The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has resumed providing growers with regular flower bud advisories now that the critical time for citrus grove management has begun this season. Tripti Vashisth, UF/IFAS assistant professor, restarted the advisories Nov. 23 and will continue providing them every other week through the spring.
The advisories provide critical information about the intensity and time of citrus blooms. Growers use this information to determine when to spray for Asian citrus psyllid control as well as when to stop pesticide spraying so that pollinating bees may be moved into or placed near citrus blocks.
The flower bud advisories may be found at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center website. See the first advisory of the year here.
“I am excited to continue this important service to Florida citrus growers,” said Vashisth, a horticulturalist and Extension specialist in citrus production management. “This information is something that growers need to make timely and value-added decisions to properly manage their groves.”
Flower bud advisories are driven by the Citrus Flowering Monitor that predicts date(s) when citrus trees will bloom based on observed and predicted weather patterns and other parameters (cultivar, expected yield, tree age and soil type).
Growers can enter parameters specific to their grove to get a prediction. Knowing the bloom date is important for managing bloom and other related events. The Citrus Flowering Monitor also gives specific recommendations on how to manage bloom. The Citrus Flowering Monitor can be accessed here.
The late Gene Albrigo provided the flower bud advisories beginning in 1998 until he died in early 2020.
Source: UF/IFAS