Recent rainfall has been a welcome sight for Floridians, but it can be a concern for the state’s citrus growers who are producing next year’s crop.
Chris Oswalt, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus agent, cautions growers about citrus canker amid the increased moisture in the region.
“With rainfall, you need to be concerned about those diseases associated with more humid conditions. You have situations where you might have citrus canker that’s been lingering around or you’re trying to suppress it,” Oswalt said. “When it’s dry, canker is not as aggressive as when it rains. In blowing rains, the canker gets spread around. After you go through a dry time of the year where you don’t see a lot of new canker, once it starts raining and the wind blows that rain around, you’ll likely see an increase in the incidence of the disease. You want to make sure you stay on top of that.”
Rains have helped alleviate much of the dry conditions being experienced throughout Florida. However, according to the June 5 edition of the U.S. Drought Monitor, dry conditions still exist ranging from abnormally dry (Indian River County) to extreme drought (Lee County) in some of the state’s key citrus-growing regions.
“It looks like we’re starting to get in a pattern of some good rainfall,” Oswalt said. “It had been so dry, and we’re just now starting to get some of that rain where the trees are starting to respond a little bit.”
Oswalt added that rainfall or irrigation is fairly critical from bloom until fruit set and up until the typical summer rains start. “You really want to maintain good soil moisture so you can hold the crop that’s on the tree,” he advised.
Learn more on controlling canker and other citrus diseases here.
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