A Conversation With SWFREC’s Director

Josh McGillAll In For Citrus Podcast

Editor’s note: The September All In For Citrus podcast was recorded prior to Hurricane Ian’s impact on Florida. During the September All In For Citrus Podcast, Michael Burton discussed his recent move to Florida to become the new center director of the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC). Burton provided details on his background and shared his research priorities …

New SWFREC Director Named

Josh McGillEducation, Industry News Release, Research

Michael Burton has been named the next director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC). He’s scheduled to start at the Immokalee facility on July 1. Burton recently served for 17 months as proxy for the dean of Missouri State University’s William H. Darr College of Agriculture. He …

SWFREC Recognizes Growers During Farm-City Week

Ernie NeffAgriculture

Nov. 18-25 is National Farm-City Week, a time to recognize and honor the contributions of the country’s agriculturalists and to strengthen the bond between urban and rural citizens. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) took the opportunity to recognize the agriculturists in its area. Some of its statements …

Research

Citrus Research at SWFREC

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Research

Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) Director Kelly Morgan provides an update on citrus research being conducted at the center. SWFREC is operated by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Morgan says most of the research is “related to greening, but not all of it.” Greening is another term for huanglongbing (HLB), the citrus …

Jack Payne on New SWFREC Director

Abbey TaylorResearch

By Jack Payne, jackpayne@ufl.edu, @JackPayneIFAS Kelly Morgan is a more reliable water source than rain is. You don’t know when or if you’ll get water from the sky, but what Morgan can teach you makes every drop you have go farther. His focus on the farmer as customer is what has made him so successful as the state’s best management …

morgan

Kelly Morgan Named New SWFREC Director

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release, Research

By Jack Payne I am pleased to announce that Kelly Morgan will be the next director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC). He will assume leadership of the center on August 1. Under the current leadership of Calvin Arnold, who  is retiring, SWFREC has enjoyed a fresh …

young

Two-Step HLB Defense for Young Trees

Daniel CooperIPCs, Research

A newly published study suggests that the use of individual protective covers (IPCs) followed by monthly applications of homobrassinolide (HBr) after IPCs are removed is beneficial. The two-step approach can help young mandarin trees stay healthier longer and produce more fruit in Florida’s HLB-endemic environment. The study, “Combining Individual Protective Covers and Homobrassinolide Treatment Prolongs Tree Health and Increases Fruit …

HLB

Compost, Rootstocks and HLB

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Rootstocks

Compost-amended plots (left) had more weeds than those with no compost. A new study published in Scientific Reports examines whether repeated compost applications could improve the health and productivity of young citrus trees growing under endemic huanglongbing (HLB) conditions in Florida. Gabriel Pugina, Caroline Tardivo, Brittney Monus, Emma Dawson, Sarah Strauss and Ute Albrecht of the University of Florida Institute …

injury

Reducing Trunk Injury From OTC Injections

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Ute Albrecht, Larissa Nunes and Igor Silva Trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) requires drilling a hole into the trunk and injecting a foreign substance into the tree. Not only does the physical damage from drilling cause injury, but the application of chemicals can exacerbate both the external and internal damage. BARK CRACKING Externally, aside from the drill hole, bark …

years

Three Years of OTC Trunk Injection Provide Cumulative Benefits

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

By Ute Albrecht, Gabriel Pugina and Larissa Nunes According to a recent industry survey, 64% of Florida citrus growers have injected their trees for three consecutive years with oxytetracycline (OTC). This article reports the results from three research trials conducted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Plant Physiology Team at the Southwest Florida Research …

heat

Weed Management Still Mandatory When the Heat Is On

Daniel CooperTip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery When the summer heat rolls in and the rain gets spotty, growers tend to shift their focus to irrigation, nutrition and HLB management. Weed control often gets pushed to the back burner. But here’s the thing: Heat and dry spells do not stop weeds. They change them, and those changes can make your weed management program a …

eggs

Three Bugs That Eat Asian Citrus Psyllid Eggs

Daniel CooperBiologicals, HLB Management, Psyllids

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have found three commercially available insect species that devour the eggs of the HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllid. These natural predators could become an important new line of defense against the devastating citrus disease. This is particularly true for organic growers who have limited options to control the psyllid, said …

spring

Stay Ahead of the Spring Weed Flush

Daniel CooperTip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery Spring is here and so are the weeds in citrus groves. Warmer temperatures and increasing soil moisture create ideal conditions for weeds. Growers often notice a rapid spring flush of weeds emerging in the tree rows and in the row middles during this time (Figure 1). If not managed early, these weeds can compete with citrus trees …

control

Pest Control in Protected Production Systems

Daniel CooperCUPS, IPCs, Pests

In a recent virtual presentation, entomologist Jawwad Qureshi discussed monitoring and control measures for citrus pests in trees under individual protective covers (IPCs) and in citrus under protective screen (CUPS). Qureshi is an associate professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. MONITORING METHODS Qureshi’s noted that …

workshop

Oxytetracycline Performance Addressed at Citrus Workshop

Daniel CooperEvents, HLB Management

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a statewide citrus grower workshop in mid-January at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. The event offered a full day of education covering a wide range of topics, including management of pests, diseases, weeds and nutrients. Ute Albrecht, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant physiology, provided …

winter

Implementing Insecticide Sprays for Winter Management of Psyllids

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Psyllids, Tip of the Week

By Jawwad A. Qureshi In winter, citrus trees enter a state of quiescence due to lower light and cooler temperatures, which slows their metabolic activity. Therefore, most citrus trees do not produce new shoots during this period. These young shoots are essential for the growth of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri. The ACP is a small sap-feeding insect …

prolong

Prolong Tree Health by Combining Covers and Brassinosteroids

Daniel CooperHLB Management, IPCs

As every Florida citrus grower knows, it has been difficult to grow trees and fruit profitably since huanglongbing (HLB) disease was discovered in the state in 2005. Soon after the disease was discovered, officials determined it couldn’t be eradicated largely because the Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) that spread it showed up years earlier and were in virtually all citrus-producing regions. …

SAR

SAR Sprays Protect Against Psyllids, HLB and Canker

Daniel CooperDiseases, HLB Management

Recent research has shown that systemic acquired resistance (SAR) sprays can protect young citrus tree flushes from Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) feeding, HLB and citrus canker. ACP is the vector that spreads HLB disease from tree to tree. Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and Bayer Crop Science report that SAR sprays can …

psyllid

Psyllid Management Tactics Discussed

Daniel CooperCitrus Expo, HLB Management, Psyllids

Control of HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) can be enhanced with dormant winter sprays and a focus on spraying grove perimeters, according to Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo presenter Jawwad Qureshi. Qureshi is an associate professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. DORMANT SPRAYS In making the …

HLB management

HLB Management Requires an Integrated Approach

Daniel CooperCitrus Expo, HLB Management

At the recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, Ozgur Batuman reminded seminar attendees there is no silver bullet for HLB management. Instead, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher proposes that growers integrate several tools for the management of HLB. These tools include a variety of ways to control HLB-spreading psyllids; oxytetracycline (OTC) trunk injection; …