The Texas Citrus Pest and Disease Management Corporation (TCPDMC) has secured a grant through USDA-APHIS-HLB-MAC to support establishment of 1,000 acres of new citrus plantings in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The goal of this project, known as the Texas Citrus Research and Field Trial (Texas CRaFT) program, is to encourage novel planting designs aimed at increasing productivity and quality of Texas citrus.
Growers are invited to be part of the Texas CRaFT program. To be considered for the program, growers will need to:
- Establish a minimum of 20 acres on either drip or sprinkler irrigation systems
- At least 80% of each newly established grove will need to be on raised beds with ground cover to comply with the requirements of the project
- The remaining 20% will be planted on raised beds or on flat beds with no ground cover
- At least 50% of the trees will be covered with individual protective covers (IPC) at the time of planting to protect from the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP)
- Participating growers can plant any citrus variety of their choosing
- Applicants must present proof of commitment to tree availability as part of the application
- New groves must be established within 2 years of acceptance into the Texas CRaFT program
The program will provide $2,500 per acre after planting the trees and contingent upon the grove meeting all the guidelines of the program.
Submit the application BELOW no later than October 31, 2021. Selected participants will be informed by end of December 2021.
For more details regarding program requirements CLICK HERE to see the Texas CRaFT eligibility guidelines.
For questions, please contact Dr. David Laughlin at 956-410-9034 or by email at Texascraft@valleyag.org.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Dale Murden
Texas Pest & Disease Management Corporation