Ute Albrecht

Dr. Ute Albrecht is an Associate Professor of Plant Physiology at the University of Florida’s Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC), part of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). Her research focuses on citrus rootstock development, combating Huanglongbing (HLB), and applied plant physiology. She holds a Ph.D. in Biology from Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz, Germany) and previously worked at the USDA-ARS Horticultural Research Lab in Florida. Dr. Albrecht’s work emphasizes field trials evaluating rootstock performance under HLB-endemic conditions, rootstock propagation methods (seed, cuttings, tissue culture), and physiological mechanisms of rootstock-scion interactions. She also investigates stress tolerance in non-citrus crops like basil and cilantro.

Publications include contributions to citrus production guides, peer-reviewed studies on rootstock management, and research on HLB mitigation strategies. Notable works include Citrus Nursery Production Guide, Chapter 6 and Florida Citrus Production Guide: Grove Planning and Establishment. Her research spans collaborations across academic, industry, and governmental institutions to address citrus industry challenges.

• Key Projects: Rootstock evaluation under HLB, IPCs for young tree protection, compost applications for root health, and trunk injection therapies.
• Labs/Teams: SWFREC Research Team, collaborating with USDA-ARS and UF/IFAS Extension.