ASHS 2025 Conference

Citrus is one of the most widely grown fruit crops worldwide with a total of $2.98 billion in productivity in the U.S. However, the citrus industry has been significantly affected by Huanglongbing (HLB) which caused as much as 90% production loss in Florida. Efficient phenotyping and data management will aid breeding selection and hasten the development of high yielding citrus varieties with durable resistance to HLB. The Citrus Genome Database (CGD, www.citrusgenomedb.org), an integrated web-based community database for citrus genomic, genetic, and breeding research, offers the Breeding Information and Management System (BIMS) for efficient public or private data management. BIMS is compatible with Field Book, an Android app which allows breeders to collect data on phones or tablets. In addition, the compliance of BIMS and Field Book with the Breeding API (BrAPI) enables seamless data transfer between them. This transition to electronic data collection and data management using BIMS has boosted the efficiency of the University of Florida citrus breeding program. Under the 2022-funded SCRI-project ‘Advanced National Database Resources for Specialty Crop Research and Improvement’, we aim to collaborate with citrus breeding programs across the U.S., offering in-person or webinar training on BIMS and Field Book, while sharing updates on these tools with citrus breeders.