translational activities at this scale. During the current fiscal year, a wide range of field trials were conducted or funded, bringing potential solutions into focus under real-world grower conditions in Florida.