Florida citrus

The Florida Department of Citrus has signed off a round of contracts to begin funding for 37 research projects aimed at finding solutions to a variety of citrus diseases, including citrus greening.

Research will be conducted through the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, with a total of US$10.8m allocated by the state's citrus industry, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Citrus greening in particular poses a threat to the industry, with the tree-killing disease confirmed in all the state's citrus-growing areas following its initial discovery in Florida in 2005.

'Over the past year, we have worked closely with the entire citrus industry to address this urgent need,' said Ken Keck, executive director of the state's citrus department.

In total, the citrus department will fund a total of 70 research projects, with the Florida Department for Agriculture and Consumer services funding 13 projects with US$2.8m.