By Jawwad Qureshi The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Figure 1) continues to feed on citrus trees infected with citrus greening and spread the disease to newly planted young trees. Therefore, it is not possible to produce a healthy citrus tree in an environment where citrus greening is endemic. Only the citrus under protective screen (CUPS, Figure 2) system allows the …
Moving Beyond Greening
By Tom Spreen When citrus greening was first discovered in Florida, it did not have a profound impact on production. The big news at that time was the multiple hurricanes that had crossed Florida in 2004 and 2005. The hurricanes served to spread citrus canker so sufficiently that the state of Florida was forced to abandon its efforts to eradicate …
CRDF Focused on the Search for HLB Resistance
According to Rick Dantzler, Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) chief operating officer, the past seven days have been busy for CRDF’s committees. First, the Plant Improvement Committee, chaired by grower Joby Sherrod, reviewed several projects and ideas seeking HLB resistance in detail. A three-year plan for the plant improvement programs for University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
Studying Citrus Greening in Switzerland
Lukas Hallman is about to embark on an internship in Switzerland to investigate the vascular system of trees affected by citrus greening. Hallman is in his final year of a Ph.D. program in horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center. He is under the guidance of Lorenzo …
Fundecitrus Repudiates Articles About Citrus Greening
Fundecitrus says it repudiates recent articles that claim productivity in Brazil’s São Paulo and Minas Gerais citrus belt will be reduced by 60% in the next five years due to citrus greening disease. Fundecitrus says Chilean and Spanish news portals published such reports on Nov. 14. According to Fundecitrus, this information is not valid, nor was it ever provided by …
São Paulo Governor Creates Greening Committee
The governor of Brazil’s state of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, on Oct. 16 decreed the formation of a state committee for greening contingency after meeting with several members of the state’s citrus industry. Greening affects 38.06% of orange trees in the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. The governor acted after considerations by the Sylvio Moreira Citriculture Center/Agronomic …
Nursery Owner Wins Judgment Over Destroyed Trees
The owner of a commercial nursery has won a $1.2 million judgment against the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) for the destruction of citrus trees in the 2000s, AP News reported. A jury in Orlando determined the state agency had destroyed more than 160,000 citrus plants in an effort to stop citrus greening, AP reported. The jury …
An Alternative Approach to Citrus Greening
“Life as a citrus grower is a perilous journey,” says Chip Henry. Among the toughest perils the third-generation Florida grower has endured are the freezes of the 1980s, the threat of losing his land to highway construction, and the scourge of citrus greening. Henry’s story begins with the founding of O.E. McGuire Groves in Apopka by his maternal grandparents in …
Citrus Greening Inevitable for North Florida, South Georgia
It’s not a question of if citrus greening disease will be an issue for North Florida and South Georgia citrus growers, but when will it be. Fred Gmitter, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus breeder, believes the disease’s impact in both areas is inevitable. He shared his assessment during a recent Cold Tolerant Citrus Production …
Georgia Growers: Stop Citrus Greening Spread
Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, is concerned about the potential impact of citrus greening disease in Georgia. That’s why he is encouraging Georgia growers to quickly dispose of infected trees if any are found. “Once greening becomes really widespread and established in a lot of our trees, it’s really hard to stop it,” Oliver …
Florida Citrus Industry Continues Decline
Florida citrus production has decreased for almost two decades. According to Marisa Zansler, director of economic and market research at the Florida Department of Citrus, the two main factors for the state’s steady decline are citrus greening (huanglongbing, known as HLB) and Hurricane Irma. Zansler presented staggering statistics during the Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference on Feb. 26 that showed …
Citrus Greening Solutions: How Long Will It Take?
It may not be the answer Florida citrus growers want to hear, but it is likely to be several years before a citrus greening remedy is put in place to combat the destructive disease. University of Florida professor Fred Gmitter shared his assessment on possible citrus greening solutions during a recent American Seed Trade Association webinar. “We learn a lot …
Field-Tested Peptide Treats Citrus Greening
Elemental Enzymes, a St. Louis biotechnology firm, has obtained a patent for a natural peptide solution to treat citrus greening disease. The peptide solution, Vismax, is readying for commercialization and is expected to reach the market by 2022. Vismax has been developed and extensively field tested, says Brian Thompson, CEO of Elemental Enzymes. Thompson gave a presentation on Nov. 18 …
Organic Solutions to Citrus Greening Sought
The Organic Center is currently working with the University of Florida, the University of California, Riverside, and several citrus growers and industry members to conduct a national review of how citrus greening disease is impacting organic growers and other industry members. The information will be used to develop a large-scale holistic research project proposal targeted toward protecting organic citrus growers from citrus …
New Resource to Help Fight Citrus Greening
If information is power, Florida citrus growers have a new asset in their fight against citrus greening disease. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) statewide citrus program launched a major revision of a website, providing instant access to a portfolio of information valuable to growers. The http://citrusresearch.ifas.ufl.edu/ website is now easier to navigate and includes …
HLB Update for North Florida, South Georgia
Since 2018, there have been no huanglongbing (HLB) finds in commercial citrus groves in North Florida, and there have still been no disease detections in Georgia groves. In North Florida, HLB was detected in groves in Live Oak in Suwanee County and Perry in Taylor County in 2018, reported Xavier Martini, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
New Citrus Greening Treatment Shows Promise
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have discovered another possible solution to the plague of citrus greening that is impacting Florida’s citrus groves. This new information adds to the growing portfolio of knowledge that UF/IFAS scientists are amassing to fight the disease. Led by UF/IFAS microbiology and cell science professor Claudio Gonzalez, a team of plant …
Updated Citrus Nutrition Guide Helps Growers Manage Greening
Florida citrus growers hit hard by citrus greening can benefit from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) expertise in an updated book — the third edition of the Nutrition of Florida Citrus Trees. Greening, known scientifically as huanglongbing (HLB), has caused significant damage to Florida’s citrus industry. UF/IFAS scientists and Extension faculty have updated the guide …
Even in Times of Crisis, Citrus Research Continues
(UF/IFAS) —The coronavirus has upended daily routines, events and schedules. From work to schools to shopping, every aspect of life changed overnight and continues to change with each passing day. Even with a global pandemic, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus researchers plow forward in their quest to find answers to fighting the devastating disease …
Viruses Might Help Control Asian Citrus Psyllids
(UF/IFAS) — University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are working toward establishing a new biological method that may help growers control the insect that transmits the deadly greening disease into citrus trees. Greening is present in about 95 percent of the citrus trees in Florida, so by using a virus that may kill the insect, …