By Tripti Vashisth, Taylor Livingston and Abhishek Neupane
Florida citrus production occurs predominantly on sandy soils that are inherently low in organic matter and possess limited water- and nutrient-holding capacity. These soil constraints have become increasingly important in the era of Huanglongbing (HLB), where compromised root systems reduce the tree’s ability to efficiently acquire water and nutrients. As a result, improving soil function has emerged as a critical component of sustaining citrus productivity. Rather than focusing solely on inputs applied to the canopy, increasing attention is being directed toward rebuilding soil health and enhancing the root-zone environment.
Biochar and compost are promising soil carbon amendments that address key limitations of Florida’s sandy soils. Compost contributes organic matter, nutrients and beneficial microbial populations that support nutrient cycling and biological activity. Biochar – a stable carbon-rich material produced through pyrolysis – enhances soil structure, increases cation exchange capacity, improves water retention and promotes long-term carbon sequestration. When applied together, compost and biochar can provide complementary benefits, with compost supplying readily available nutrients and microorganisms while biochar helps retain nutrients and moisture within the root zone.
Recent research on citrus growing in sandy soil has demonstrated that compost-biochar amendments can improve soil water retention, reduce nutrient leaching, enhance photosynthetic performance, decrease drought and oxidative stress and improve water-use efficiency. These improvements in the soil environment translated into better fruit set, fruit retention and fruit growth, highlighting the importance of soil-focused management strategies for sustaining citrus production under HLB pressure.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Practice Standard 336 (Soil Carbon Amendment) presents a valuable opportunity for citrus growers to adopt these practices. The program supports the application of approved carbon-based amendments – including compost, biochar and biochar-compost blends – with the goals of increasing soil organic matter, improving soil biological activity, enhancing aggregate stability and building long-term soil carbon stocks. Given the widespread need to improve soil function in Florida citrus groves, NRCS 336 provides a mechanism to accelerate adoption of soil health practices that can improve resilience, resource-use efficiency and long-term sustainability of citrus production systems.
FOOTNOTE: Taylor Livingston is a biological scientist, and Tripti Vashisth is associate center director and professor, and Abhishek Neupane is a masters student, all at the UF/IFAS CREC in Lake Alfred.
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