Past management, a perennial problem for citrus growers, is the primary focus of the January issue of Citrus Industry magazine.
An old pest is posing new concerns for Florida growers. The recent resurgence of diaprepes root weevil is the subject of the cover story by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers Lukasz Stelinski, Lauren Diepenbrock and Larry Duncan. The authors discuss the pest’s lifecycle and habits, available management tools, as well as recent and future research.
Chemical pest control products are frequently used in citrus production, but sometimes predators can play a valuable part in pest management. Diepenbrock and Angela Chuang share their research on how blanket flowers increase arthropod predators and pollinators in citrus groves. Learn which arthropod groups were most attracted to blanket flowers, Spanish needle and ragweed.
No issue on pest management in citrus would be complete without addressing HLB, the destructive disease spread by Asian citrus psyllids. Three articles in the January touch on this topic.
First, Editor-in-Chief Frank Giles reports on a recent meeting hosted by the Gulf Citrus Growers Association that provided details on a newly registered tool to treat HLB. A formulation of oxytetracycline hydrochloride that is applied to trees via trunk injection is giving some growers renewed hope in the battle against HLB. The article provides application information and what growers can expect from the new product.
Second, UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers gives a rundown of eight new HLB research projects that recently received a total of $16 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The research will take aim at HLB from multiple angles to help growers deal with the disease.
One of the main objectives of current citrus breeding work is creating varieties with HLB tolerance or resistance. New citrus varieties require other characteristics, too. High on the list is consumer acceptance. That’s why display days that include taste tests are a key part of the citrus breeding process. Read about a recent display day event in the January issue, coming soon to your inbox or mailbox.
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