A Brazilian study has shown that planting citrus plots parallel to the property boundary reduced HLB-spreading psyllids 12% to 23% compared to plots planted perpendicular to the property boundary. Fundecitrus conducted the study. The São Paulo Research Foundation co-financed it in partnership with Embrapa. Another study conclusion is related to the impact of planting density on border plots. Fundecitrus researcher …
Controls Needed to Effectively Evaluate Treated Trees
By Ute Albrecht, Gabriel Pugina and Caroline Tardivo Two years have passed since trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) was approved for HLB management in Florida. Many growers have adopted this technology. While most reported positive responses, others did not. The plant physiology team at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education …
Root Recovery Precedes Production Gains
Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: There have been some mixed results from OTC injections depending on geography within Florida. Is the citrus industry in Florida experiencing a recovery from the effects of HLB or not? Tom Johnson: Since the release of ReMedium TI® …
Progress Being Made in HLB Fight
Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists led by Kranthi Mandadi are seeking novel solutions to huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. Mandadi is a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and a researcher at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco. In the past few years, he and his collaborators have …
Fundecitrus Signs Agreement Seeking HLB Solutions
Nelson Wulff of Fundecitrus recently signed a technical cooperation agreement between Fundecitrus and the National Center of Genetic Resources (Cenargen/Embrapa) for a project to develop biotechnological solutions for HLB. Wulff, coordinator of the Fundecitrus Biotechnology and Diagnostics Laboratory, signed the agreement at the 50th anniversary ceremony of Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology in Brazil. Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology has …
Making the Most of ReMedium TI® Injections
Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: How do I get the best performance out of my ReMedium TI® injections? Tom Johnson: Getting the most out of your ReMedium TI® injections begins by properly evaluating individual tree size and tree health. While that may sound …
Improving ACP and HLB Control in Residential Settings
By Romain Exilien and Xavier Martini Residential gardens serve as reservoirs for Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) and citrus greening disease (also known as huanglongbing or HLB) due to unmanaged citrus trees. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) conducted a survey to assess residents’ needs regarding ACP and HLB management. The survey examined their current control …
Positive Early Harvest Reports
Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions on trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: Are there any 2024–25 early harvest reports that have come from citrus growers using ReMedium TI®? Tom Johnson: Yes. There are several reports, but some of the numbers still need to be confirmed before they are reported. However, I …
Grower Meeting Features Trunk-Injection Results and Hurricane Relief
Florida Citrus Mutual hosted a grower informational meeting on Nov. 13 at Kenny and Cookie Sanders’ Grove House in Zolfo Springs. About 80 citrus growers gathered for the event to hear more about the latest research on trunk-injection therapy and discuss recovery efforts after Hurricane Milton. Ute Albrecht, associate professor of plant physiology with the University of Florida Institute of …
Increased Yields Are Significant Return on Investment
Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: How is ReMedium TI® performing in the fight against citrus greening? Tom Johnson: The reported overall performance of ReMedium TI® has been stellar over the last two years. The reports from the second year of injections are just …
Apply Brassinosteroids to Improve Hamlin Brix
By Fernando Alferez and Divya Aryal Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of plant growth regulators with several effects on plant growth and development. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) work in the last few years has shown that BR treatments may influence internal maturity in Hamlin sweet orange if performed at the right time. Research has …
Ongoing Research Shows the Promise of Trunk-Injection Therapy
Trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) has been the center of attention in Florida citrus for the past two years since the Environmental Protection Agency registered formulations of the material for use. But experience with antibiotics in Florida citrus is not new. That was part of the message Lukasz Stelinski delivered to attendees of the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo in …
Australian Lime Interstocks to Combat HLB
By Ozgur Batuman, Sanju Kunwar and Ana Redondo In a promising effort to protect citrus from huanglongbing (HLB), University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are exploring the potential of Australian lime as an interstock graft for Valencia scions with Swingle rootstock. The interstock technique uses various limes, known for their natural HLB-tolerant peptides, between the …
Top Pruning Evaluated as HLB Strategy
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 …
Brazilians Visit Indian River to Learn About HLB Management
Several citrus growers, consultants and others from São Paulo, Brazil, recently toured Florida’s Indian River citrus region to examine the management of HLB. Flavia Zambon, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of horticultural production at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC), hosted the group. “In the traditional production region known as the …
Immediate Response Required When Managing HLB
The first chore for growers in the cold-hardy citrus region when managing citrus greening is scouting for the disease and its vector, the Asian citrus psyllid. The next step is prompt removal of any trees infected with the disease, says Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist. “At this point, we think greening is still …
Citrus-Derived Endophytes Have HLB Management Potential
Florida-based scientists published an article in Microorganisms indicating citrus-derived endophytes have potential for managing HLB. Endophytes are endosymbionts, often bacteria or fungi, which live within a plant for at least part of its life cycle without causing apparent disease. The authors of the article are Jessica Dominguez, Krishnaswamy Jayachandran and Kateel G. Shetty of Florida International University, and U.S. Department …
Grove Recovery After Milton
Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: After a series of weather challenges, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton, what are you hearing from Florida citrus growers about the continued health and recovery of groves going forward? Tom Johnson: I am certainly not suggesting that I …
Scouting Critical for Georgia’s Citrus Industry
Regular scouting for Asian citrus psyllids and citrus greening disease is critical for Georgia’s citrus industry to remain healthy. That advice applies to both commercial growers and homeowners, Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, said during the recent Citrus Grower’s Summer Update meeting in Valdosta. Oliver encouraged all growers to scout for the disease …
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Optimizing OTC Injections
By Ute Albrecht, Caroline Tardivo, Larissa Nunes, Gabriel Pugina, Gerardo Moreno and Jasmine de Freitas As growers are well into the second year of oxytetracycline (OTC) injections since approval for commercial use, more and more data are accumulating. The good news is that in all University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) trials, trees have been responding …