California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: California Fresh Fruit Magazine

  • CA Olive Oil Council Announces Recipients of 2021 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition

    Winners from the 13th Annual California Olive Oil Council Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition have been announced, recognizing olive oil producers from throughout California for their excellence. This year’s competition, which attracted 80 submissions, was judged by the California Olive Oil Council’s certification tasting panel, granting a host of awards including Best of Show, Best of Class, Miller Recognition, and Gold and Silver. Winners include:

     

    Best of Show

    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Picual

     

    Best of Class

    • Delicate: Ohanneson Enterprises: OH Olive Oil
    • Medium: High Top Ranch
    • Robust: Proskine Family Farms

     

    Miller Recognition Award Winner

    • John Mesrobian: The Mill at Kings River for Ohanneson Enterprises: OH Olive Oil

     

    Gold Medal Winners

    • Campodonico Olive Farm: Tuscan Blend
    • Colina Vista Ranch: Calabrese – Tuscan Blend
    • ENZO Olive Oil Company: Organic Medium
    • Gold Ridge Organic Farms: Minerva Blend
    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Coratina
    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Italian Blend
    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Picual
    • Halter Ranch: Tuscan Blend
    • High Top Ranch
    • Kiler Ridge Olive Farm: Nocellara del Belice
    • Long Meadow Ranch: Napa Valley Select
    • Long Meadow Ranch: Prato Lungo
    • Mangini Ranch Olive Oil Company: Calaveras Reserve
    • Marciano Estate Winery: Organic Italian Blend
    • Ohanneson Enterprises: OH Olive Oil
    • Olivaia’s OLA: Block X Heirloom Batch 20-1
    • Proskine Family Farms
    • The Ranch at Birch Creek
    • Rosenthal Olive Ranch: Koroneiki
    • San Paulo Olive Farm: Frantoio–Leccino
    • Sogno di Oliva: Tuscan Blend
    • Spanish Oaks Ranch: Arbequina
    • Tofino Estate: Supremo
    • Tres Osos Olive Oil: Robust
    • Tres Osos Olive Oil: Taggiasca
    • Warm Springs Farm

     

    Silver Medal Winners

    • 11 Olives: Longevity
    • Bari Olive Oil Company: Arbequina
    • Boccabella Farms: Arbequina
    • Boccabella Farms: Field Blend
    • Boccabella Farms: Winemakers Blend
    • Boundary Bend Olives: Cobram Estate – California Classic
    • Burroughs Family Orchards: Organic Koroneiki
    • Corto Olive Co: Truly
    • Corto Olive Co: Truly-Arbequina
    • ENZO Olive Oil Company: Organic Delicate
    • Estee Hill Vineyard: Manzanillo
    • Fat Gold Productions: Gold Standard
    • Gold Ridge Organic Farms: Arbequino Blend
    • Gold Ridge Organic Farms: Picholine Blend
    • Grumpy Goats Farm: Organic Pendolino
    • Jackrabbit California Olive Oil: Relaxed Blend
    • Kiler Ridge Olive Farm: Tuscan
    • Mangini Ranch Olive Oil Company: Estate Mission
    • McDonough Family Olive Oil
    • The Mill at Kings River: Koroneiki
    • Olivaia’s OLA: Block X Heirloom Batch 20-2
    • Organic Roots Olive Oil: Arbequina
    • Pine Mountain Olive Farm
    • Rio Bravo Ranch: Miller’s Reserve Blend
    • Rio Bravo Ranch: Picual
    • Rosental Olive Ranch: Arbosano
    • Séka Hills: Estate Frantoio
    • Showa Farm: Arbequina
    • Spanish Oaks Ranch: Italian Blend
    • Spanish Oaks Ranch: Picual
    • Swayne Family Ranch: Tuscan Blend
    • Tierra Santa Orchards: Hojiblanca Reserve
    • Wild Groves: Ascolano
    • Wild Groves: Foxy
    • Wild Groves: Robust Blend

    “Congratulations to all of the 2021 COOC Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition winners,” said COOC Executive Director Patricia King. “The COOC members are committed to crafting delicious extra virgin olive oils by adhering to best practices, and many award-winning extra virgin olive oils were produced, despite a challenging 2020 harvest. We thank consumers and retailers for their continued support of 100% California, certified extra virgin olive oil.”

     

    About the California Olive Oil Council and its Seal Certification

    Founded in 1992, the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) is a non-profit trade and marketing association whose purpose is to promote the growing of olives and the production of fresh, high-quality extra virgin olive oil in California. The COOC represents the majority of olive oil production in the state with a membership of 300 growers, producers, and supporting members from the retail and service industries. The organization supports certified olive oil standards and provides grower, producer and consumer education. Through its Seal Certification Program, the COOC helps everyone from home chefs to restaurants find guaranteed extra virgin grade olive oils for their kitchens. For more information, visit cooc.com.

  • Dan Flynn Receives the 2020 California Olive Oil Council Pioneer Award

    The 2020 recipient of the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) Pioneer Award has made a lasting impact on the California olive oil industry. Dan Flynn started the UC Davis Olive Center 13 years ago where he serves as the executive director with just $50,000 from university and industry supporters, and grew it into a world-renowned center for olive research and education. The organization has worked in concert with the California Olive Oil Council from its beginning in 2008. In partnership with the industry, UC Davis has helped millions of consumers understand the quality of supermarket olive oil, provided the analytical foundation for California’s strict olive oil standards and educated thousands to become better olive growers, processors and tasters.

    If the success of a leader can be measured by the fingerprints they leave behind, Dan’s impact on the olive oil industry should not be understated, said David Garci Aguirre, Vice President of Operations for California-based premium olive oil producer Corto. “Several of the most influential events in the industry over the last decade are the direct result of the work completed by Dan and his team at the UC Davis Olive Center.”

    Flynn’s attributes much of the center’s success to creating partnerships between dozens of academic specialists, olive growers and processors. He has worked tirelessly to nurture the network which has resulted in priceless value. Flynn focused on serving the industry while meeting the needs of UC Davis. The partnership between UC Davis and California agriculture has delivered enormous benefits for the California olive crop.

    Flynn has also built relationships with international researchers to leverage their research for the benefit of California. The international conferences with the Culinary Institute of American and the International Olive Council have elevated the California industry on the global stage. He has positioned the UC Davis Olive Center as an independent and trusted facilitator where everyone is welcome.

    “Dan Flynn deserves our recognition, praise and applause. He pioneered making the Olive Center a reality where the millers, growers, and producers have ready access to the research and learning tools needed for the Crop of The Future,” said Karen Bond, Owner of Bondolio Olive Oil.

    Flynn is preparing to retire in June. His successor, Javier Fernandez-Salavador, will inherit a strong Olive Center, guided by a 10-year strategic plan to bolster research, funding and connectivity. “I will still be active in helping the center and I will always be grateful for the support of the COOC and its members,” said Flynn.

    The Pioneer Award was established in 1999 to recognize those who have made a major contribution to the California olive oil industry and the COOC. “The COOC thanks Dan for his commitment, partnership and support over the years, and wishes him all the best in the future,” said Patricia King, Executive Director of the California Olive Oil Council.

  • Are Finger Limes Just Another Fad?

    There has been growing hype around finger limes from citrus growers, the retail sector, and their customers. Growers are particularly interested in this market as disease pressure such as citrus greening and international competition have made other citrus and fruit markets less appealing. However, many are concerned that finger limes are just a fad and the markets will eventually crash as consumers move on to the next cool food trend. Our research at the University of Florida is examining these markets to determine the potential for growers in Florida and throughout the U.S. to take advantage of the emerging finger lime market.

    Finger limes are known as the “citrus caviar,” because of their unique compressed, round juice vesicles that are distinct from other citrus crops’ delicate, tear shaped fruit sacs. This feature combined with its bright colors and tangy flavor make finger limes a great garnish used in high end restaurants and as a perfect accent to a cocktail. As more and more chefs, bartenders, and suppliers in the hospitality industry become familiar with the fruit, they are falling in love with them and demand for finger limes is rapidly growing.

     Many growers and suppliers of finger limes are hopeful that the demand for this fruit will expand beyond the hospitality sector to mass markets, as consumers across the U.S. and around the world become more familiar with the fruit. Finger limes are not only resistant to greening that plagues orange and other citrus production but also have traditionally been grown using few agrochemical inputs. So, there are expectations that organic markets could provide an additional premium for this fruit. Some research has also pointed out the high prevalence of antioxidants in the fruit, providing finger lime growers and suppliers with potential to enter health food markets.

    This fruit, which is native to Australia, has only in the last several years become commercially available to growers across the US, after first having been cultivated in California in late 1960s. In fact, nearly all of the current production in the U.S. is in central and southern California and the big island of Hawaii. There are only about 15,000 trees, which are owned by less than a dozen growers. So, there is room to expand production especially by Florida growers, who supply East Coast markets. Prices are quite elevated for the fruit; for instance, during the spring of 2020 finger limes were priced at $32 for 80 grams or 8 limes on Amazon or $18 for 9 to 10 finger limes from one of the only suppliers in South Florida. Questions remain whether these prices will remain elevated as more and more growers enter the market.

    Over the next two years, we at the University of Florida will be exploring the potential for finger limes in these markets and how to develop inclusive supply chains to improve the participation of all growers in them. We will hold taste testing panels and interviews with suppliers, chefs, and bartenders at trade fairs to introduce them to the product, gauge their interest in the fruit, and estimate their willingness to pay for finger limes. The analysis of this research will allow us to estimate the potential demand of the fruit and how many growers could participate in this market. Additionally, we will examine the supply chain to determine which factors need to be addressed to improve growers’ access to these growing markets. Please be on the lookout for further updates as we examine the potential growers to tap into growing finger lime markets and determine what can be done to sustain the demand for them. — By Trent Blare (tblare@ufl.edu), Assistant Professor in Food Resource Economics, University of Florida

  • CALIFORNIA GEM® Added To CALIFORNIAAVOCADO.COM

    With the GEM® avocado variety acreage increasing in California groves and gaining increased popularity as a point of discussion with retailers, the California Avocado Commission has added the GEM® variety to the CaliforniaAvocado.com website. In tandem with this initiative, the Commission also has made concerted efforts to better position California avocados on search engines by updating the avocado variety browser on the consumer website.

    The Commission has positioned itself as the go-to resource for media, its assorted partners and consumers by providing relevant and engaging content for consumers as well as quality, Commission-owned and branded assets for members of the media, retailers and influencers. To that end, the Commission produced high-quality GEM® photos and assets and made them available to site visitors in the Commission’s online press room where they can simply download the high-quality images for use on websites, social media and in press materials. These assets, when used by industry partners, help ensure ‘California’ is communicated in articles, social media posts, ads and POS.

    The Commission also uses high quality and high equity search terms to “California’ize” conversations around avocados. The Commission has optimized its online avocado variety browser — and added GEM® to the browser — to strengthen its position when people look for avocado varieties using online search engines. As a result, the Commission’s avocado variety browser has achieved the number one position on Google with more than 40 million results. In short, when people look for ‘avocado varieties’ online the search engine results lead them to the Commission’s variety browser — thus increasing California Avocados brand awareness and securing the Commission’s credibility as the source for all things avocado. CAC’s avocado variety browser currently garners about 69,000 visits each year — approximately 2.5% of all traffic to the site.

  • Successful HLB Management Strategy in CA Focuses on Everyone Doing Their Part

    What Nobel Prize-winning Economics Research Tells Us About ACP and HLB Management in California

    As you have likely heard many times, coordinating management measures for the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and Huanglongbing (HLB) over a larger scale than individual properties is key to achieving effective control and limiting the spread of the disease. Coordination is important in terms of surveying for HLB-positive trees and removing them from the ground as soon as possible, applying insecticide treatments at the same time for multiple citrus groves within a Psyllid Management Area (PMA) or a Pest Control District (PCD), complying with quarantine measures for the movement of bulk citrus, using certified budwood and sharing information with neighbors.

    But this coordination comes at a cost, and some individuals may be tempted to skip the costs of treating within the recommended window for ACP, correctly tarping their trucks, or even investing some time to convince their neighbors about the importance of these measures. Yet, if everyone skipped these costs and relied on the efforts of others, the ability of the citrus industry to combat HLB would be greatly reduced, leading to a higher risk of HLB spread in California.

    This temptation to free-ride on the efforts of others exists in the management of many natural resources, such as groundwater, fisheries or forests. In 2009, social scientist Elinor Ostrom received the Nobel Prize for Economics for studying how societies organized themselves to manage these types of resources and avoid the problem of free-riding. Throughout her career, she studied many different cases of this problem in different parts of the world, and she identified eight principles that were associated with sustained collective action. Interestingly, most of these principles are present in the strategy for HLB management in California, as shown in the table below.

    Due to a lack of participation in coordinated mitigation tactics – the free-rider problem – a similar HLB-management program in Florida was not as effective in keeping HLB at bay. But California has so far been more successful in achieving collective action than other infected areas like Florida, and as is seeing more success in preventing the spread of ACP and HLB, including keeping HLB out of commercial groves.

    To continue to stay a step ahead of HLB, it is crucial that California’s citrus industry and residents remain vigilant and engage in coordinated management efforts and follow best practices and regulatory requirements.

    Although Ostrom’s principles do not offer a universal solution to all free-riding problems, they can be useful to guide our efforts as we continue to work together to face the threat of HLB.

    More information on her research, which was recently published in Food Security Journal, can be found on https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-020-01133-9 — By Sara Garcia Figuera, Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program

    Design Principle (Ostrom, 1990) HLB Management in California
    1. Clearly defined boundaries: the boundaries define who is responsible for the collective effort and over what area, reducing the cost of monitoring behavior.
    • PMAs
    • PCDs
    2A. Congruence between rules and local conditions: the rules that are established for the management and maintenance of a resource are aligned with the predominant social norms, culture and agro-ecological conditions in a community.
    • Rules defined by the citrus industry through Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC) in collaboration with County Agricultural Commissioners (CACs) and California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
    • Some pre-existing PCDs
    • Quarantine zones and rules defined by local conditions (citrus production, ACP populations and/or climatic suitability)
    2B. Congruence between appropriation and provision rules: correspondence between the rules governing contributions to the maintenance of the resource system, and the rules governing withdrawal of resources from the system.
    • Insecticide treatments for ACP funded by individual growers.
    • Other assessments based on production volume (CPDPP) or acreage (PCD)
    3. Collective-choice arrangements: if local users who directly interact with one another can define the rules that regulate the day-to-day decisions about the use of a shared resource, they will be in a better position to incorporate local knowledge.
    • AWM organized locally through PCDs or PMAs
    • CPDPC establishes rules in collaboration with CDFA
    4A. Monitoring users: a community needs to be able to identify users that do not comply with rules; otherwise there can be no credible commitment. Monitoring should be undertaken by the resource users, better than by external authorities.
    • Seasonal reports of areas treated for ACP
    • Packinghouse inspections of grate cleaning or spray & harvest
    4B. Monitoring the resource: assesses the extent to which the collective effort is being achieved.
    • ACP monitoring by CDFA, CACs, Citrus Research Board (CRB) and pest control advisors (PCAs) hired by growers
    5. Graduated sanctions: Although sanctioning prevents an excessive violation of community rules, sanctions should be graduated based on the severity and/or repetition of violations to ensure proportionality. And they should be imposed by the resource users or officials accountable to them, to maintain community cohesion.
    • If less than 90% of the acreage is treated in a PMA or PCD, it will not qualify for the residential buffer treatment
    • When there is a violation of the tarping requirement, a notice of violation is sent before further sanctions
    6. Conflict-resolution mechanisms: Low-cost conflict resolution prevents the cost of conflict from outweighing the benefits of successful collective action.
    • Task Force meetings and other public meetings have been used for addressing conflicts
    7. Minimal recognition of rights to organize:Local institutions are more effective when higher levels of government allow users to self-organize in ways that reflect local social and ecological contexts.
    • CPDPC
    • PCDs
    • Grower leader in PMAs
    8. Nested enterprises: refers to the importance of connecting smaller social systems that manage different parts of a larger resource system to facilitate cross-scale coordination.
    • Statewide program coordinated at the regional, county and local level
    • Grower liaisons

  • India Confirms Prunes not Subject to the non-Genetically Modified cum Genetically-Modified-Free Status Certificate Requirement

    FAS New Delhi (Post) secured confirmation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India that prunes from plums (Prunus domestica) are a processed food product (dried fruit), and as such are not subject to the non-Genetically Modified (GM) cum GM-Free status certificate requirement. Industry’s concerns for clarification necessitated post’s outreach. U.S.-origin prune exports to India reached nearly $1 million in 2020.

    DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this report was retrieved from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) website http://www.fssai.gov.in. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi – Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Office of Agricultural Affairs (OAA), USDA and/or the U.S. Government make no claim of accuracy or authenticity. The Government of India has not officially endorsed this report. Import approval for any product is subject to local rules and regulations as interpreted by Indian officials at the time of product entry.

    GENERAL INFORMATION:

    On April 13, 2021, FAS New Delhi\Office of Agricultural Affairs secured confirmation from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) Director of Imports, Dr. Amit Sharma, that prunes from plums (Prunus domestica) are a processed food product (dried fruit). As such, prunes are not subject to the non- Genetically Modified (GM) cum GM-Free status certificate requirement. Industry’s concerns for clarification prompted post’s outreach.

    FSSAI, in its Clarification dated October 12, 2020 (Appendix I), referencing the Order of August 21, 2020 (Appendix II), mentions that the requirement to obtain a non-GM cum GM-Free status certificate for all food import consignments containing any of 24 specific foods (including fruits, vegetables, and grains) does not apply to processed food products in general.

    In calendar year 2020 (January-December), U.S. prune exports to India reached nearly $1 million. — By Radha Mani, Agriculture Assistant and Mariano Beillard, Senior Regional Agricultural Attache, USDA Agricultural Research Service

  • Nut and Dried Fruit Global Online Forum

    More than 1,300 attendees from over 85 countries are expected to join the INC 3D Online Conference from May 25-27, 2021. The event will be held using a virtual platform in which participants can customize an avatar to explore all that the conference has to offer.

    The online conference will feature live nut and dried fruit working group webinars led by industry leaders from around the world, giving insights and updates on topics such as production, trade, consumption, consumer trends, and other topics relevant to each product. Moreover, the event will include on-demand sessions which participants can watch on their own time. Apart from each product working group being available on-demand, attendees can also watch Nutfruit & Immunity, which will focus on nutrition and scientific research examining the health benefits of nuts and dried fruits, Nutfruit & Sustainability, which will highlight the sustainable activities of the sector, and Industry Marketing Programs Update, where participants can hear about the latest promotional activities from nut and dried fruit associations around the world. In addition, on-demand videos will feature sponsor videos and the Innovation Award Applicants. All of the live sessions will be recorded and published in Nutflix, so participants can re-watch the conference’s sessions or view them at a time that best suits them. Nutflix will also host all of the on-demand videos, making it the one-stop spot to catch all of the conference’s sessions.

    Brand new to this event is an interactive 3D virtual exhibition area where sponsors who have a booth can expose their brand, product, and services to the entire industry. Furthermore, attendees’ customizable avatars can explore the virtual platform to network by visiting the Nutfruit Cafe Corners where they will be able to foster existing and new business relationships and enjoy all the conference has to offer.

    Additionally, the INC will give out this year’s Innovation Award, which recognizes some of the brightest and most innovative products in the nut and dried fruit industry.

    Visit the INC 3D Online Conference website to register for the event, see the preliminary program, Innovation Award information, and discover who is already attending. 

    About the INC

    The INC is the international umbrella organization for the nut and dried fruit industry. Its members include more than 850 nut and dried fruit sector companies from over 80 countries. INC membership represents over 85% of the world’s commercial “farm gate” value of trade in nuts and dried fruits. The INC’s mission is to stimulate and facilitate sustainable growth in the global nut and dried fruit industry. It is the leading international organization on health, nutrition, statistics, food safety, and international standards and regulations regarding nuts and dried fruits.

  • Peaches & Apricots Included in New $159.4 Million USDA Food Assistance Purchases

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it will purchase up to $159.4 million in domestically produced seafood, fruits, legumes, and nuts for distribution to a variety of domestic food assistance programs, including charitable institutions. These purchases are being made utilizing funds under the authority of Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (Pub. L. 74-320), as amended (Section 32). This is one of many actions USDA is taking to address the disruptions in the food system supply chain and worsened food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “The impacts of COVID-19 reverberated from our farms to our oceans,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “U.S. fisheries and the American seafood industry were dealt a heavy blow. Today, USDA is pleased to make the largest single seafood purchase in the Department’s history. These healthy, nutritious food purchases will benefit food banks and non-profits helping those struggling with food hardship as the Biden Administration works to get the economy back on track for American families.”

    Selected commodities include: Alaska pollock, apricots (canned, dried, and frozen), chickpeas, dry peas, Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic wild-caught shrimp, lentils, navy beans, Pacific pink shrimp, Pacific rockfish fillets, Pacific whiting fillets, pistachios, prepared peaches, and sockeye (red) salmon. The inventories of these commodities are in high oversupply due to a decrease in demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic and disruption in the supply chain, as restaurants and other outlets closed during the pandemic. This is the largest purchase of U.S. raised seafood by the USDA to date.

    Within a few days of approval, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service will offer these commodities to their networks. Orders should be received during the first week of June with solicitations being issued mid-June and awards occurring near the end of the month. Deliveries should start to occur by mid-August.

    Solicitations will be available electronically through the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system and on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s website at www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food. To be eligible to submit offers, potential contractors must meet the AMS vendor qualification requirements and be domestic operations.

    The purchase amounts are as follows:

    USDA also announced today a policy change that makes food fish and other aquatic species eligible for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) under the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Previously, only farm-raised game and bait fish were eligible for death loss ELAP benefits. Beginning June 1, eligible aquaculture producers can request ELAP assistance for 2021 losses. This policy change is for the 2021 and subsequent program years. You can learn more here.

  • ARS Citrus Rootstocks: A Success Story

    Remember that old commercial that declared, “A day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine”? Thanks to the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), consumers can enjoy “citrus sunshine” whenever they like. Begun by USDA more than a century ago, the citrus research program has helped to ensure a bounty of not only oranges, but also grapefruits, mandarins, lemons, and more.

    But that bounty was severely threatened in 2005 with the appearance of a new and destructive disease. Citrus greening, or huanglongbing (HLB), has caused Florida citrus production to plummet around 70 percent in the 15 years since the disease hit U.S. citrus groves. HLB, which causes low yields, yellowed leaves, and bitter-tasting fruit, is caused by a bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. So far, there is no cure.

    Like other crops, citrus crops are susceptible to a variety of diseases and pests. One reliable way to fend off those threats is to graft the fruit-producing part of a tree (the scion) to the lower trunk and root system (the rootstock) of a different tree that has been bred to resist the disease or pest. Rootstocks are also used to obtain specific tree sizes, yields, and fruit quality, among other goals.

    A 6-year-old Owari Satsuma Mandarin tree on US-942 rootstock developed by ARS. In this trial, US-942 was the highest yielding rootstock, averaging more than 300 pounds of fruit per tree (Photo by Jake Price, University of Georgia).

    With ARS’s long history of helping growers keep their groves healthy and productive, the agency had the expertise required when HLB appeared. To quickly address the problem, the ARS citrus breeding project was refocused in 2005 partly to develop new, HLB-tolerant, highly productive citrus rootstocks.

    Led by Kim Bowman, a plant geneticist in the ARS Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research Unit in Fort Pierce, FL, the team released 12 new HLB-tolerant citrus rootstocks between 2007 and 2018. Before and after the releases, Bowman conducted dozens of field trials to evaluate and validate the rootstocks’ performance, providing the scientific data needed to demonstrate their potential and gain industry acceptance. These rootstocks, all with the prefix “US,” have since become a key component in the survival of the Florida citrus industry.

    ARS plant geneticist Kim Bowman in front of 5-year-old Valencia orange trees on HLB-tolerant rootstocks he and his colleagues developed (Photo by Diane Helseth).

    Not surprisingly, demand for the rootstocks was extremely high, and growers also needed assurances that they’d be getting the real deal. Bowman arranged for the plant material to be certified disease-free by the Florida Department of Agriculture, paving the way for the rootstocks to be commercially propagated on a large scale.

    Bowman and his colleagues have also done a great deal of research on rootstock propagation. Even though most common citrus rootstocks can be grown uniformly from seeds, it takes several years for a young tree to produce a lot of seeds, and the seeds of many new rootstocks don’t grow into true-to-type plants. The scientists have shown that using plant cuttings or tissue culture is an acceptable alternative to starting new rootstock trees from seed, and it’s a much faster way to create hundreds of thousands of plants.

    The use of these alternative methods has dramatically increased propagation for some of the new rootstocks, so that nurseries are not limited by seed supply.

    From 2018 to 2020, the HLB-tolerant “US” rootstocks were used to produce nearly 3 million new citrus trees, or about 37 percent of all trees propagated in Florida. These rootstocks have also proven effective in areas affected by other diseases besides HLB. The rootstock “US-942” demonstrated the most consistent outstanding performance in field plantings and was the most popular rootstock in Florida from 2018 to 2020, with about 1.8 million trees propagated during that 2-year period, or about 22 percent of all propagations.

    For more information, visit Citrus Rootstocks.—By Sue Kendall, USDA-ARS Office of Communications.

  • Breeding Better Blueberries with USDA

    Drs. Jim Polashock (JP) and Jeannie Rowland (JR) are researchers with the Genetic Improvement for Fruits & Vegetables Laboratory located in Beltsville, MD. Their work involves the improvement of blueberries through the identification and evaluation of genetic markers linked to traits like fruit color, cold hardiness, and disease resistance. In an “Under the Microscope” (UM) interview with the USDA-ARS, the following was shared:

    UM – Blueberries are often hailed as ‘superfruits.’ What makes these berries so healthy?

    JR – The same compounds that give blueberries their hue are also potent antioxidants. Anthocyanins have been linked to many health benefits, from improving night vision and preventing macular degeneration to ameliorating inflammation associated with chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

    JP – In addition to the anthocyanins, blueberries are relatively low in calories and packed with other nutrients including vitamin C, potassium, and compounds called flavonoids. The flavonoids also have been linked to anti-inflammatory activity.

    Side by side comparison of two blueberry lines; ‘Bluecrop’ (left) has light blue-colored fruit with a waxy coating, while ‘Nocturne’ has black-colored fruit without a waxy coating.

    UM – Which blueberry traits are you and your team looking to improve?

    JR – We focus on improving traits that are important to the blueberry industry. For example, we hope to discover the genes that are responsible for climatic adaptation (like cold hardiness and chilling requirement), which help determine the geographical range where plants can be grown. We’re also studying several fruit quality traits, such as firmness and scar size. The scar is the opening on the back of the berry that is left when the stem detaches. This can be an entry point for diseases, so it is important that the opening is small.

    Fruit color is also an important trait that we are researching.  Berries can range from black to the more desirable light blue color. The light blue color is the result of a waxy coating on the fruit that can help prevent disease and desiccation (the drying out of the fruit).

    Blueberry plants of a new ARS-developed cultivar ‘Talisman.’

    JP – Another one of our goals is to improve natural disease resistance in blueberries. We are working on uncovering the genes associated with disease resistance. Once discovered, we can bring resistance genes from various blueberry plants into superior plants through traditional breeding. Blueberries with improved resistance reduce production costs and help protect the environment and consumers. We are also working on varieties suitable for machine harvesting, which requires the fruit to be firm and ripen around the same time. Machine harvesting increases sustainability by reducing costs.

    UM – The U.S. blueberry crop alone is estimated to be worth more than $900 million and the global blueberry market is swiftly expanding.  What kinds of threats do blueberry growers and producers currently face?

    JP – To be competitive, growers must produce a quality product while keeping costs down. This involves research across several different disciplines including breeders, horticulturalists, pathologists, and others that all contribute to various aspects of developing improved varieties, disease control and production practices.

    JR: In some years, severe low temperatures in winter can cause damage to flower buds. Also, frosts in late winter and early spring can cause major damage to opening flowers in some years. This kind of damage to flower buds and opening flowers decreases fruit yield.

    UM – What common pathogens or fungi should home gardeners be aware of? 

    JP – Since blueberries are native to North America, they are well-adapted to grow here and have few important disease problems. However, the most common disease home gardeners are likely to see is fruit rot — called anthracnose — that is caused by a fungus. While not harmful to consume, it can make the berries soft and unappealing.  Another common fungus-caused threat to blueberries is a disease called mummy berry, which results in leaf infections and small dried fruit called ‘mummies.’

    Blueberries can also acquire viral infections that reduce plant vigor and yield.  Unfortunately, virus-infected blueberries cannot be cured and affected bushes must be removed to contain the virus. In addition, most of these viruses are transmitted by sucking insects, so the best way to prevent blueberry viruses from spreading is through insect control.

    UM – How can growers protect their blueberries?

    JP – Home gardeners should check with their local gardening supply store for recommendations on how to control the diseases and insects. Birds eating the berries as they ripen is probably more of issue for home gardeners. Bird netting can be purchased at gardening supply stores to help protect the crop.

    UM – How can consumers extend the shelf life of blueberries?

    JP – Fresh blueberries generally disappear pretty quickly but keeping them in the refrigerator will help extend shelf life. They can also be frozen for longer term storage.

    UM – Do blueberries lose some of their nutritional value if frozen or mixed with other fruits?

    JP – Blueberries maintain all of their nutritional quality after being frozen. In fact, freezing can help preserve some nutrients. The berries will be soft when they defrost but will still taste great.

    UM – Can your research in blueberry improvement be applied to other fruits, such as other members of the genus Vaccinium like cranberries? 

    JP – Blueberries and cranberries are actually closely related North American fruit crops.  Although they appear to be quite different, as blueberries grow on bushes with soft sweet fruit while cranberries grow on low-growing vines and bear firm tart fruit, they are actually genetically quite similar.

    JR – We have been working on team projects to sequence the blueberry and cranberry genomes.  Due to their similarities, we can compare traits and markers of one species to those in other related species and transfer information between the two.