en.Wedoany.com Reported - Florida Southern College is rebuilding citrus groves to address the ongoing challenges posed by Huanglongbing (HLB, commonly known as citrus greening disease) to Florida's citrus industry. These groves will serve as platforms for evaluating production practices and emerging technologies aimed at improving tree health, resilience, and long-term sustainability, while also enhancing agricultural research and workforce development opportunities.
This project, accomplished through the joint efforts of industry partners and the college community, marks a unique collaboration between higher education and Florida's agricultural sector. With support from Florida Southern College alumnus Phillip Rucks and Rucks Nursery, as well as Mike Hurst of Citrus Service, Inc., the project aims to invest in future agricultural leaders and provide students with hands-on opportunities in the citrus industry.
Dr. Michael Weber, Dean of the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise, stated that these citrus innovation groves represent an investment in the future of agricultural operations. Students will gain firsthand experience through living laboratories with rootstock varieties, protection technologies, and production systems that are helping the industry combat citrus greening disease. He expressed gratitude to Phillip Rucks, Mike Hurst, and industry partners for their generosity, which creates opportunities for future students and protects an industry vital to Florida's economy and identity.
Rucks Nursery provided the trees that form the foundation of the project, consisting of rootstocks resistant to HLB. Citrus Service, Inc. donated citrus tree tents, which help protect young trees from pests such as the Asian citrus psyllid, while reducing heat stress, sunburn, and water loss, thereby increasing resistance to citrus greening disease and ensuring the trees have a long-term impact on the citrus industry.
On the day of the official replanting of the two groves, Florida Southern College students in horticulture, land, and resource management programs participated in planting alongside Dr. Shea Keene, Assistant Professor of Horticultural Science, facilities staff, faculty, and college leadership. Long-term plans for research, maintenance, and educational use were also established.
Citrus has been woven into the history of Florida Southern College for over a century. Since the college moved to Lakeland in 1921, the campus has been built on former citrus groves. Through academic programs, industry partnerships, and the Citrus Institute established in 1947, the college offered some of Florida's first orchard management courses. Today, the college continues this tradition through its citrus archives and agricultural education programs.
This project reflects the college's commitment to advancing innovation in agricultural operations and cultivating the next generation of agricultural leaders. As the citrus groves mature, they will support applied research, experiential learning, and industry collaboration, while providing students with experience in addressing the challenges and opportunities of Florida's agriculture.
Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in Florida. The college offers over 70 undergraduate programs as well as graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1, it is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning, boasting 30 NCAA Division II national championships. In the U.S. News & World Report 2025 "Best Colleges" guide, the college ranked 11th in "Best Regional Universities in the South," 12th in "Most Innovative Schools," and 24th in "Best Value Schools." The college also appears in The Princeton Review's 2026 Best 391 Colleges guide and the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2025. The "2025-2026 Colleges of Distinction" guide praised its AACSB-accredited Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise, as well as its School of Education and Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences. The college houses the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, featuring 13 Wright-designed buildings.
