How does the Citrus Research and Development Foundation fund research?

Where does the money to fund citrus research come from?

The portfolio of current funded projects and a look at the new cycle of proposals

Vol 2 Issue 4 12-2-11 CRDF

• CRDF Receives and Evaluates the Next Round of HLB and Canker Preproposals
• Upcoming Meetings
• Visit our Updated Website—www.citrusrdf.org
• Annual and Final Reports

The 2011 research funding cycle advanced to the full proposal stage with the actions by the Research Management Committee of CRDF on October 18. Now, for the 3rd year since its inception, CRDF requested preproposals form the scientific community nationally and internationally, asking for a one-page synopsis of best ideas to address solutions to serious diseases affecting Florida citrus.

Vol_2_Issue_2_Sept_2011

The Citrus Advanced Technology Program is open to applicants from any institutional, university or government affiliation, and from any geographic region or discipline.

Interested applicants may submit a single page preproposal description of their proposed project thru October 3, 2011 as detailed in the Preproposal Instructions available at www.citrusrdf.org. After review, a list of projects selected will be posted on the CRDF web site (by October 21, 2011), inviting those researchers to submit full proposals by November 21, 2011 for consideration for funding, with notice of awards expected at the beginning of March 2012.

Preproposal Application Instructions

Download Preproposal Form

Researcher’s Timeline:

October 3, 2011 – Deadline for Preproposal submission to catp@citrusrdf.org

October 21, 2011 – Preproposal list invited to submit Full Proposals posted at www.citrusrdf.org

November 21, 2011 – Deadline for Full Proposal submission by those invited

March 3, 2012 – List of Proposals approved for funding posted at www.citrusrdf.org

Note: The timeline  is subject to change. Researchers are encouraged to check back at www.citrusrdf.org periodically for any CATP11 updates.

Project_List 

Updated: 7-29-2011

CRDF-GROWER-REPORT-JULY-2011

TCPB_Web_Site_Project_List                                                                             7-29-2011

CRB_Web_Site_Project_List                                                                                                     7-29-2011

Florida’s Natural Growers Announces Donation to Fight Citrus Greening

The Florida’s Natural Growers Board of Directors voted to donate $250,000 to fight citrus greening, a disease plaguing the Florida Citrus industry.  “As a Florida grower cooperative, it is important to combat this disease with every resource available.  This support of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation and their efforts to battle citrus greening is vital to the long term future of the Florida Citrus Industry,” commented Steve Caruso, Florida’s Natural Growers CEO.  The Cooperative’s Board of Directors showed their commitment to the fight with this significant donation to the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, the leader in citrus research against HLB. 

HLB, commonly known as citrus greening, is a bacterium that was confirmed in the State of Florida in 2005 and is evident in every citrus growing region in the State as well as other citrus growing regions worldwide.  The disease attacks the nutrient absorption of the citrus tree and leads to a rapid decline and eventual death.  “For the Florida Citrus Industry, HLB is the most important issue,” added Caruso.

About The Citrus Research and Development Foundation, Inc.

 The Citrus Research and Development Foundation Inc. (CRDF) is a Florida non-profit corporation organized in May 2009 under Florida State laws as a Direct Service Organization of the University of Florida.  The mission of the CRDF is to “advance disease and production research and product development activities to ensure the survival and competitiveness of Florida’s citrus growers through innovation.” 

 About Florida’s Natural Growers

First formed in 1933, the growers’ cooperative was named Florida Citrus Canners Cooperative, as its main function was canning grapefruit sections and juice for its grower members.  After the development of frozen concentrated juices in the 1940’s, the Cooperative invested in the necessary infrastructure and became one of the largest juice processors in the state.  In 1969, the Canners Cooperative eventually changed its name to Citrus World, Inc. to better reflect its diverse product line.  Today, the majority of the Cooperative’s sales are derived from the Florida’s Natural ® Brand.  The cooperative now uses Florida’s Natural Growers as its name.  Florida’s Natural® Brand is the only national brand of Not-From-Concentrate Premium juice that uses oranges From Florida and Only Florida™.

Florida’s Natural Growers is comprised of thirteen grower organizations representing almost 1,000 individual growers who own nearly 50,000 acres of citrus in Florida.  Florida’s Natural Growers operates its processing plant in Lake Wales, Florida, with a juice packaging plant in Umatilla, Florida.  The Lake Wales facility employs 850 employees and can extract over nine million pounds of fruit every twenty-four hours in peak season.  Brands produced in Lake Wales include Florida’s Natural ®, Florida’s Natural Growers Pride ®, Donald Duck ®, Bluebird ®, and Florida’s Natural Earth’s Own™.