August 6 , 2007

ISSUE 1178

FLORIDA SPECIALTY CROP FOUNDATION FUNDS CITRUS GREENING RESEARCH

The Florida Specialty Crop Foundation awarded grants in July totaling $75,000 for important research into citrus greening. The grants are especially timely in that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced August 2 that the disease has now been found in Indian River County, the 25th county in the state to be affected.

The projects include developing a field test that could be used to help confirm visual symptoms, testing for the ability of adult female psyllids to pass the greening bacterium on to their eggs, evaluating how quickly greening spreads, and developing and testing methods of killing infected trees as a response to identification of greening.

The grants will be matched by citrus industry and state funding.

Greening, spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, causes premature fruit drop and small yellow leaves as well as lopsided fruit that tastes salty and bitter.
The Foundation, formerly the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Research & Education Foundation, is dedicated to seeking solutions to the challenges facing specialty crop producers and their stakeholders.

APPROPRIATIONS BILL WOULD FUND FOOD SAFETY, LABELING, BLOCK GRANTS

FLORIDA SPECIALTY CROP FOUNDATION FUNDS CITRUS GREENING RESEARCH

SOME GROWERS MAY BE FORCED TO RETURN HURRICANE ASSISTANCE MONEY

SFWMD TO HOLD EVERGLADES RESTORATION WORKSHOP

CATHLEEN ENRIGHT TO LEAD WESTERN GROWERS’ WASHINGTON, D.C., OFFICE

DEP TO HOLD TMDL WORKSHOP

ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS INTRODUCES NEW CHIEF OF REGULATORY DIVISION

CONVENTION HOTEL RESERVATION CUT-OFF DATE IS AUGUST 15