Best Practices Developed by Grower-Led, Science-Supported Task Force To provide California citrus growers with a strong toolbox of science-supported strategies and tactics to protect their orchards from huanglongbing (HLB), the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee endorsed a set of best practices for growers to voluntarily employ in response to HLB in California. The recommendations — which were developed based …
Getting HLB Material Into Phloem
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant pathologist Ozgur Batuman discusses efforts to get materials that fight HLB into the citrus tree’s phloem, where it might be most effective. Batuman explains that bacteria that cause HLB “live inside the phloem of citrus. That is very difficult to reach to kill … by conventional methods, such as …
Studying Citrus Greening with an Integrated Approach
While citrus growers continue to look for best management approaches to deal with the deadly greening disease, scientists will take an integrated look at how to protect young trees by using existing tools growers can use. Five scientists from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will compare insect management tools, including insect-proof netting. Researchers also …
Jack Payne Announces Retirement
After serving nearly 10 years as the senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Jack Payne announced he will retire next year. His last day with UF/IFAS will be July 1, 2020. Payne has overseen Extension offices across Florida and its 12 research and education centers since …
Update on Brassinosteroids for HLB Management
By Fernando Alferez, Christopher Vincent and Tripti Vashisth Brassinosteroids (BR), a relatively newly discovered class of plant hormone, regulate several developmental and physiological processes in fruit crops such as grapes, pears and cherries and in some non-edible plants. BR also induce disease resistance against different pathogens in a great number of crop plants. A form of BR (epibrassinolide) was shown …
TCP Might Help Trees Tolerate HLB
Laboratory tests of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) indicate it has potential use as a fertilizer that might help citrus growers cope with HLB, says Laura Waldo, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) laboratory manager. “The hope is that it can help a tree by inducing root hair development and thereby allowing the tree to uptake nutrients …
Psyllid Control and Endemic HLB
In the early days of HLB in Florida, virtually all researchers and growers agreed that nothing was more important than controlling HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids. But once HLB had spread to every grove (become endemic), many growers began questioning whether continued psyllid control was necessary. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist Lukasz Stelinski tackled that …
Tree Infected with HLB Found in Riverside, California
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) stated last week that a second tree has tested positive for HLB disease, also known as citrus greening, in Riverside County. Due to being in a previously identified detection area, the tree had been tested several times previously but had not shown indications of the disease. The CDFA is in the process …
Psyllid Management for HLB
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock reports on Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) management studies being conducted around the world. Her report covers presentations made at the International Citrus Research Conference on HLB in March. She summarized the international scientists’ observations at the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute in Avon Park last month. She shares …
HLB: Horticultural Practices
Scientists from numerous countries attending the International Citrus Research Conference on HLB in March reported on studies of horticultural practices that might help growers cope with the disease. Tripti Vashisth, a horticulturist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), summarized their observations at the recent Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. She shares those observations in the …
Rootstock Solutions for HLB
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus breeders are working on both short-term and long-term rootstock solutions for HLB, Fred Gmitter said earlier this year. Gmitter and fellow UF/IFAS citrus breeder Jude Grosser have already identified numerous rootstocks that seem to offer tolerance to the disease. Tolerance would help growers in the short term. Gmitter says …
Artificial Intelligence Could Help Citrus Growers Detect Psyllids
Precision agriculture engineer Yiannis Ampatzidis sees a day when citrus farmers use artificial intelligence (AI) to detect the pin-sized insects that can infect the fruit’s trees with the deadly greening disease. That day could come in the near future, because Ampatzidis and his research team are starting to perfect a system to detect the potentially deadly Asian citrus psyllid. Citrus …
Kaolin Impact on Psyllids and HLB
Researchers found use of kaolin particle film on trees reduced populations of HLB-spreading psyllids and delayed HLB infection. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Christopher Vincent and graduate student Juanpablo Salvatierra Miranda report on their findings. Vincent says both white kaolin and red kaolin applications “had very low psyllid numbers” compared to a foliar insecticide treatment …
Pathology Research for HLB
Scientists from numerous countries attending the International Citrus Research Conference on HLB in March reported on pathology research that might help growers cope with the disease. Megan Dewdney, plant pathologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), summarized their reports at the recent Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. Dewdney shares the research findings in the current …
Grapefruit Grown Under Protective Screens Maximizes Fruit Yield
Growers of one of Florida’s signature citrus crops may see more production and possibly less of the deadly citrus greening disease. Researchers have worked for four years growing grapefruit under protective screens on a 1-acre experimental plot at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), and they’re seeing encouraging results. UF/IFAS scientists and a few commercial …
The Economics of Mesh Bags
Numerous Florida citrus growers have recently put mesh bags over individual young citrus trees to exclude HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids. A topic title at the 2019 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute asked whether the practice is profitable. The presentation was made by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences economist Ariel Singerman. “The answer to the question of whether …
Critical Leaf Nutrient Thresholds to Diagnose Deficiencies in HLB Trees
By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Tripti Vashisth, Alan Wright and Kelly Morgan Huanglongbing (HLB) disease severely impacts the nutrient status of citrus trees, particularly by stunting the feeder roots and causing measurable deficiencies of nutrients in the roots and canopies. Visible symptoms of nutrient deficiencies on citrus foliage are characteristic but not diagnostic of HLB disease. Recent HLB research efforts …
Value of HLB Research Conference
Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation in Florida, discusses the importance of the recent International Research Conference on HLB, held in California. “I think there’s real merit in the industry, nationally and internationally, getting together occasionally to talk about what’s going on in their home states and their home countries,” Dantzler says. He notes …
ACP Found in Sacramento
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), working in cooperation with the Sacramento County agricultural commissioner, has placed Sacramento County under a plant pest quarantine for the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) following the detection of one ACP in Sacramento’s Lemon Hill area. The quarantine prohibits the movement of citrus and curry leaf tree nursery stock and all plant parts, …
Large-Scale Citrus Field Trials Idea Surfaces
Citrus research continues to be a topic in state and federal funding circles as the industry’s battle with HLB, or citrus greening, continues. One idea in the incubator of industry discussion is the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program. It would involve large-scale grower field trials throughout Florida. Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development …