CTC projects focus on crop improvement across all major crops grown in Florida. Our first project focuses on creating citrus varieties that can tolerate or even resist citrus greening disease, also known as Huanlongbing (HLB). Growers are looking for solutions to the disease, which has caused a 70-80% reduction in production.
Our partners are the Florida Department of Citrus, the Citrus Research & Development Foundation, and NIFA to enable a comprehensive project to evaluate new ideas to combat HLB in Florida. CTC harnesses core capabilities to activate an end-to-end approach to translate these novel ideas into products for the Florida farmer and consumers.
Ultimately, the CTC aims to:
Our team at UF/IFAS is at the forefront of agricultural innovation. Our core capabilities include:
- Artificial Intelligence Center at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center
- Plant Transformation Laboratories Lake Alfred and Gainesville Campus
- UF/IFAS Plant Breeding
- Plant Breeding Working Group
- Precision Agriculture NSF IoT4Ag REC
- Phenomics & Field Evaluation
- Human dimensions, program evaluation & communication outreach to increase adoption
Together, these resources enable us to advance sustainable, precision-driven solutions that benefit both farmers and the greater community.
