Scientists with the University of Florida have secured a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to combat the lethal Laurel wilt disease and the red bay ambrosia beetles responsible for it.
The research aims to improve control and mitigation practices for avocado production in Florida. The grant, from the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will also support the testing of new varieties for their tolerance to cold and disease. This initiative is poised to extend avocado cultivation beyond Miami-Dade County, fostering growth and sustainability beyond the Sunshine State's avocado production industry.
"Laurel wilt is the most devastating disease to avocado trees in the world," said Jeffrey Rollins, Ph.D., principal investigator and a professor of plant pathology at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, who's leading the research team. "Trees infested with this pathogen die within four to eight weeks."
As part of the grant objective, UF/IFAS will host a 90-minute virtual seminar on Dec. 19, "Introduction to a New Grant: Sustaining Avocado Production in the Face of the Lethal Laurel Wilt Disease," beginning at 3 p.m. The free informational workshop is open to growers, researchers, and interested investors who want to learn more about the grant's scope and how it will shape the future of avocado farming in Florida. To participate, attendees must register in advance at this Zoom link.
Avocado varieties grown in Florida are touted for their nutritional benefits. With more than 50 varieties, each is rich in protein, potassium, iron, and vitamins.
"Growers are interested in increasing commercial acreage in Central Florida, thanks to a variety of conditions, one being warmer climates shifting to the north. Currently, avocadoes can be found growing as far north as Polk County," said Jonathan Crane, Ph.D., a co-principal investigator and a tropical fruit crop specialist at UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center. The grant will support research to expand the market.
Laurel wilt was first detected in Florida's commercial avocado production area of Homestead in 2012. Initially, the disease was spread by one species of the redbay ambrosia beetle, said Crane.
"The pathogen has now spread to 10 ambrosia beetle species five of which we know can transmit the disease," he said. "That completely complicates everything. There is more at stake because the problem stretches beyond Florida into other avocado-producing states, posing significant risks."
The disease has destroyed over 350,000 avocado trees in Florida, said Rollins. "We are working to avoid what could be an ecological disaster as the beetle also attacks native trees in the Laurel Family as well as avocado trees," he said.
This significant funding amount will support a trans-disciplinary research team of 12 scientists across the state, leading efforts for the next five years that are aimed at sustaining the Florida avocado industry and expanding avocado production both in South Florida and into Central Florida to accommodate the increased demand.
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