Controlling Clustered Pellitory Weeds in Groves

Jim Rogers weeds

Ajia Paolillo and Ramdas Kanissery with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) wrote in an Extension newsletter about clustered pellitory, a recently established weed in citrus groves. Paolillo is a multi-county citrus Extension agent. Kanissery is an assistant professor specializing in weed science.    Clustered pellitory is native to Florida and other areas in the southeastern …

Integrating Use of Organic Soil Amendments and Weed Management

Jim Rogers Soil Health, weeds

By Ute Albrecht, Ankit Pokhrel, Sarah Strauss and Ramdas Kanissery The soils in most Florida citrus production areas are sandy. They have less than 1% organic matter and a low cation exchange capacity (CEC). This makes them prone to nutrient leaching, especially after heavy rainfall events in the summer. HUMIC SUBSTANCESOne way to improve soils is by amending them with …

florida citrus

How to Squelch Summer Weeds

Jim Rogers weeds

Summer is “a field day for weeds,” Ramdas Kanissery said in a March 29 presentation about weed control for citrus. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor provided a progressive step-by-step approach to suppressing weeds during the summer. CONTROL EXISTING WEEDSGrowers can get off to a good start by controlling existing weeds with post-emergent herbicides. …

Effects of Compost and Organic Amendments on Weed Control

Jim Rogers Research, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery and Mahesh Bashyal Using compost and soil amendments is beneficial to Florida citrus groves. Florida soils are sandy and have a low organic matter and cation exchange capacity. Adding compost and organic amendments (e.g., humic acid) can enhance the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients. These practices can also boost soil microbial activity and improve soil …

Sneak Peek: February 2023 Citrus Industry

Jim Rogers Diseases, Sneak Peek, weeds

With more growers incorporating compost and organic amendments into their production, weed management is receiving increased attention. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) authors Ramdas Kanissery and Mahesh Bashyal take on this topic in their article in the February 2023 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. While compost and organic amendments can increase soil health and boost …

Improving Yield Safety of Glyphosate

Jim Rogers Tip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery Florida citrus growers face weed management problems throughout the year because of conditions that favor rapid weed growth in groves. A weed-free tree row is desired in a citrus grove to minimize weed competition with trees. Hence, chemical weed control using post-emergent, systemic herbicides like glyphosate has become a vital production practice in the Florida citrus industry. …

New Advancements in Herbicide Spraying

Jim Rogers Technology, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery, Yiannis Ampatzidis, Mahesh Bashyal and Shea Teems Weed control is vital for profitable citrus production since weeds compete for nutrients and water, can harbor diseases and pests, and get in the way of equipment and workers. Without proper management, weeds lead to reduced crop yield and economic losses. Chemical weed control using herbicides is the most common …

Post-Hurricane Weed Management

Jim Rogers Tip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery Hurricanes and the associated flooding will impact weed management in the affected season and the following years. Weeds should be effectively managed after these severe weather events as weeds may take advantage of the reduced competitiveness of recovering trees. INTENSIFY SCOUTINGA critical step in weed management after hurricanes is to scout groves and note the emergence of …

Managing Weeds in California Groves

Jim Rogers California Corner, weeds

By Danielle Leal Over the years, new weeds have surfaced, and old weeds have developed resistance and become tougher to control. Crop scientists are currently researching ways to successfully manage weeds in citrus. Sonia Rios, technical development representative for Bayer Crop Science, said growers are heavily dependent on post-herbicides to help mitigate weeds. “In order to use a pre-herbicide, you …

Pointers for Better Pre-emergent Herbicide Performance

Jim Rogers Citrus Expo, weeds

Ramdas Kanissery, speaking at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, offered what he called an important strategy to prevent weed outbreaks in groves: “Never let ’em germinate.” Growers can keep weeds from germinating with pre-emergent herbicide programs, said the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of weed science. He works at the Southwest Florida …

Experimenting With Cover Crops: Results From Three Years of Trials

Jim Rogers Cover Crops, Research, weeds

By Sarah Strauss, Antonio Castellano-Hinojosa, Davie Kadyampakeni, Ramdas Kanissery and Tara Wade Cover crops, which are planted specifically for soil enhancement and not for sale or harvest, can improve soil conditions and production for a variety of crops. However, there have not been many studies documenting changes to soil conditions and production when using cover crops in citrus. The University …

Diagnosing Herbicide Phytotoxicity in Citrus

Jim Rogers weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery, Nimal Timilsina and Ruby Tiwari Chemical weed control is an essential component of the toolbox to keep weeds in check in citrus groves. Citrus growers primarily rely on herbicide to manage weeds due to their efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Despite their benefits, herbicides may have a wide range of unintended effects on citrus. For instance, an herbicide-related injury …

Herbicides and Fruit Drop

Jim Rogers Fruit Drop, Research, weeds

Weed scientist Ramdas Kanissery’s research has not shown evidence that herbicides, including glyphosate, increase citrus fruit drop or decrease yields. But in studies using different glyphosate rates, he did find that there is a relatively strong negative correlation with the fruit detachment force and the glyphosate amount applied. “That means there may be something happening with the higher glyphosate rate” …

Impacts of Herbicides on Young Citrus Trees

Tacy Callies weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery, Nirmal Timilsina and Mongi Zekri Weed control is crucial for the growth and establishment of young citrus trees. Chemical weed control with herbicides is an efficient and cost-effective method for managing weeds in newly planted groves. However, before applying herbicide products, care must be taken to avoid damaging young trees and newly planted resets. Every so often, …

The Do’s and Don’ts of Weed Control

Ashley Robinson weeds

When developing a weed management program, there are many things for growers to consider. Application site, the stage of weed growth, herbicide selection, the amount of herbicide used, spray volume and pressure, and herbicide bandwidth are just a few of the factors that contribute to the cost and success of a weed management program. Ramdas Kanissery, weed scientist at the …

Herbicide Adjuvants in Citrus Weed Control

Tacy Callies weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery Adjuvants (derived from Latin, adiuvare: to aid or help) are materials added into an herbicide spray solution that improve handling, performance and crop safety. To be effective, an herbicide must overcome certain environmental and biological obstacles before entering and acting in the weeds. For example, environmental conditions like hot and dry weather will result in a thicker …

Tackling Weeds After Composting

Tacy Callies Tip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery The use of compost in tree rows is receiving increasing attention among citrus growers. The use of weed-free certified products can considerably minimize the weed emergence issues associated with compost use. However, eventually, weeds will start to grow in the composted areas in the grove. As compost and similar soil amendments prove to be very rich in …

Psyllids

Keeping Weeds in Check

Ashley Robinson weeds

Weeds can reduce citrus growth and production, especially in young trees. A management program should be put in place to control weeds in tree rows to minimize competition with citrus, but it is also important to control weeds in row middles to reduce soil erosion. Weed management can be achieved by utilizing a combination of control practices including but not …

Instant Information on Herbicides

Tacy Callies Tip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery Citrus growers face weed management problems throughout the year due to favorable conditions that allow the rapid growth of weeds in groves. A weed-free tree row is desired in citrus to minimize competition with the trees. This can be achieved by utilizing post-emergent herbicides that control the weeds that have already emerged. Growers have several product options …