Zekri Earns Dallas Townsend Award

Daniel Cooper Industry News Release

Mongi Zekri, multi-county citrus Extension agent, won the 2017 Dallas Townsend Extension Professional Enhancement Award from University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension. The award recognizes a county Extension Agent with a 1-year term professorship for demonstrating an outstanding ability to plan and implement Extension programs that address needs that have been identified in consultation with clientele. Zekri …

AccuWeather

AccuWeather Expects Highly Active Hurricane Season

Daniel Cooper hurricane, Weather

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has the potential to rank as one of the most active in history, AccuWeather predicted on March 27. The season officially runs from June 1 through the end of November. AccuWeather meteorologists are forecasting 20 to 25 named storms across the Atlantic basin in 2024. This includes 8 to12 hurricanes, four to seven major hurricanes …

Groups Call for Glyphosate Ban

Tacy Callies Herbicides, Legal

The Center for Food Safety on Dec. 13 petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately suspend and cancel the herbicide glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup. The center filed the petition on behalf of itself, Beyond Pesticides and four farmworker advocacy groups. Last year, in a lawsuit by the same nonprofit organizations, a federal court of appeals struck down …

evaporative cooling

Avoid Evaporative Cooling in Citrus Freeze Protection

Daniel Cooper freeze, Weather

Both University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) speakers at a Nov. 28 winter weather workshop warned about the risk of evaporative cooling when using irrigation to protect citrus from freezing temperatures. Microsprinkler irrigation has been the main form of cold protection for Florida citrus for at least the last five decades.     The need to understand evaporative …

acp

Conclusions on Asian Citrus Psyllid Control

Josh McGill HLB Management, Pests

HLB, spread by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), has been the scariest and most destructive disease that Florida citrus growers have ever faced. So, it was fitting that entomologist Jawwad Qureshi made a virtual presentation about ACP/HLB on Halloween, often considered the scariest day of the year. Qureshi, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor, …

Breeder Discusses New Fresh Citrus Varieties

Josh McGill Fresh, Varieties

In a virtual presentation, plant breeder Jude Grosser discussed recently released citrus varieties that might work well in the fresh fruit market. Grosser is a professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center. Here’s a look at some of the varieties he addressed: MANDARINSGrosser described Marathon as the “best option” …

The Big Push for New Processed Orange Varieties

Josh McGill Orange Juice, Varieties

Citrus breeders at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have been making a big push for four years to develop new orange varieties for processing. The need for the push was accentuated last year by a multitude of adverse situations on the processing side of the business. In a recent virtual presentation, UF/IFAS plant breeder …

What To Do When Groves Flood

Josh McGill hurricane, Weather

By Mongi Zekri During heavy rains in the summer, excess water must be removed from the root zone. Flooding injury can be expected if the root zone is saturated for three days or more during extended summer rains at relatively high soil temperatures (86 to 95 degrees). Flooding during the cooler December–March period can be tolerated for several weeks at …

Nutrition and Irrigation Role Reinforced for HLB Trees

Josh McGill Irrigation, Nutrition

In a virtual seminar for growers on July 19, Davie Kadyampakeni reinforced that optimal, balanced nutrition and frequent irrigation can improve HLB-affected citrus trees, yield and fruit. Kadyampakeni is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. NUTRITION“Citrus fruit yields, juice quality and canopy size …

Hurricane Preparedness for Citrus Groves: Part Two

Josh McGill hurricane, Tip of the Week

By Mongi Zekri, Robert E. Rouse and Jonathan H. Crane Growers can prepare for the damaging winds from a hurricane or tropical storm by ensuring that their equipment is working and ready to go. SECURE SUPPLIESTanks containing fuel, fertilizer and other materials should be kept full, so they do not move in the wind and rain and to ensure that …

Hurricane Preparedness for Citrus Groves: Part 1

Josh McGill hurricane, Tip of the Week

By Mongi Zekri, Robert E. Rouse and Jonathan H. Crane Growers look forward to the rainy season because it helps their young trees grow fast and their mature trees produce good crops. However, along with the anticipation of the rainy season, there is also the reality that tropical storms or hurricanes may bring too much rain and wind, causing devastations …

Managing Micronutrients in HLB-Affected Trees

Josh McGill Nutrition, Tip of the Week

By Davie Kadyampakeni Nutrients are needed for optimal tree growth, fruit yields and juice quality. Any nutrient deficiencies could result in low yields and decreased revenue, so it is essential to make sure citrus trees receive adequate nutrient supplies at all times. Micronutrients, though required in minute quantities, are especially important for citrus trees impacted by citrus greening. Examples of …

Pruning Pointers for Cold-Hardy Citrus

Josh McGill Cold Hardy, Pruning

Three University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers recently authored an Extension newsletter article about pruning practices for cold-hardy citrus. Authors are Muhmmad A. Shahid, assistant professor of horticulture; Shahid Iqbal, horticultural post-doctoral associate; and Fernando Alferez, assistant professor of horticulture. Highlights from the article follow. Establishment of proper plant structure and canopy through pruning is …

New Twist Added to Psyllid Control

Josh McGill HLB Management, Pests

Lukasz Stelinski for years has promoted saving money on HLB control by spraying for Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) only when their populations reach a certain threshold. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor still promotes that concept, but with a slightly new twist. TRUNK INJECTION SHOWING PROMISEIn a virtual seminar on April 25, Stelinski advised growers …

florida citrus

How to Squelch Summer Weeds

Josh McGill weeds

Summer is “a field day for weeds,” Ramdas Kanissery said in a March 29 presentation about weed control for citrus. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor provided a progressive step-by-step approach to suppressing weeds during the summer. CONTROL EXISTING WEEDSGrowers can get off to a good start by controlling existing weeds with post-emergent herbicides. …

Pest Management Findings Shared

Josh McGill CUPS, IPCs, Pests

Foliar sprays of insecticides timed to citrus flushing provided a significant reduction in Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) populations compared to standard grower practices, researcher Jawwad Qureshi reported. Timing sprays to flushing also led to a reduction in sprays, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor of entomology said in a virtual presentation on Feb. 22. …

Freeze’s Full Impact on Cold-Hardy Citrus Still Unknown

Josh McGill Cold Hardy, freeze

Southeast citrus trees were undoubtedly impacted by multiple days of sub-freezing temperatures during Christmas week. An exact understanding of the impact will not be known for another couple of months, believes Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist. “The freeze was significant, but you never really know for sure until the plants start to flush …

Keeping Trees Healthy After Removing IPCs

Josh McGill IPCs, Research

Researchers and growers have found that individual protective covers (IPCs) can keep young trees free of HLB for two or more years while providing additional benefits like improved tree growth. The IPCs work by keeping HLB-infecting Asian citrus psyllids out of the tree canopies. But trees outgrow the covers and must eventually be removed. Researchers have found that about 60% …

Trunk Injection for HLB: What You Need to Know

Josh McGill HLB Management

Some Florida citrus growers have recently started oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) injection into tree trunks to help manage HLB. Other growers are considering it. Researcher Ute Albrecht offered a list of best practices for the product’s use during a Jan. 31 presentation in Immokalee. The presentation was made at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida …

Updates on Florida Citrus Diseases

Josh McGill Diseases

Researcher Megan Dewdney recently provided updates on citrus canker, postbloom fruit drop (PFD) and algal spot. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor of plant pathology at the Citrus Research and Education Center. CANKERFruit is most susceptible to canker when it is from 3/8 to 1.5 inches in diameter, Dewdney said. The fruit’s …