LeAnna Himrod
Postbloom fruit drop (PFD), along with the use of bactericides to control HLB, were the big issues for more than 40 participants in a grower roundtable Wednesday in Wauchula. LeAnna Himrod, one of the roundtable hosts, summarizes the issues addressed. Regarding bactericides, she reports: “There were a lot of questions about the bactericides regarding timing: What’s the best time of the day to spray? Should I mix it with anything else when I spray?” She says many growers are using the bactericides that became available earlier this year. “They’re trying to see what effect it’s going to have on our crops and on the tree health.” She adds that PFD has been a “huge problem” in the Peace River area and around the Florida citrus belt this season. She notes that growers questioned what they can do next year to mitigate PFD. She also notes that growers struggled more than usual to control HLB-spreading psyllids during the past season. The roundtable was co-hosted by Steve Futch, a multi-county citrus Extension agent.
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