Get the dirt on soil in the October 2020 issue of Citrus Industry magazine! Soil is not the most glamorous subject, but it’s one that seems to be getting more attention in the citrus industry lately.
As citrus growers work to keep trees productive in the HLB era, they are implementing practices to improve soil health. Providing roots with a healthier environment to grow in can improve nutrient uptake and productivity of trees with HLB.
The October issue of Citrus Industry contains several articles on soil.
In a grower-authored article, Ron Doetch discusses how he is living with HLB by adjusting his production practices. These adjustments are improving his soil health. Some of his strategies include pesticide reduction, soil amendments, precision irrigation and an improved nutrient plan. Use of a sap-flow meter has helped him fine-tune practices based on tree needs. The changes he has made have resulted in higher yields and lower costs.
Enhancing soil health with cover crops is the subject of a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research article. The article begins by explaining why soil health is important and discusses the benefits of cover crops. The authors share first-year findings from a three-year field trial in two commercial groves in Immokalee. Early results of the trial are promising.
UF/IFAS researchers tackle a different soil subject in another article. They discuss the fate and persistence of herbicides in soils. The article will increase your understanding of the processes of adsorption, desorption, degradation and leaching. A helpful table summarizes the adsorption and leaching potential of pre-emergent herbicides used in citrus weed management.
Besides soil, other topics addressed in the October issue of the magazine are emerging trunk disorders and research on systemic acquired resistance and the role it plays in boosting citrus tree immunity to combat HLB.
Look for these articles and more in the October issue of Citrus Industry magazine, coming soon to your mailbox or inbox.
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