survey

Citrus Industry Survey Looks at Planting Intentions

Daniel CooperFlorida, planting, Survey

By Frank Giles Last month, results of the Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey showed a majority (84%) of growers had treated at least a portion of their groves with trunk-injection therapy. Will this new HLB treatment give growers confidence to plant new trees? Survey results indicate growers are putting trees into the ground. Here’s a look at more …

ReMedium TI®

Starting in the Grove to Find New HLB Therapies

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

By Randall P. Niedz, Guilherme Locatelli, Nick Larson, Lorenzo Rossi, Ellen Cochrane and Michelle Heck Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) developed an idea to bypass lab assays and test molecules directly in the field for their ability to solve HLB. As part of a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant (number 2020-70029-33176), …

Calling All Florida Citrus Growers for Survey

Josh McGillFlorida, Survey

There’s a lot going on in Florida citrus. New trunk-injection therapies have been approved to treat HLB as groves bounce back from last year’s hurricanes. It’s a good time to get a sense of the mood of growers as we start the new Florida citrus season. If you are a grower or a consultant/caretaker (who can answer generally on behalf …

Citrus State of the Industry Survey

There’s a lot going on in Florida citrus. New trunk-injection therapies have been approved to treat HLB as groves bounce back from last year’s hurricanes.  It’s a good time to get a sense of the mood of growers as we start the new season. If you are a grower or a consultant/caretaker (who can answer generally on behalf of your …

How Much Yield Is Needed to Offset the Cost of Injecting Trees With Oxytetracycline?

Josh McGillEconomics, HLB Management

By Ariel Singerman Citrus growers in Florida are now allowed to inject their trees with oxytetracycline (OTC) to try to control Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and/or suppress citrus greening. The use of OTC is expected to improve the trees’ health and, in turn, increase yield. In this article, cost estimates are used to address the question of what yield response is …

Sneak Peek: November 2023 Citrus Industry

Josh McGillSneak Peek

As the new citrus season gets underway in Florida, growers are hopeful for an improved harvest. The initial U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast for 2023–24 calls for a 30% increase in the state’s orange crop. The November issue of Citrus Industry magazine has details on the forecast and other good news for growers. In the issue’s cover story, Wheeler Farms …

Peace River Growers See Hopeful Signs in Groves

Josh McGillEvents, HLB Management, Pests

The Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association hosted a grower forum in September to discuss how trees are looking after the first application of oxytetracycline (OTC) has been injected. The event had a good turnout, and growers were mostly optimistic about what they are seeing in groves. Nearly all in attendance have treated at least some portion of their acreage …

HLB Treatment Approved in Florida

Josh McGillHLB Management, Industry News Release

Invaio Sciences in late August announced that its Trecise technology to deliver ArborBiotic for the suppression of HLB in oranges received approval from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The approval came under section 24(c) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.    Invaio stated that the product’s closed-system design does not require drilling. Unlike conventional injection treatments, …

Highlights from the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference

Josh McGillEvents, Florida Citrus Mutual

Florida Citrus Mutual provided a summary of its Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference held in June: After a year full of challenges, the 2023 Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference once again offered an opportunity for more than 500 growers, allied members, family and friends to come together and focus on the highlights of the year and the promise of better …

Sting Nematode Problematic for Young Trees

Josh McGillPests

The sting nematode is the most serious nematode problem in young citrus groves, nematologist Larry Duncan reported at the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute in April. According to Duncan, long before HLB, the sting nematode was widely encountered in groves on Florida’s Central Ridge and in Polk County. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor said tree …

Antibiotics, HLB and Psyllids

Josh McGillHLB Management, Pests

Entomologist Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski recently shared findings from trials on the use of foliar-applied and trunk-injected antibiotics for controlling HLB and the Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) that spread the disease. Pelz-Stelinski is associate center director at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred.  In a May 17 presentation …

Valencia on US-942 Rootstock Is Favored Florida Tree

Josh McGillRootstocks, Varieties

For at least the last four years, the Valencia SPB-1-14-19 orange has been the most-produced citrus variety in Florida, and US-942 has been the favored rootstock. So, it makes sense that the Valencia SPB-1-14-19 on US-942 rootstock has been the most-produced tree combination for four years running. That information was provided at April’s Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute in Avon Park …

Determine Tree Health With Canopy Assist

Josh McGillHLB Management, Technology, Tip of the Week

By Amit Levy and Tripti Vashisth Many Florida citrus growers are currently injecting oxytetracycline, spraying gibberellic acid (GA) or treating trees with enhanced nutrition. A new program offered by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UFIFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) can help growers determine if these treatments are improving tree health and leading to …

Fine-Tuning CUPS Production Practices

Josh McGillCUPS, Production

Mixon family members were pioneers in the Florida blueberry industry. Brothers Jerry and Keith Mixon planted their first berries in 1993. Over the years, they grew their business and became worldwide marketers, eventually adding blackberries, raspberries and strawberries to their portfolio. BACK TO CITRUSIn 2011, they sold their berry business to the Dole Food Company. But the brothers still had …

CRDF

CRAFT Introduces Existing Tree Therapies Program

Josh McGillCRAFT

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation has announced a new Existing Tree Therapies Program for Florida citrus growers. The program is designed to provide the citrus industry with a better understanding of the best use patterns, combinations and timing of newly developed therapies. Therapies eligible for the program show promise in restoring health and improving juice quality and quantity, …

CRDF

CRDF Board Off to a Busy Start in 2023

Josh McGillCRDF, Research

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) kicked off the year with its monthly board meeting in January. The board invited three researchers who had submitted pre-proposals to submit full proposals during the meeting. One proposal will study if the ingestion of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) will minimize the amount of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) in the gut of “hot” (or …

CRDF Allocates Year-End Funds to HLB Research Projects

Josh McGillCRDF, HLB Management, Research

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) met for its December board meeting to discuss several topics before heading into the new year. One of the bigger areas of discussion was what to do with available uncommitted funds. “The board decided to fund work on several questions growers have regarding the use of bactericides inserted through systemic delivery devices and …

Getting Antibiotics Where They Need To Go

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

Purdue University’s Kurt Ristroph has received a $1 million federal grant to develop nanocarriers as an antibiotic delivery system to help plants fend off citrus greening disease, also known as HLB. The grant is part of the 21.7 million recently awarded for HLB research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “The mixing technology we’re …

Injectable Oxytetracycline Registered

Josh McGillPesticides

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) on Oct. 28 granted a 24(c) special local need registration for the injection of ReMedium TI for the control or suppression of HLB. The TJ BioTech product is oxytetracycline (OTC) hydrochloride, an antibiotic. “EPA (the federal Environmental Protection Agency) has 90 days to object, but it is my understanding that growers …

Evolution of Sting Nematode Integrated Pest Management

Josh McGillPests, Research

By Homan Regmi, Larry Duncan and Johan Desaeger Two field trials were initiated in a Polk County, Florida, commercial grove of 15-month-old Valencia on Kuharske trees in 2019 to measure the effectiveness of integrated pest management (IPM) tactics for managing sting nematodes (Belonolaimus longicaudatus). Six chemical nematicides, many newly released, were compared in one trial. In the second, perennial peanut …