- Author: Georgios Vidalakis
- Contact: Therese Kapaun
Citrus germplasm and nursery stock production have been through dramatic changes the last few years in California. The CCPP Foundation Operations at LREC after 51 years of outdoor production have transitioned into protective structures. CCPP and industry have been always in close collaboration. As part of the continuing efforts to improve and optimize the budwood production schemes and protocol the CCPP invited nurserymen with experience in the new nursery technologies to visit CCPP and discuss ideas about the LREC Foundation Operations.
The visit was successful and very productive. Similar visits will be planned in the future as needed and as specific questions arise and different industry and scientific expertise is required. The CCPP has been inviting all stakeholders to its Foundation Operations for decades now during the annual Foundation and Evaluation Block Walkthrough. It appears however that a different visitation model will be required under the new and upcoming quarantine and compliance regulations for the CCPP Protected Foundation Blocks. This first visit with nurserymen may very well evolve to become a new type of “Undercover CCPP Walkthrough”.
---- Georgios Vidalakis, Director, Citrus Clonal Protection Program
- Author: Therese Kapaun
This week kicks off the start of monthly budwood cuts from citrus trees in the Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP) protected foundation block at the Lindcove Research and Extension Center. Online and faxed orders received for CCPP budwood will be personally filled by Rock Christiano. In this photo Rock is filling an order for 1500 Nules clementine buds. The monthly cutting system should reduce the likelihood of budwood shortages for large orders of popular varieties, and provide faster service overall for growers and citrus nurseries.
- Author: Therese Kapaun
June is a busy time of year for potting rootstocks in the LREC greenhouses. This month we will be transplanting nearly 3000 seedlings to give them time to grow before budding this fall with various scions for four research projects.
Gerry Perez, Senior Agricultural Technician, is directing the soil sterilization procedure for the potting mix, which we make ourselves. We use a concrete mixer to combine the soil ingredients, pour the mixture into a custom built steam trailer, and then heat the mixture to 210° F for 30 minutes. The pots are also heat-treated at this temperature.
- Author: Therese Kapaun
Last week Lindcove hosted the CCPP annual Foundation Block Walk-Through led by Director Georgios Vidalakis and Robert Krueger of the USDA and attended by growers and nurserymen. The event featured a display and tasting of more than 70 late season citrus varieties, including navels, mandarins, grapefruits, kumquats, blood oranges, valencias, and specialty varieties.
Following the Walk-Through, the California Citrus Nursery Society held a Variety Committee meeting in the Conference Building. This event included talks and PowerPoint presentations by Tom Delfino, Richard Lee, Ray Yokomi, Georgios Vidalakis, Claire Federici, Tracy Kahn, and Karen Suslow.
- Author: Therese Kapaun
The Citrus Clonal Protection Program (CCPP) is updating it's budwood ordering system, with an improved website coming soon at http://ccpp.ucr.edu/budwood/budwood.php
Screenhouse mother trees at Lindcove are managed by Staff Research Associate Dr. Rock Christiano. Rock is based here at Lindcove, and orders for budwood can now be filled monthly, in lieu of seasonally as in the past. Information not found on the website regarding the availability of budwood, early release budwood, as well as other questions pertaining to CCPP can be directed to Rock at christiano@ucdavis.edu
The next budwood cut is scheduled for June 13, then monthly thereafter. Check the CCPP website for future cutting dates.
A late-season fruit tasting and CCPP Foundation Block walk through for citrus growers and nurserymen is scheduled for May 30 at Lindcove from 9:00 -11:30.