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According to Nelsen, the UCR was trying to obtain federal funding, but was unable to secure the estimated $12 million it would cost the university, as a public entity, to build a facility.
“Since they weren’t able to get the necessary funding, several of us in the industry started talking about it and recognized that there’s a lot of research going on specific to Huanglongbing, yet there’s no cure for it,” Nelsen said.
Moreover, Nelsen said the California citrus industry recognized that, even though research into the insidious bacterial disease in citrus is happening in Florida and at UC Davis, the Florida studies are more germane to Florida growing conditions and the UC Davis facilities are overtaxed with work done on a host of commodities.
“We felt that if we were going to protect ourselves we better take the lead,” Nelsen continued.
“We worked with Wonderful Citrus initially and then I contacted the balance of the industry and received commitments for funding.”
