From the Archives: Traveling Citrus in China

In 1986, Dr. Prevatt had the opportunity to visit China with 52 students from the Florida State Horticulture Society. During this trip, they experienced both Chinese culture and traditions while having the opportunity to learn about their governmental policy and produce.
 

The first leg of their trip was spent doing tourist-like activities and going to see major historical sites, including the city of Shanghai. Shanghai is a heavily populated city on the port of the Yangtze River, and it runs under an integrated society meaning the government ensures that all its people have work.
 

The group also took a trip to “The Garden City of the World” during this trip, and they were in awe of the artistry that was on display. Prevatt comments on how the people made intricate designs using different plants, rocks and the occasional waterfall.
 

Tourism was not the only goal of this trip; the group moved on to learn more about the various horticulture techniques used in China. Mandarin is the primary citrus grown in China. Most of the land in China has poor drainage meaning the soil does not dry out easily post irrigation. This can be disastrous to produce because it stops plants from being able to take up oxygen through the roots. To combat this, citrus trees are only grown on high beds of land - this helps in making drainage more efficient. Prevatt noted that the Chinese tend to do most farm work by hand with very little machinery to help.
 

This trip was made possible due to the help and cooperation of the U.S. China Exchange Center; they linked the group with a native tour guide to help them get a full experience of the area. Not only were they able to have one-on-one interactions with the farmers, but they also got to see countless historical sites. China is currently the leading producer of citrus in the world making up 28.77% of the world's citrus.

Written by Tanzy Zviitwah, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Fellow
In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center
Spring 2024

--
 
Source:
 
Mack, Thomas B. History of the Citrus Institute, Florida Southern College, 1947-1993. Lakeland, Florida: Florida Southern College, 1993.