Bayer Aims Research Prowess at Defeating Citrus Greening
August 18, 2017
CRDF Chairman Tom Jerkins signs research agreement, alongside Adrian Percy, Head of Research & Development of Bayer’s Crop Science Division (left), and Harold Browning, Chief Operating Officer of CRDF.
Photo by Frank Giles
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and Bayer announced a new agreement to seek solutions to citrus greening. Under the long-term research agreement, Bayer will provide access to its disease control know-how and will coordinate public and private research to find novel solutions for greening in Florida and beyond. CRDF is organizing the financing of this project, combining public funds with contributions from citrus growers and the juice industry. The partnership is financially supported by PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company.
Bayer will dedicate a team scientists from its Crop Science Division, along with public collaborators, to seek biological solutions to the disease, primarily in the form of antibacterial materials. The team also will seek chemical compounds that will enhance the natural defense mechanisms in citrus plants.
“Bayer and CRDF know that no one company or organization will solve this problem all alone and that is the key,” said Adrian Percy, Head of Research & Development of Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “The goal of this entire effort is to combine research and development activities to discover a solution to citrus greening faster than any individual organization can do on its own.”
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