It was a dry April in most of Florida’s citrus-production areas. That means irrigation is vital to keep HLB-infected trees adequately watered. The drier months of the year from February through May are when flowering and fruit set are occurring. If trees are stressed due to water deficit during this time, they are more likely to suffer fruit drop and poor quality.
Tripti Vashisth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor of horticultural sciences, discussed the topic of irrigation during the latest episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. She talked about her new research that confirmed the value of more frequent, shorter duration irrigation. A trial compared a grower standard of irrigating every other day at 12 gallons per hour per acre for 2 hours versus three times daily for 20 minutes each run. Vashisth said the trees watered three times per day had more synchronized flowering, more fruit set and higher returns. She also addressed this study in her recent presentation at the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute; learn more here.
In the podcast, Vashisth went on to talk about her research into how plant growth regulators (PGRs) like gibberellic acid and 2,4-D could compliment the trunk-injection therapies currently being applied in Florida citrus groves. The study is examining if there is a synergistic effect by combining PGRs with oxytetracycline, which is being injected into citrus tree trunks.
To hear more about Vashisth’s research, don’t miss the April episode of All In For Citrus. The podcast is a partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.
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