Col. Bayard Franklin Floyd

Highlights

Lake Alfred Citrus Experiment Station (Lake Alfred Citrus Research & Education Center)

“Die-back” Fertilization

Florida State Horticultural Society

Bio

Bayard Franklin Floyd was born in Kempton, Indiana in 1882. Floyd attended Indiana University and participated in the university’s ROTC program. Floyd graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. and Ph.D. in plant pathology. Floyd moved his family to Florida in 1907 and began his career in the Florida citrus industry as plant pathologist at the Florida Experiment Station in Lake Alfred, Florida, which is now known as the Citrus Research and Education Center.

Floyd left the citrus industry in 1917 to serve in the United States Army during World War I and was awarded the rank of Colonel before the end of the war. Returning to Florida after the war to continue his career with the Florida Experiment Station, Floyd conducted path-breaking research on fertilization methods of citrus trees in Florida soils. However, the majority of his work was dedicated to copper deficiency, which, at the time, was known as “die-back.” Colonel Floyd developed a cure for “die-back” with copper treatments, which proved to be a significant contribution to the Florida citrus industry. Floyd’s research and innovation was made available to the citrus industry in his numerous scientific publications.

Col. Floyd served as Secretary of the Florida State Horticultural Society for twenty-seven years and was regarded as one of the best informed men in the Florida citrus industry. Colonel Bayard Franklin Floyd passed away in 1945 and was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1962.