The Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute was held at South Florida College in Avon Park last week to share the latest research from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Besides hearing presentations, attendees had an opportunity to interact one-on-one with scientists at 21 learning stations covering topics like entomology, citrus breeding, weed control and soil nutrition.
During the seminar session, several topics were covered, including the performance of trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC). Ute Albrecht, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant physiology, laid out data from her ongoing OTC research. She spoke about a few trials that now have yield and quality results after three applications of OTC. The data supports the belief that OTC has increasing effects over time as HLB bacteria is reduced and root and tree health improves.
Citrus grower Jim Snively says Albrecht’s research results are generally reflected in what he is seeing in his groves after three years of treatments. He shares his observations in this video.
Albrecht illustrated the cumulative effect of OTC treatments in a Polk County rootstock trial. After three years of consecutive injections, the treated trees produced 462 boxes per acre compared to 219 boxes in the non-treated control.
Another interesting point in the same trial, she said, was that the control trees showed improved yield over time. There are two rows of control trees surrounded by five rows of treated trees on either side. The hypothesis is that the control trees are improving because the HLB bacteria in the treated trees is reduced. Therefore the overall “hot zone” for HLB is becoming less in the grove.
Brix also has shown improvement, though it lags somewhat behind yield results. Some of the OTC trials this year are producing Brix in the 11 range.
“The juice has tasted amazing this year,” Albrecht said. “It is not just the Brix. The whole flavor is back, in my opinion. We’ve drank a lot of orange juice this year.”
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