Lindcove REC calls for research proposals

Lindcove REC maintains more than 300 different citrus selections and provides budwood to California nurserymen and growers at a minimal cost.

Lindcove Research & Extension Center (LREC), located in the foothills of Tulare County, has land, labor and facilities available for 2020/2021 research projects. The Research Advisory Committee reviews proposals and projects are evaluated based on scientific merit and regional need. While LREC is primarily a citrus research center, avocado, walnut and olive trees are also grown and other crops are welcome. 

Five acres of open ground are available for planting (Field 50).

Citrus orchards available for research:

• Valencia strains on mixed rootstock (Field 11S), 2.5 acres, planted 1993
• Washington Navel on Troyer rootstock (field 83) 4.0 acres, planted 1989
• Washington Navel on Troyer rootstock (field 93) 4.5 acres, planted 1983
• Tango mandarin on Carrizo rootstock (Field 23) 3.8 acres, planted 2010
• Tango Mandarin on Carrizo rootstock (Field 91C) .61 acres, planted 2011
• Fukumoto navel on mixed rootstock (Field 64W), 1.49 acres, planted 2005
• Mixed citrus on mixed rootstock (Field 11N), 1.7 acres, planted 2006
• Mixed citrus on mixed rootstock (Field 52W), 1.7 acres, planted 2006
• Mixed citrus on mixed rootstock (Field 63E), .80 acres, planted 2006
• Mixed Clementine's on Carrizo rootstock (Field 73N) 1.72 acres planted 2004
• Lemons on unknown rootstock (Field 81E) .45 acres
• Lemons on unknown rootstock (Field 82E) 1.15 acres

Facilities and support staff:

The electronic fruit grading system in the packline provides individual fruit data including weight, size, volume, number, scarring, texture, Brix and color. The packline also has a high-pressure fruit washer, waxer and dryer.  Three cold storage rooms that hold 60 fruit bins each, walk-in cold boxes, and de-greening rooms have the capability for ethylene gassing. 

The Fruit Quality Evaluation Laboratory is capable of evaluating rind thickness, granulation, texture, puff and crease, juice weights, Brix, sugar/acid ratio and the California standard. A Staff Research Associate located at the Center is available to provide field and laboratory data collection.

The center maintains the Citrus Clonal Protection Program's (CCPP) foundation budwood orchard for virus-free, true-to-type citrus. More than 300 different selections of citrus are in this collection, and budwood is available to California nurserymen and growers at a minimal cost. The majority of these varieties are now maintained in a screenhouse to further protect them from insect vectored diseases. 

Proposal process:

Proposals are due May 17, 2020. To submit a proposal, go to the UC LREC website http://lrec.ucanr.edu/, click on the ‘research' tab, then the ‘submitting a proposal' tab, then the ‘Proposal management' tab. Detailed instructions of how to submit a proposal can be downloaded using the ‘User Guide' link on the RAC project management page. 

If you have any questions regarding research, contact Beth Grafton-Cardwell, director at (559) 592-2408 Ext 1152 or eegraftoncardwell@ucanr.edu. For questions regarding land, labor and facilities, contact Kurt Schmidt, superintendent at (559) 592-2408 Ext 1153 or krschmidt@ucanr.edu. For information on submission of proposals, contact Jasmin Del Toro, business officer, (559) 592-2408 Ext 1151 or jzdeltoro@ucanr.edu.

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