Why now: With Hamlin harvest underway through January, it’s the ideal moment to design and schedule 2026 citrus studies—aligning sites, scouting pressure, and post-harvest work. Florida Ag Research runs independent, data-driven trials across lab, greenhouse, and field that translate directly to commercial decisions. ​

Why Partner with Florida Ag Research

• Citrus depth with long-running programs and collaborations; proven HLB work and broader citrus portfolio. Programs also available in California.
• Integrated teams across Plant Pathology and Entomology with advanced labs (cultures, DNA/qPCR) and greenhouse capacity.
• Independent CRO delivering decision-grade data and efficient study execution across seasons.

Next Steps (slots are limited)

• Email your draft protocol for a 48-hour feasibility check
• Reserve a trial slot and align sites/timings for 2026
• Co-design endpoints and data outputs for registration or positioning

Contact: Erin Downey or Dr. Balaji Aglave  (813) 986-5599, or reach us via the Website.
​

​Leaders across the banana industry are voicing a common concern: the production model that has supplied affordable fruit to consumers for decades is under real pressure.
 
On recent earnings calls and in global media, executives have pointed to a convergence of threats – aggressive diseases, changing climate patterns, and persistent economic pressures – that make it harder to maintain yield, quality, and profitability in traditional production regions.  (Shah, 2025) (Abu-Ghazaleh, 2025)
 
For those of us working in crop protection and biology R&D, this moment is not just a headline. It is a signal that the industry needs scalable, field-proven solutions that can help production systems absorb stress and remain viable.
 
Why bananas are uniquely vulnerable
Bananas are a global staple and one of the world’s most traded fruits. The export supply chain depends heavily on large-scale monocultures of a narrow set of cultivars, often under warm, humid conditions that are ideal for fungal diseases. (Shah, 2025)

​The result is a system where disease outbreaks, extreme weather, or logistical disruptions can have outsized impacts on both producers and downstream customers.
 
What R&D teams need from field research
In this context, product development teams – whether working on fungicides, biologicals, soil amendments, or integrated crop management programs – need more than small-plot efficacy data in ideal conditions.
 
They need field research that can:

1. Replicate real-world stress. Trials must be conducted under genuine disease and pest pressure, with the heat, humidity, and soil constraints that mirror production realities.
2. Connect field performance to fruit quality and shelf life. For bananas and other tropical fruits, a promising program on the plant must also protect firmness, appearance, and post-harvest performance.
3. Capture system interactions. Diseases like TR4 and Black Sigatoka do not act in isolation. Nematodes, soil health, root function, and nutrition all influence expression and severity, as well as the plant’s ability to recover.
4. Provide clear, decision-ready outputs. Development teams need statistically sound, well-documented studies that can guide go/no-go decisions, label refinement, and positioning – and that are repeatable across seasons and sites.

 
How Florida Ag Research supports banana and tropical crop resilience
Florida Ag Research, part of Ag Metrics Group, operates in a subtropical environment where high humidity, intense rainfall events, and extended growing seasons create the kind of stress that tropical crops experience in many commercial regions.

A role for independent research in a changing risk landscape
The challenges facing the banana sector are not going to disappear quickly. Climate trends suggest that disease pressure and weather variability will likely increase in key production regions. (Shah, 2025)
In that environment, independent field research organizations have an important role to play:

• Stress-testing new tools before they reach commercial scale
• Helping refine integrated programs that blend fungicides, biologicals, soil and root health approaches, and careful nutrition
• Providing unbiased, decision-focused data that growers, buyers, and brand owners can rely on as they adjust their strategies

 
At Florida Ag Research and across Ag Metrics Group, our focus is on creating the kind of multi-disciplinary trials that connect disease management, plant physiology, and fruit quality under realistic stress – so that sponsors can move promising concepts toward commercial reality with greater confidence.
 
Let’s design the next generation of disease-resilient programs together
If your team is working on solutions for banana disease management, soil and root health, or tropical fruit resilience, we would welcome a conversation about how our Florida programs can support your development plans.
 
To discuss potential trials or multi-season research, please contact the Florida Ag Research team, Dr. Balaji Aglave or Erin Downey at (813) 986-5599 or reach us through www.AgMetricsGroup.com/Contact  
 
Together, we can help ensure that future supply chains are better prepared for the biological and environmental challenges now coming into focus.
 
 
Reference List:
Abu-Ghazaleh, M. [@mohammad-abu-ghazaleh-060b05320]. (2025, October 31). Earlier today on our earnings call, I discussed the urgent challenges confronting the banana industry… [LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mohammad-abu-ghazaleh-060b05320_earlier-today-on-our-earnings-call-i-discussed-activity-7389337744302551040-smzR]
 
Shah, S. (2025, August 18). Climate change is coming for your bananas. TIME. https://time.com/7310462/banana-supply-climate-change
 
Voora, V., Bermúdez, S., Farrell, J. J., Larrea, C., & Luna, E. (2023, March). Global market report: Banana prices and sustainability (Sustainable Commodities Marketplace Series). International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-03/2023-global-market-report-banana.pdf
​

Why now: The bloom period concentrates risk from blossom blight (Monilinia laxa) and bacterial blast (Pseudomonas syringae)—and it’s the best time to quantify performance of fungicides, foliar fertilizers, biostimulants, and biologicals under field-real conditions. Our Central Valley program is now booking plots. 

​Trial Formats (choose your path)

• Stand-Alone Trials — Full protocol control (rates, timings, rotations), designated positive control, expanded endpoints.
• Add-On Screening — Insert a single treatment into our standard program with positive & negative controls for a fast, cost-efficient read.

 
Why Pacific Ag Research for Almonds

• Almond is a core crop for our California program; our pathology team routinely runs blossom blight/brown rot and related disease studies.
• Purpose-built Central Valley access: Five Points almond plantings and infrastructure designed for on-station research.
• Backed by Ag Metrics Group’s multi-discipline platform (pathology, nematology, entomology, agronomy) with California, Florida, and Michigan stations.

Next Steps (windows are limited)

• Email your draft protocol for a 48-hour feasibility check or we can help draft a protocol for you.
• Hold a plot slot aligned to your bloom timing
• Decide format (Stand-Alone vs. Add-On) based on objectives and budget

Contact:
Brad Booker — [email protected] • (805) 471-0537 or Here 

From late fall through early spring, cool, moist coastal weather in Salinas Valley, San Luis Obispo and Guadalupe/Santa Maria reliably drives Septoria apiicola (celery late blight), enabling credible, field-real efficacy data. We’re booking plots now. 

Quick Specs

• Crop/Target: Celery – Septoria apiicola (late blight)
• Region & Sites: California Central Coast; trial stations in Salinas, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Maria/Guadalupe
• Windows: Setup late fall; primary ratings through winter/early spring (weather-dependent).
• Designs: RCBD or split-plot; 3–4 reps typical; plot sizes scaled to celery beds
• Endpoints: Incidence, severity, AUDPC, marketability/trim loss; phytotoxicity screens
• Deliverables: Clean data package, photo log, summary tables/figures ready for internal use

Next Steps​ (windows are limited)

• Email your draft protocol for a 48-hour feasibility check or let us help you draft your protocol.
• Hold a plot slot for your preferred window
• Decide format (Stand-Alone vs. Add-On) based on your objectives

​Contact Brad Booker at [email protected] (805) 471-0537 or at our website to hold a plot and request a 48-hr protocol feasibility check.

Why now: From ​November–March, cool, moisture-rich conditions on the Central Coast reliably drive downy mildew—ideal for generating credible efficacy data on real farms.

Why the Central Coast Works

• Consistent pressure. Seasonal moisture + cool temps promote predictable disease development.
• Field-relevant context. Cooperating commercial farms ensure practical conditions and decision-grade data.

Trial Formats (Pick What Fits Your Stage)

1) Stand-Alone Trials
​For later-stage decisions and label-supporting evidence.

• Full protocol control (rates, timings, MOA rotations)
• Custom design and expanded endpoints
• Robust analysis package for internal milestones

2) Add-On Trials
For early signals or cost-efficient comparisons.

• Insert a single treatment into an existing program
• Shared controls (UTC and grower standard)
• Faster setup and lower cost to learn

​What You Can Expect

• Precision field execution and standardized ratings
• Transparent timelines aligned to the fall–winter cycle
• Actionable analysis, including figures/tables you can lift into internal decks

Next Steps (Windows Are Limited)

• Send your draft protocol for a 48-hour feasibility check
• Hold a plot slot for your preferred window (Nov–Dec setup)
• Decide format: Stand-Alone vs. Add-On based on your objectives

Request availability & protocol review
Contact Brad Booker at [email protected] or (805) 471-0537 or through our website