Highlander Post Views: 1,880
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Culture Specialty Crop Research Initiative has awarded a grant of $4.4 million solely to UCR in the name of avocado preservation. Avocado orchards are currently endangered because of potentially lethal threats, such as Laurel Wilt, Phytophthora root rot and soil salinity.
In particular, Laurel Wilt, caused by the fungus Raffaelea lauricola, has been shown to inflict irreparable damage once it has infected a crop. Florida’s avocado crops have already seen devastation due to Laurel Wilt. Without strategic action, the fungus is predicted to spread across the country and make its way to California, the country’s leading producer of avocado crops.