Citrus Research and Education Center

Dr. John M. Chater

Assistant Professor - Horticultural Sciences

Program Emphasis

Breeding and bioinformatics for citrus variety improvement; identification and evaluation of advanced selections in scion and rootstock field trials for the Florida citrus industry and other stakeholders; fruit and juice quality and sensory analysis; effects of rootstock-scion combinations on fruit and juice production; development of efficient production and management systems for newly released and advanced processing and fresh fruit scion selections; optimizing grower selection of rootstock-scion combinations for production in an HLB (huanglongbing or citrus greening disease) environment; extension of industry-relevant knowledge to citrus stakeholders; citrus germplasm dissemination and acquisition.

Program Members
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Publications
- View Dr. Chater's publications

Education
- Ph.D. (2017) Plant Biology – University of California, Riverside, CA
  Dissertation: Eco-Physiological Parameters and Agronomic Traits of Pomegranate Cultivars From the USDA National Clonal Germplasm Repository
- M.S. Agriculture – California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, CA
  Thesis: The Effects of Foliar Nutrient Applications on Split, Yield, and Internal Fruit Quality of 'Wonderful' Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)
- B.A. Environmental Studies – University of California, Santa Barbara

Past Positions
- Postdoctoral Scholar (2017-2021)
  Zhenyu Jia Lab
  Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
  University of California, Riverside
- Adjunct Lecturer (2018)
  Food Science Program
  Chapman University, City of Orange, California
- Associate Instructor (Summer of 2015 and 2016)
  Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
  University of California, Riverside
- Graduate Student Researcher and Teaching Assistant (2012-2017)
  Donald Merhaut Lab
  Department of Botany and Plant Sciences
  University of California, Riverside
- Graduate Student Researcher and Adjunct Lecturer (2009-2012)
  Lauren Garner Lab
  California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)
  San Luis Obispo, CA