A Brazilian study evaluated the effects of top pruning on orange trees located on the edges of an orchard as part of an HLB management strategy. The pruning was an attempt to attract the HLB-spreading psyllid from external areas to the orchard edges and control it, reducing its dispersion into the orchard. Fundecitrus and Embrapa Cassava and Fruits conducted the …
Owari Satsuma Pruning Project Update
By Jake Price The University of Georgia Owari satsuma pruning project is going to be very interesting. With extremely heavy fruit loads this year, I feel sure next year will be an “off” year for satsumas. It will be interesting to see what the fruit yields will be on the pruned trees compared to the unpruned trees. The six trees in this …
Satsuma Pruning and Thinning Trials
University of Georgia (UGA) Extension agents Jake Price and Sydni Ingram recently shared information about UGA satsuma pruning and thinning trials. An edited version of their Cold Hardy Citrus Connection article follows: The percentage of cull fruit in satsumas is very high due to the fruit being too soft, too green or too big. Satsumas are very cold hardy, delicious, …
Pruning to Improve Citrus Greening Management
Pruning is an efficient strategy to improve citrus greening disease management in Brazil’s Citrus Belt, but requires appropriate procedures and attention from the grower, Embrapa and Fundecitrus researchers reported recently. Embrapa researcher Eduardo Girardi said an orange tree could produce normally without the need for pruning “if the orange tree has no restrictions on its growth.” Without growth restrictions, Girardi …
The Push for Pruning in Brazil’s Dense Groves
Due to major problems with pests and diseases, Brazilian producers have adopted alternative practices, such as dense planting, Fundecitrus’ Citricultor magazine recently reported. These practices reduce costs, increase yield and achieve a faster return on investment. As a result of this trend, new production practices are needed to improve management, including the frequent pruning of trees, which is essential in …
Know Your Purpose for Pruning
“Don’t prune if you do not know why you are pruning,” University of California Cooperative Extension’s Craig Kallsen cautioned in a June 6 webinar about pruning navel oranges. “It’s a lot of work and thus expensive.” “Generally, pruning of any kind reduces total fruit yield,” the citrus and pistachio farm advisor for Kern County stated. “The goal of pruning is …
Pruning Pointers for Cold-Hardy Citrus
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 …
Pruning Recommendations and Benefits
By Mongi Zekri Pruning is an important grove practice that increases sunlight penetration within the tree canopy. Sunlight enhances flowering, fruit quality and color development. Sunlight also allows foliage to dry quickly after a rain shower, which reduces problems of fungal diseases. Pruning trees can improve fruit quality and increase fruit size. However, tree response to pruning depends on scion …
Pruning Citrus in South Georgia
Jake Price with University of Georgia Extension in Lowndes County provided an update on pruning of South Georgia citrus trees in a recent Cold Hardy Citrus Connection newsletter. The newsletter is published by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. His report follows: In February 2021, we pruned the Owari rootstock trial trees to where most limbs …
Pruning Principles for High-Quality Citrus
Planting citrus varieties for fresh market production has increased in popularity. With these potentially high-value crops come concerns about management practices, including pruning. Recently, Fernando Alferez informed growers in a virtual presentation about manual pruning principles. Alferez is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus horticulturist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. According to …
Optimize Fresh Fruit Results With Selective Pruning
By Christopher Vincent and Mark Ritenour Planting fresh citrus varieties has increased in popularity. With these potentially high-value crops come questions about management practices, including pruning. This article discusses pruning practices that can improve the health and productivity of citrus trees. The principles of pruning are the same for any citrus plant. However, quality affects value of fresh fruit even …
Pruning and Controlled-Release Fertilizer to Rehabilitate HLB Trees
By Tripti Vashisth and Troy Gainey Pruning is one of the oldest horticultural practices that changes the form and growth of a tree. The pruning process 1) adjusts tree shape and the ratio of framework to fruit-bearing shell of the canopy, 2) alters the shoot/root ratio and 3) changes the carbohydrate (food storage) status of the tree. Under Florida weather …
Pruning to Rehabilitate HLB-Affected Sweet Orange Trees
By Tripti Vashisth and Troy Gainey In the last 11 years, Florida orange production has declined more than 60 percent. This dramatic reduction in yield is attributable to multiple causes, including loss of citrus acreage in the state, citrus canker and other diseases, but huanglongbing (HLB) is now recognized as the primary reason for declining citrus yields. HLB-affected trees are …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Georgia’s Citrus Team Is Shaping Up Nicely
By Peter Chaires Many have been following the development of the Georgia citrus industry with great interest and curiosity. Though satsuma remains the dominant fresh citrus crop, other varieties are in varying stages of trial and adoption. The University of Georgia (UGA) has been supporting citrus growers in this process for more than a decade. Wayne Hanna, though his appointment …
New Orange Variety Introduced in China
Li Ningxian, a fruit grower in China’s Jiangxi province, discovered in 2004 that some of his Nanfeng oranges matured about six weeks earlier than usual. Although he attempted to propagate these early-maturing branches, the variety proved unstable with sugar content. Ningxian sought help from YI Hualin, a professor at Huazhong Agricultural University College of Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, who specializes …
Pesticides and the Environment
By Mongi Zekri Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. The fate processes for pesticides fall into three major types: adsorption, transfer and degradation. PESTICIDE ADSORPTION The adsorption process binds …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Strong Support for Cold-Hardy Citrus Growers
By Peter Chaires The citrus research program at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) includes several projects aimed at assisting growers in the cold-hardy citrus region. Let’s take a look at what researchers are working on. EVALUATING SCIONS AND ROOTSTOCKS Presently, the citrus industry in North Florida faces …
Georgia Research Projects Underway
Jake Price, University of Georgia (UGA) county Extension coordinator, recently provided a summary of citrus projects he has been working on: Source: Georgia Citrus Association Sponsored ContentA Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight HLBOctober 25, 20245 Facts About Fire Ants and How to Control ThemApril 30, 2024BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS IN A UNIQUE PRODUCT FOR HLB MANAGEMENTApril 1, 2024
Have a Hurricane Plan in Place
Florida citrus growers are all too familiar with the fallout from hurricanes in recent history. In 2017, Hurricane Irma came up the spine of the state causing an estimated $760 million in damage to the citrus industry. Then in 2022, Hurricane Ian took an even more direct path over key citrus-production areas causing another $247 million in losses, according to …
Cultural Practices for Finger Limes
At a recent finger lime field day, horticulturist Tripti Vashisth reported that most citrus rootstocks do well with finger limes. She said that Volkamer lemon and X-639 create the most vigorous trees, and that they and US-812 seem to be promising rootstocks for finger limes. Vashisth is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor …