Florida Southern College turns citrus groves into 'living laboratories' to help rescue state's industry
FSC creates "living lab" to save citrus groves
Florida Southern College has planted 45 young citrus trees across its Lakeland campus to create a hands-on living laboratory aimed at helping growers revitalize Florida's struggling citrus industry. FOX 13’s Carla Bayron reports.
POLK COUNTY, Fla. - Florida Southern College has planted 45 young citrus trees across its Lakeland campus to create a hands-on living laboratory aimed at helping growers revitalize Florida's struggling citrus industry.
Lakeland Campus Citrus Groves
What we know:
Florida Southern College was built on orange groves in the 1920s, but age and viruses degraded its three on-campus groves over time. College staff revitalized the grounds by planting 45 young, healthy trees featuring a variety of citrus.
Students will monitor protective covers, collect data on tree health and watch the young trees grow. "Basically, what we can do is—this is a living laboratory, so the students can come out here and discover best practices in the industry. And what they discover, they can share with the industry."
Florida Citrus Greening Crisis
By the numbers:
Citrus greening and other crop health issues have severely damaged Florida's signature agricultural industry over recent decades. Michael Weber, dean of the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise, highlighted the dramatic drop in statewide production space.
"We've seen the acreage devoted to citrus decline from well over a million acres down to below 200,000 acres. This has been due to a variety of issues affecting the crop's health, primarily citrus greening."
Future Ag Business Leaders
What's next:
Data gathered from the living laboratory will be shared directly with local growers so they can determine which rootstocks and genetics perform best. Growers can then focus on those specific tree varieties to create a sustainable citrus crop that stays competitive in the marketplace.
The program aims to develop students into "business scientists" who will secure the future of the industry. Weber said his hope is to see more students enrolling in the horticulture program and joining Florida's ag business after graduation.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13 reporter Carla Bayron, who interviewed Florida Southern College officials and toured the campus groves in Lakeland, as well as statements from Michael Weber, dean of the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise.