San Joaquin Valley citrus growers and the University of California Riverside established the Lindcove Research and Extension Center in 1959. The soils and climate at LREC are representative of the 190,000 acres of commercial citrus growing in the Central Valley of California. Scientists conduct research programs at LREC that evaluate develop new varieties of citrus, better ways to grow citrus, and new ways to manage pests. Extension programs communicate the results to citrus clientele as well as the general public.
The station consists of 175 acres located at the 500-foot elevation next to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and hot, dry summers (May-September), with temperature extremes from the low 20's to 115oF. Usual annual precipitation is 13" with prolonged tule fog episodes during December and January. Continuous recording of weather information has been maintained since 1962. San Joaquin sandy loam is the dominant soil type.
Citrus Clonal Protection Program
The center maintains the Citrus Clonal Protection Program's (CCPP) foundation budwood orchard for virus-free true-to-type citrus. More than 100 different selections of citrus are in this collection, and budwood is available to California nurserymen and growers at a minimal cost. The majority of these varieties are now maintained in a screenhouse to further protect them from insect vectored diseases.
Packline
In 1995 the California citrus industry, through the California Citrus Quality Council, donated a complete citrus packing line to the Lindcove Research and Extension Center. This 5,000-square-foot facility has available for research an FMC high-pressure scale washer, Brogdex waxing and drying equipment, and a Sunkist CAB fruit-grading unit that can measure number, size and grade of fruit. This state-of-the-art equipment allows analysis of fruit from individual trees.
Fruit Quality Evaluation Center
The LREC fruit quality laboratory can perform a large variety of tests including sugar/acid ratio, peel thickness, % juice and other parameters.
