University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulturist Tripti Vashisth discusses the citrus seminars to be presented Aug. 14-15 at Citrus Expo. She also reports on a presentation she’ll make at Expo regarding fruit drop.
Vashisth is organizing the Citrus Expo educational sessions for growers. She says the goal is to present “something useful for the growers that they can use immediately.”
Citrus Expo will open Wednesday morning, Aug. 14 with a General Session which Vashisth says “will cover topics relevant to the citrus growers as well as other specialty crop growers.” Citrus-specific presentations will be made that afternoon. They will focus on nutrition, irrigation, root systems, rootstock evaluation and orange juice standards.
Vashisth says her presentation will address “how fruit drop ties to nutrition and irrigation.” Her several years of research has shown that “fruit drop is more related to fruit size than anything else.” Growers who improve fruit size early in the growing season with good irrigation and nutrition can reduce fruit drop, she says. Fruit drop has been a major cause of drastically reduced production in Florida citrus groves during the HLB era.
Citrus Expo presentations on Thursday morning, Aug. 15, will include sessions on control of the Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) that spread HLB. Topics will include citrus under protective screen systems and individual tree covers. Also to be discussed that morning is the new lebbeck mealybug infestation found in Highlands County in June, citrus blackspot and some citrus economic issues.
Citrus Expo, the premier seminar and trade show program for the citrus industry, will be held at Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers. Preregister here.
Vashisth’s comments are part of the current All In For Citrus Podcast episode. The podcast is a joint effort of UF/IFAS and Southeast AgNet.
Listen to the full podcast here.
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