Without our efforts, the number of people able to enjoy delicious and nutritious citrus products will decline substantially.
JUDE SHOWS HOW BIOTECHNOLOGY IS PART OF IPM
Jude is a professor in citrus breeding and genetics at the University of Florida.
Jude and his team are combining emerging biotechnologies with conventional breeding techniques to develop hardier, disease-resistant crops for the Florida citrus industry and beyond.
He is developing traits in a wide range of citrus crops including – sweeter oranges for the juice business, seedless easy-peel mandarins, canker tolerant grapefruit and most importantly resistance against citrus greening, a prevalent disease in the region.
He says giving farmers the option to choose resistant varieties of citrus will be an important part of their Integrated Pest Management plan. “Being able to help dedicated farmers by solving their problems and delivering new citrus fruits inspires me. Without our efforts, the number of people able to enjoy delicious and nutritious citrus products will decline substantially,” he says.