Finger Lime Symposium March 2022
Virtual Field Tours
Program
Development of new finger lime cultivars at UF
Dr. Manjul Dutt
Assistant professor, UF/IFAS CREC
Presentation Summary: Several new finger lime hybrids are being evaluated at UFL. Two new cultivars – UF SunLime and UF RedLime have been released in 2021 and several others will be potentially released in the near future. This presentation discusses the new varieties at UF and their potential as a niche specialty crop. Download/View PDF | View Video Presentation
Finger lime cultivation and cultivars
Mr. David Karp
Researcher, Dept. of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of
California, Riverside
Presentation Summary: Interest in finger limes has soared in the past two decades, for the sake both of the trees’ resistance to huanglongbing, and their novel, unique fruits. However, knowledge of who’s growing what and where is not readily available. David Karp, who has researched finger limes since 1999, provides an overview of the global finger lime market, and of the dozen cultivars of Australasian native citrus that have applied for intellectual property protection (plant patents or plant breeders’ rights). Download/View PDF | View Video Presentation
Rootstock Options for Finger Limes
Dr. Tripti Vashisth
Associate Professor, UF/IFAS CREC
Presentation Summary: This presentation will cover the interactions between various rootstocks and finger lime varieties. Download/View PDF | View Video Presentation
USDA/UCR Australian Finger Lime Selection Update
Mr. Robert Krueger and Ms. Toni Siebert
USDA/UCR
Robert Krueger is Horticulturist & Curator at the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository for Citrus & Dates in Riverside, California. He is responsible for the acquisition, maintenance, distribution, documentation, and evaluation of germplasm of citrus, date palms, and their relatives.
Presentation Summary: Presentation Summary: USDA and UCR are cooperatively evaluating 3 populations of AFL seedlings with the hope of identifying more deeply and diversely pigmented selections. 17 accessions were selected for more complete evaluations and evaluations were carried out starting in 2019. This presentation reviews the progress made on this project and shows the selections currently being studied. Download/View PDF | View Video Presentation
Breeding with Australian Finger Limes: More Than Just a Novelty
Mr. Malcolm Smith
Citrus Breeder, Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Presentation Summary: Malcolm will talk about his experience in breeding with native citrus and some of the challenges that these non-domesticated species present. He is attempting to introgress traits from these species into conventional citrus but along the way has gained insight that may be of value to specialist finger lime growers. He will touch on unique challenges including postharvest performance, harvest economics, pest and disease, and the marketing challenges of novelty fruit. Download/View PDF | View Video Presentation
Market Potential for Floridian Finger Limes
Dr. Trent Blare
Assistant Professor, UF/IFAS TREC
Presentation Summary: There has been growing hype around finger limes from chefs and foodies, but the fruit has yet to be found in commercial and retail markets. Growers are interested in finger limes as citrus greening and international competition have made other citrus and fruit markets less appealing. They are lured by the premiums that the few grower who have finger limes are receiving in upscale markets. However, many are concerned that finger limes are just a fad and are skeptical that the high prices are sustainable. This presentation describes preliminary findings from interviews with wholesalers, chefs, and processors undertaken on their perceptions of the opportunities in the emerging finger lime markets and what challenges are faced in developing this value chain. Download/View PDF | View Video Presentation