Citrus Tristeza Virus Still in Florida

Ernie Neff Diseases

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is still present in Florida and can be transmitted to new trees, especially during brown citrus aphid outbreaks, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). A presentation about surveying for CTV was available at the UF/IFAS booth during Citrus Expo in August. The presentation noted that switching to sour orange …

Stem Pitting Disease Caused by Citrus Tristeza Virus

Tacy Callies Diseases

By Amit Levy, Peggy Sieburth and Ozgur Batuman When we hear or read about citrus tristeza virus (CTV), we usually think about the decline of sweet orange or grapefruit trees on sour orange rootstocks. However, there are other diseases caused by different isolates of the virus. One of these diseases is stem pitting, mostly caused by the VT isolate of …

An Important Reminder on Citrus Tristeza Virus

Tacy Callies Diseases

By Amit Levy and Ozgur Batuman Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is an important citrus pathogen that, in the past, had a dramatic effect on the citrus industry and caused the loss of almost 100 million trees worldwide. These trees were propagated on sour orange rootstock. The disease created a need for tristeza-tolerant rootstocks to sustain the citrus industry, because only …

citrus

Southern Gardens Requests Permit for Genetically Engineered Citrus Tristeza Virus

Daniel Cooper Citrus, Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will evaluate the environmental impacts that may result from the potential approval of a permit application from Southern Gardens Citrus Nursery, LLC, for the environmental release of genetically engineered (GE) Citrus tristeza virus (CTV). Southern Gardens’ purpose …

California and Arizona Citrus Projects Funded

Josh McGill California Corner, Research

The California and Arizona departments of agriculture received funding for four citrus-related projects from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) for 2023. Nationwide, USDA AMS allocated $72.9 million in Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funding. DROUGHT-TOLERANT VARIETIESThe California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) received $499,921 for designing drought-tolerant specialty crops using metabolic modeling. The University …

Sneak Peek: June 2023 Citrus Industry

Josh McGill Sneak Peek, Soil Health

During a historically low period of Florida citrus production, Inverness grower Chuck Bellamy has found a way to keep fruit on his trees. In the June cover story of Citrus Industry magazine, he tells what regenerative practices have reduced fruit drop in his grove. Not only is he keeping more oranges; he has lowered his production costs in the process. …

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Citrus Research Funding Update

Josh McGill Research

During the recent Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute, Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, provided details on recently funded citrus research projects. “The $16.3 million (from the U.S. Department of Agriculture) will go toward new research or continuing research to keep promising projects going,” Rogers said.  Eight …

New Dollars Flow to Citrus Research Projects

Josh McGill All In For Citrus Podcast, Research

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) recently received a large grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Michael Rogers provided details of the grant totaling $16.5 million during the latest All In For Citrus podcast. Rogers is the director of the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in …

Indian River Citrus Trial Provides HLB Insights

Josh McGill HLB Management, Research

Early results from a large-scale citrus trial looking for solutions to HLB, also called citrus greening, show tree size does not seem to affect citrus susceptibility to the disease. The trial is being conducted in the Indian River region by researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). They are testing which citrus rootstock and …

Preying on Asian Citrus Psyllids and Other Pests

Josh McGill HLB Management, Pests

By Jawwad A. Qureshi and Azhar A. Khan The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri, invaded Florida over two decades ago. The need to consistently suppress it became apparent soon after detection and particularly after discovering huanglongbing (HLB) disease, which it spreads. Managing HLB depends strongly on vector control to either reduce disease transmission of healthy trees or reinoculation. Single …

The Challenge of Solving Citrus Tree Diseases

Ernie Neff Diseases

“When a tree gets infected, there is generally no way to cure it,” University of Maryland virologist Anne Simon wrote in a recent white paper about invasive tree diseases. She explained that trees lack adaptive immune systems, so once infected they typically must tolerate the pathogen for the remainder of their lifespan. “In some cases, immunity can be provided by …

Sneak Peek: February 2021 Citrus Industry

Tacy Callies Diseases, Sneak Peek

While everyone strives to protect themselves from coronavirus disease, growers have an additional concern: protecting their trees from citrus disease. While HLB is of course the most damaging disease of citrus, there are other diseases that should not be overlooked. Disease management is the theme of the February 2021 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. University of Florida Institute of Food …

Update on CRISPR Research for Citrus Improvement

Tacy Callies Breeding

By Nian Wang, Fred Gmitter and Manjul Dutt Nearly all commercially important citrus types — oranges, grapefruits etc. — have originated by mutations that have accumulated over several hundreds to thousands of years, from what once was an original, individual sweet orange tree and a single grapefruit tree. The many different cultivars that we know today are descended from those …

Stem Pitting Could Develop in Florida Citrus

Ernie Neff Diseases

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) stem pitting, which causes severe problems in Asia and other places, could develop in Florida, according to plant pathologist Amit Levy. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher at the Citrus Research and Education Center discussed the disease at this year’s virtual Citrus Expo. Noting that “early detection is essential,” Levy said …

march

All In For Citrus Podcast, September 2020

Taylor Hillman All In For Citrus Podcast, Sponsored Content

National recognition, new findings on black spot control, and research on antimicrobial peptides highlight the September episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers starts the episode with the announcement that the University of Florida was ranked in the top 10 of U.S. News and World Report’s Top Public Schools list. Rogers …

New Rootstocks in the Citrus Breeding Pipeline

Tacy Callies Research, Rootstocks

By Jude Grosser, Fred Gmitter and Kim Bowman Two citrus breeding programs have identified several rootstocks that can currently be planted with confidence when combined with appropriate scions, including mid- and late-season oranges, and grown with emerging enhanced nutrition programs. These citrus breeding programs are at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education …

Citrus Pest Management: More Than Just Psyllids

Tacy Callies Pests

By Lauren Diepenbrock Non-psyllid, soft-bodied insects are common in Florida citrus. Their ability to cause damage varies by pest, pest population size, tree age and tree variety. Soft-bodied insects include scales, mealybugs, whiteflies and aphids, all of which are small and can be hard to detect until the telltale sign of sooty mold development appears on their excrement (honeydew) or …

Viruses in the Gut of Asian Citrus Psyllid: Friends or Foes?

Tacy Callies Psyllids, Research

By Ozgur Batuman and Amit Levy Management options for huanglongbing (HLB) are limited and rely heavily on insecticides for controlling Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) populations, even when integrated with other cultural control methods. Chemical strategies are expensive and, if not rotated, can contribute to the development of chemical resistance among ACP populations. In some cases, long-term chemical applications may have …

Sneak Peek: May 2019 Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy Callies Sneak Peek

The May issue of Citrus Industry magazine offers something for everyone. The diverse range of article topics in this issue is sure to be of interest to readers. First, growers will want to read the latest research on citrus tristeza virus (CTV). Although this is an old problem in Florida, it’s still a threat today — especially if you are …

breeding

Italian Citrus Breeding

Ernie Neff Breeding

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) began spreading in Sicily in the early 2000s because the Italian citrus industry’s standard rootstock was CTV-susceptible sour orange, reported Marco Caruso at a recent symposium of international citrus breeders. Consequently, approximately 74,000 acres will be replanted with CTV-tolerant rootstocks over the next few years, he said. Caruso, a citrus breeding expert with Italy’s Research Centre …