Significant progress has been made establishing a website, presenting data from our field trials. Data from ten trials listed below is now available; and data from 6 more trees was analyzed with presentations prepared for entry to the website in the next quarter (11-16 below). Website access: https://citrusresearch.ifas.ufl.edu/rootstock-trials/
Trial # Online Title Location – County Date planted
1 Basinger ‘Vernia’ Rootstock Trial Highlands 2006-2007
2 Central Ridge Multi-Sweet Orange Scion Rootstock Trial Polk 2013
3 Indian River ‘Marsh’ Grapefruit Rootstock Trial Indian River 2007
4 Indian River ‘Vernia’ Rootstock Trial St. Lucie 2011
5 Indian River Lemon Rootstock Trial Indian River 2017
6 Large-scale ‘Hamlin’ and ‘Valencia’ Rootstock Trials Polk 2015
7 Multi-Sweet Orange Scion SW Flatwoods Roostock Trial Hendry 2014
8 Peace River ‘Valencia’ Roostock Trial Polk 2017
9 SW Flatwoods Sweet Orange Roostock Trial Hendry 2014
10 SW Florida Sweet Orange Roostock Planting Lee 2014
Data analyzed and Presentations prepared for entry:
11 Vero Beach Navel Orange and Grapefruit Roostock Trials Indian River 2010
12 Charlotte County Multi-Scion Rootstock Trial Charlotte 2014
13 LaBelle Valencia APS Roostock Trial Hendry 2009-2010
14 LaBelle ‘Vernia’ Roostock Trial Hendry 2010
15 South Ridge Valencia Rootstock Trial Highlands 2014
16 St. Helena Rootstock Survey Trial Polk 2008 & 2010
Data from the St. Helena trial supports the commercial release of additional UF rootstock candidates Blue 1, Cleo+Carrizo somatic hybrid, Orange 14, White 1, WGFT+50-7 and Amblycarpa + HBJL-2B. Collection of botanical data on these selections was initiated as necessary for future release. Data from St. Helena also shows superior HLB tolerance from two of the Foguet rootstocks from Argentina (Orange 1804 and Aqua 1803). The possibility of getting more seed of these two selections from Argentina is being pursued. Traditional Kuharske rootstock showed good HLB recovery potential at St. Helena under the utlizized enhanced CRF program. UFR-14 continued to perform exceptionally well at St. Helena, and since there are no seed trees, it was introduced into the tissue culture propagation program at Agromillora (and expected to be introduced at the Rucks Nursery TC lab next quarter). Data from St. Helena suggests that with good a root nutrition program, growers could expect annual yields exceeding 500 boxes/acre from multiple rootstocks, with good fruit quality. UFR-5 is emerging as a good candidate rootstock for both the ridge and flatwoods soils (supported by multiple trials.).