The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) researcher known for his work on the timing of bloom sees the potential for good bloom this season. “Flowering for Florida’s next citrus crop has been coming along fairly well,” UF/IFAS Emeritus Professor Gene Albrigo said in a Feb. 13 interview.
He expects the first wave of spring flowers to be in full bloom about the first week of March, with the second wave of flowers to be in full bloom about mid-March. “So far we do have the potential for another good bloom, and hopefully we will have another improved crop next year,” he said.
Albrigo also discussed when and how citrus flowering begins, flowering’s dependence on temperature, and HLB’s impact on flowering. He also recalled the work he and associates did to develop an expert system to track flower development, and work being done now to expand the system to help determine timing of psyllid sprays.
Albrigo has been associated with the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred for more than 50 years. He is a member of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame.
Albrigo’s interview was part of the February All In For Citrus Podcast. Listen to the full podcast here.
Share this Post
About the Author
