What is it all about?

Citrus diseases can reduce productivity, cause tree losses and disrupt markets. Many diseases spread through infected planting material and cannot be cured, making prevention critical. This project helps protect Australian citrus production by preserving healthy, true-to-type public varieties and ensuring growers can access disease-tested planting material for new orchards and improved varieties.  

The project supports the National Citrus Repository Program, which maintains foundation trees at two insect-screened sites. Keeping collections in two locations provides a backup if fire, vandalism or a disease incursion affects one site. Trees are regularly tested for pathogens, checked to confirm they are true to type and maintained as a source of budwood for industry.  

Small quantities of budwood from these trees are used by Auscitrus to produce daughter trees and multiply buds for nurseries and growers. Selected new public varieties can enter the repository after pathogen testing and, where needed, pathogen elimination.  

The project will also maintain plant health records and develop a sustainable model for the repository’s continued operation. If a serious citrus disease incursion occurs, the collections will provide healthy planting material to support industry recovery and re-establishment.