UF/IFAS Tops in Research

Ernie Neff Research

“There is no program anywhere in the country better than IFAS (University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) in conducting both applied and basic research.” That declaration is made by Scott Angle, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, in the latest episode of the All in for Citrus podcast.  Angle became …

Kids to Learn About Citrus in Labs During Youth Day

Daniel Cooper Industry News Release, Research

Children are invited to an up-close-and-personal, hands-on experience with the world of citrus. They might even get their hands dirty while touring plant labs at this year’s third annual Citrus Youth Day on June 27. Scientists at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred, Florida, part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …

Precision Agriculture Technologies in Citrus

Tacy Callies Pests, Psyllids, Research, Technology

By Yiannis Ampatzidis Citrus growers face issues from an increasing number of pests and diseases. Rapid and accurate tools for early pest and disease detection are needed to improve precision and timely management. Almost all agrochemicals (e.g., pesticides) applied in specialty crop production are made uniformly with conventional spraying equipment, despite the fact that pathogen distribution is typically patchy. Uniform …

Giving Back to Orie Lee

Ernie Neff Research, Rootstocks

The late Orie Lee was renowned for his long and generous cooperation with University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientists conducting citrus research on his property. One of those researchers, plant breeder Jude Grosser, says the industry is now giving a little back to the Lee family. Grosser discusses 12 federally funded trials in which rootstocks …

nutrition

Citrus Research and Field Trial Program Update

Ernie Neff Research

A multimillion-dollar federal program to establish thousands of acres of citrus research field trials in Florida has undergone significant changes in recent months. The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) spent much time on May 21 hearing about new developments in the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler summarizes developments in the timing …

psyllids

Artificial Intelligence Could Help Citrus Growers Detect Psyllids

Daniel Cooper Citrus Greening, HLB Management, Industry News Release, Psyllids, Research, Technology

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 …

grapefruit

Grapefruit Grown Under Protective Screens Maximizes Fruit Yield

Daniel Cooper Citrus Greening, CUPS, Grapefruit, Industry News Release, Research

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 …

FDOC

Drone Images Can Accurately Find, Count Citrus Trees

Daniel Cooper Industry News Release, Research, Technology

By using drone technology, Florida citrus growers can find out how many trees live in their groves and, eventually, they may detect the health status of the trees, a new University of Florida study shows. Imaging from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can accurately detect and count citrus trees and spaces where trees have had to be removed in groves, said …

New Extension Agent for Indian River Citrus Growers

Daniel Cooper Citrus, Industry News Release, Research

A horticultural research scientist with experience in the development of disease-free citrus rootstock and disease-tolerant citrus varieties in Iran’s northern agricultural region will now serve the Indian River District’s growers. Amir Rezazadeh recently began his new position as multicounty fruit and field crops agent for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension in Saint Lucie …

hlb

Large-Scale Citrus Field Trials Idea Surfaces

Daniel Cooper Citrus, Citrus Greening, HLB Management, Research

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 …

sour

Source of the Sour in Citrus Identified

Daniel Cooper Industry News Release, lemons, Research

The identification of genes responsible for sour taste in citrus fruit may enable the creation of new, sweeter varieties. A team of researchers, including two from the University of California, Riverside (UCR), has identified the genes responsible for the hallmark sour taste of many citrus fruits. Published Feb. 25 in Nature Communications, the research could help plant breeders develop new, …

agvocacy

Gmitter Talks Gene Editing at AgVocacy Forum

Daniel Cooper Genetic Engineering, Research

By Gary Cooper This year’s AgVocacy Forum, hosted by Bayer Crop Science, again featured numerous provocative and insightful presentations dealing with emerging issues in agriculture from a number of perspectives. Bayer hosts many of the nation’s farm media for this two-day event each year, just before the start of the nationwide gathering of corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum producers at …

chemicals

Automated System Under Study to Deliver Bactericides

Daniel Cooper Citrus Greening, Industry News Release, Research

Imagine using a robotic arm to grip and puncture the trunk of a citrus tree to deliver chemicals into the vascular parts of the plant, reducing its susceptibility to the citrus greening disease. Ozgur Batuman, an assistant professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), leads a team of researchers trying to …

greening

Developing New Greening-Tolerant Citrus

Daniel Cooper Citrus Greening, Industry News Release, Research

When Nian Wang pieces together sequences of genes, he hopes to make citrus varieties that are more tolerant to the deadly disease known as citrus greening, which has devastated a multibillion-dollar-a-year industry in Florida. Wang, a professor of microbiology and cell science with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), will help an investigation in which …

mandarin

New Mandarin Gives Growers Advantages

Daniel Cooper Breeding, Research

Commercial citrus growers will soon see a new seedless mandarin variety that stays on the tree longer, two traits farmers seek, say University of Florida scientists. Marathon, an early season mandarin, is also easy to peel and tastes good, said Fred Gmitter, a professor of breeding and genetics at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). …

hlb

Deadline Extended for Submitting HLB Project Applications

Tacy Callies HLB Management, Research

The Huanglongbing Multi-Agency Coordination (HLB MAC) group is extending the deadline for submitting project applications to Friday, March 8, 2019. Information on applying for funding, including the application template, criteria for evaluation and the submission process, is available on the HLB MAC site.  The HLB MAC funds applied research projects that are likely to deliver a useable tool in the …

citrus greening

Study Zeroes in on Organic Ways to Beat Citrus Greening

Daniel Cooper Citrus Greening, HLB Management, Industry News Release, Research

Results show promise for organic groves, but more research is needed. Since it was first discovered in the United States in 2005, the bacterial disease known as citrus greening, or Huanglongbing, has devastated millions of acres of citrus crops throughout this country and abroad, ravaging citrus groves in Asia, Africa and South America. Citrus greening has impacted conventional and organic …

agricultural engineer

Ag Engineer Joins UF Scientists to Restore Grapefruit Industry

Daniel Cooper Research, Water

An agricultural engineer whose current research projects include the simulation of agricultural management impacts on water quantity and quality in the upper Floridan aquifer has joined the University of Florida’s Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC). Sandra Guzmán will lead the center’s irrigation and hydrology program. Guzmán started her position as an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering …

production

Citrus Nutrition Day to Include Field Tours

Daniel Cooper Citrus, Citrus Health Management Areas, Industry News Release, Nutrition, Research

This year’s Citrus Nutrition Day — at which growers will learn the latest data about growing the fruit, from the soil up through the plants — is expanding to include tours of field trials. After a morning of updates from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers, participants may tour field sites at the Peace River …

Kaolin Clay May Be Viable Option to Protect Citrus Trees from ACP

Daniel Cooper Citrus Greening, Industry News Release, Psyllids, Research

Florida citrus growers have begun taking notice of kaolin clay, a powdery white compound, because it can cause Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) to “not take notice” of their groves. Long used to protect other fruit and vegetable crops, kaolin can also conceal citrus trees from hungry psyllids by confusing their visual sensory system, said Michael Rogers, director of the Citrus …