UF IFAS Citrus Extension

What UF IFAS Citrus Extension does

UF/IFAS Citrus Extension operates the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred, Florida, as part of the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). Established in 1938 as part of UF's land-grant mission, CREC is the world's largest and most diverse citrus research program, addressing production, pest, and disease challenges — most notably Huanglongbing (HLB/citrus greening) — facing the Florida citrus industry. The center serves Florida citrus growers as its primary audience, along with academic researchers and commercial citrus processors, through a combination of research output, extension programming, and fee-for-service facilities.

CREC's core capabilities span genetic transformation, advanced microscopy, and pilot-scale citrus processing. The Juvenile Tissue Citrus Transformation Facility operates Agrobacterium-mediated and biolistic transformation methods, produces approximately 250 transgenic seedlings per year across multiple cultivars, and was the first facility to produce CRISPR-edited citrus plants. The Microscopy Lab offers transmission electron microscopy, laser-scanning confocal microscopy with multi-photon laser, and standard brightfield/fluorescence imaging. The Processing and Packinghouse Pilot Plant provides fruit washing, juice extraction, evaporation, pasteurization, filtration, and automated fresh-fruit sorting by color, density, and blemish criteria. Supporting infrastructure includes the world's largest citrus-focused library (~15,000 volumes), a grove department for field operations, and an extensive extension tool suite (Canopy Assist, Flower Bud Induction Advisory, Citrus PFD Advisory, Florida Automated Weather Network, Florida Citrus Production Guide, UF/IFAS Citrus Magazine).

CREC's business model combines state appropriations, federal grants (USDA/Hatch Act), industry advisory funding (Florida Department of Citrus personnel are housed on-site), and fee-for-service revenue from specialized lab and pilot plant services. Pricing is tiered across internal UF users, external academic/research institutions, and commercial market users, with published hourly and daily rates. The center distributes research and guidance through a statewide extension agent network, the UF/IFAS Citrus Magazine, the Florida Citrus Production Guide, EDIS publications, videos, podcasts, and direct grower outreach. There are no external investors, and the entity operates as a public state research institution rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

UF IFAS Citrus Extension

Legal name

University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - Citrus Research and Education Center

Website

https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UF/IFAS Citrus Extension operates the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred, Florida, providing citrus research, extension services, and fee-for-service lab facilities to Florida citrus growers, academic researchers, and commercial processors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Extension Services

NAICS

Orange Groves (11131)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAGACAA

Citrus Orchards (Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruit)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Fruit & Tree Nut Orchards (Citrus, Apples, Berries, Almonds, Walnuts)

Keywords

• Citrus research
• Agricultural extension
• Plant pathology
• Horticultural sciences
• Citrus genetics

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Alfred

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government/University Funding: As part of UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), CREC receives funding through the land-grant university system, state appropriations, and federal grants for agricultural research and extension.
2. Genetic Transformation Services: Fee-for-service genetic transformation of citrus plants for research clients. Internal academic, external academic, and market/commercial pricing tiers. Monthly billing with payments required regardless of experimental outcome.
3. Pilot Plant Processing Services: Fee-for-service juice processing, packinghouse services, juice quality analyses. Tiered pricing for internal UF users, external academic/research users, and commercial market users.
4. Microscopy Lab Services: Hourly fee-based microscopy services including TEM, confocal, and standard microscopy for university and external users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) is a public university research and extension center that conducts scientific research, graduate-level education, and extension services for the Florida citrus industry. It operates fee-for-service specialized facilities including the Juvenile Tissue Citrus Transformation Facility (genetic engineering of citrus), the Processing and Packinghouse Pilot Plant (juice extraction and fruit packing), and the Microscopy Lab (TEM and confocal imaging), and publishes grower-facing tools such as the Florida Citrus Production Guide and UF/IFAS Citrus Magazine.

Product overview

UF IFAS Citrus Extension operates through the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) as a unified platform providing research, education, and extension services to Florida's citrus industry. The core offering includes the CREC research center and the Statewide Citrus Research and Extension Website as the primary platforms, supported by specialized service facilities including a Library (world's largest citrus collection), Processing Pilot Plant, Microscopy Lab, Recording Studio, Grove Department, and the Juvenile Tissue Citrus Transformation Facility for genetic research. Extension resources include digital tools like Canopy Assist, Flower Bud Induction Advisory, Citrus PFD Advisory System, and the Florida Automated Weather Network. Publications include the UF/IFAS Citrus Magazine and Florida Citrus Production Guide. The center also provides production systems like Citrus Under Protected Screen (CUPS) and Individual Protective Covers for HLB management. This is a multi-facility research and extension organization, not a single software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Core Citrus Transformation Facility produces approximately 250 transgenic seedlings per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Florida Citrus Research and Extension Advisory CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory council providing guidance on research priorities and extension needs for the Florida citrus industry. Links research programs with industry requirements.
• UF/IFAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, providing institutional framework, funding, and administrative support for citrus research and extension programs.
• Florida Department of Citrus (DOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency supporting citrus research and promotion. DOC personnel (Tony Trama, Rosa Walsh) are housed at CREC and collaborate on citrus industry research.
• Florida Citrus Growers AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry association representing Florida citrus growers. Collaborates with CREC on research priorities, variety trials, and extension programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation): Brazil's national agricultural research corporation with significant citrus, tropical crop, and biotechnology programs. Comparable scale of public-sector agricultural R&D including citrus and disease management.
• USDA Agricultural Research Service: Federal agricultural R&D agency operating multiple research stations that conduct citrus, plant pathology, and post-harvest research. Comparable public-sector research mission with overlapping citrus and disease management focus.
• Cornell AgriTech: Cornell's applied agricultural research center with plant pathology, horticulture, and grape/genetics programs. Comparable as a university-affiliated agricultural research station offering fee-for-service and extension capabilities.
• UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Major land-grant agricultural research and extension complex with significant plant sciences, viticulture, and post-harvest expertise. Comparable scale and structure to UF/IFAS but broader scope.
• Texas A&M AgriLife Research: Large land-grant agricultural research institution with citrus, horticulture, and plant pathology programs. Comparable to CREC as a public-sector agricultural research enterprise, though broader in crop and discipline scope.

Regional players

• IVIA (Institut Valencià d'Investigacions Agràries): Spain's regional agricultural research institute with extensive citrus breeding and disease management programs. Highly comparable research mission in citrus, though serving Mediterranean/Spanish growers rather than Florida.

Emerging players

• Donald Danforth Plant Science Center: Independent, nonprofit plant science research institute with strengths in plant biotechnology and trait improvement. Comparable capability to CREC's transformation/genomics work, but a broader crop focus.

Others

• Florida Department of Citrus: State agency that partners with CREC (with DOC personnel physically housed at CREC). Functions as industry marketing, research, and regulatory body for Florida citrus — comparable industry-facing role rather than a direct research competitor.

Direct peers

• Citrus Research International (South Africa): Direct peer — a globally recognized citrus-focused research organization conducting industry-funded R&D on cultivar improvement, pest and disease management, and post-harvest processing. Closely comparable mission and stakeholder model to CREC's citrus extension work.
• California Citrus Research Board: Industry-funded research board supporting citrus research in California on HLB and other threats. Comparable as a regional citrus research organization addressing overlapping disease and production challenges.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uf-ifas-citrus-extension

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UF IFAS Citrus Extension