As 2025 winds down, Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), took time to recognize Chris Oswalt during the December All In For Citrus podcast.
Oswalt is retiring from his post as a citrus Extension agent, which he’s held for nearly 30 years. He served Polk and Hillsborough counties.
“I quickly got connected with Chris when I first came to CREC in 2004,” Rogers said. “He was a big help to me, especially earlier in my career. He has helped get many new faculty pointed in the right direction when they come on board. He is down to earth and grounded in reality, and growers trust him because of that. We wish him well in retirement.”
Rogers also took the occasion to remind growers to engage with the citrus agents in Florida because they can be a valuable resource. Find your citrus agent here.
“If you’ve not had an agent out to your operation, invite them to come out,” Rogers said. “Get them involved and visiting you in the field. It will help the agents develop their programs and serve you better.”
One of the citrus agents, Edwin Gutierrez, also joins the podcast to discuss ways to prepare groves for winter and potential freeze events. He covers DeSoto, Hardee and Manatee counties.
Some of his key points include making sure trees are as healthy as possible going into winter because a healthy tree will withstand a freeze better. He also advises growers to check their irrigation systems regularly to ensure they are operating properly. Irrigation is the main line of defense to protect trees during a freeze.
Muhammad Shahid, UF/IFAS assistant professor at the North Florida Research and Education Center, addresses winter preparations for the cold-hardy region. Freezes are far more regular occurrences in that area.
Shahid discusses his research with silicon, which appears to boost citrus trees’ resistance to freezes. He also tells how a new mandarin variety, nicknamed Greenie, may have found a home in the cold-hardy region.
Learn about all these topics and more in the December episode of All In For Citrus. The podcast is partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.
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