MAJOR EVENTS IN 2005

Hurricane Wilma--Hurricane Wilma hit south Florida on October 24, 2005 causing damage to the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Field Station facilities and research and grower fields.   Greenhouses were severely damaged, a small storage building was destroyed, the main laboratory building had water damage in the offices and many of the other building had minor damage.  The plants in the breeding nursery were untied from racks and laid on the ground the day prior to the storm and stood upright the day after the storm.  There were only a few plants damaged either by this process or by the hurricane itself.  The sugarcane in growers’ fields was flattened.  The Florida Power and Lights’ electrical power was off for two weeks at the Station.  The freezers and irrigation system was run on backup generators.   

Transfer of CL Germplasm from US Sugar Corporation to the CP program— A private company,US Sugar Corporation, discontinued its variety development program that developed CL named clones for their company and growers.  U. S. Sugar Corp. made a gift of their germplasm to the USDA-ARS Sugarcane Field Station.  Approximately, 25% of the top elite CL clones from each of various stages (seedlings to the advanced yield trials) were incorporated into the next stage CP program.  Any clones released from germplasm transferred from the U. S. Sugarcane Corp. will be named with the prefix CPCL to indicate the location where the cross was made and where the clones were selected.   

Scientific Staff changes— Dr. Jack C. Comstock became Research Leader/Research Plant Pathologist in May of 2005 and Dr. Scott B. Milligan became Research Geneticist in March of 2005.  These scientists replaced Drs. Jim Miller and Peter Y. P. Tai, respectively who retired in 2004.  Both Comstock and Milligan have extensive sugarcane experience.