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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “tip of the week”
Florida growers, Extension agents and others have been baffled by unusual trunk symptoms during what Evan Johnson termed “the year of the weird trunk disorder.” Growers spotted the disorders, which were similar to phytophthora, in groves over the past one and half to two years. Johnson addressed three of the disorders, which have been found in multiple counties. Johnson, a …
The Florida Hemp Association recently clarified which seeds can be legally grown under Florida law and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) rules. Growers must use either a seed approved by the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) or a Pilot Project Hemp Seed approved though a university pilot project, the association reported. AOSCA is an organization …
By Davie Kadyampakeni and Arnold Schumann Irrigation system maintenance is critical for proper and efficient delivery of water in citrus and other irrigated crops. A well maintained and functional irrigation system will deliver the required amounts of water to the root zone when needed and help growers optimize crop production. If an irrigation system is not working optimally, crops can …
Ned Hancock, chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC), reports that concerns over COVID-19 are increasing the demand for healthy foods and beverages, including orange juice. The FCC is the governing body of the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). “A Nielsen retail sales report indicates that many Americans are turning to 100 percent orange juice (OJ) during this time,” says …
Scouting: The tip of the IPM spear By Matt Smith Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. Why would you scout? Despite what we were all promised by Tomorrowland and …
By Lauren Diepenbrock Non-psyllid, soft-bodied insects are common in Florida citrus. Their ability to cause damage varies by pest, pest population size, tree age and tree variety. Soft-bodied insects include scales, mealybugs, whiteflies and aphids, all of which are small and can be hard to detect until the telltale sign of sooty mold development appears on their excrement (honeydew) or …
By Jawwad Qureshi Management of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is needed in multiple environments, such as organic and conventional production systems and urban areas. However, the tools and approach may be different depending on the circumstances. Chemical control is the primary method used in commercial production to reduce psyllid populations, but the increased use of insecticides negatively affects the …
Quality and shelf life were evaluated for new fresh mandarin and sweet orange selections. By Mark A. Ritenour, Cuifeng Hu, Yu Wang and Fernando Alferez New fresh citrus fruit selections continue to be developed and released by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, promising new varieties are …
By Fernando Alferez, Susmita Gaire, Ute Albrecht, Ozgur Batuman, Jawwad Qureshi and Mongi Zekri Controlling the Asian citrus psyllid vector of huanglongbing (HLB) is critical, especially in young trees. Reducing HLB incidence is essential for tree survival and productivity under current endemic conditions. Individual protective covers (IPCs) are a novel strategy based on psyllid exclusion by means of a protective …
By Tripti Vashisth, Garima Singh and Megan Dewdney Citrus trees grown in the field undergo various types and levels of stress continuously. The stressors can be several things, including heat, cold, drought, soil pH, chemicals, pests and diseases. The constant presence of huanglongbing (HLB) and psyllid infestation adds stress to the trees, which compromises the plant response and makes the …
After 34 years of faithful service to citrus growers, University of Florida Extension agent Steve Futch readies for retirement. By Tacy Callies Steve Futch’s Florida citrus roots sprouted more than a century ago. His great-grandfather owned a Wauchula grove in about 1905. As a boy, Futch’s first hands-on citrus experience was hoeing trees in the family orange groves. Later, he …
By Megan Dewdney The Florida citrus-growing seasons of 2017 and 2018 were quiet in terms of fungal foliar disease outbreaks. Small pockets of severe disease occurred sporadically, but there were no widespread reports of diseases like postbloom fruit drop, much to the relief of the industry. Greasy spot has flared up in a few locations on cultivars like Valencia, and …
By Jawwad Qureshi, Lukasz Stelinski and Fernando Alferez Management of huanglongbing (HLB) has focused on reducing the vector Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and improving tree health, thus requiring a multi-pronged approach. Several elements of an HLB management system are either available or under current investigation. Maintenance of clean nursery stock, vector management and tree nutrition are widely implemented, while incorporation …
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 …
The Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) found last week in a residential area in north Visalia, California, were a breeding population, according to Greg Douhan, University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor for citrus. The ACP were found in four locations in the city, not in close proximity to any agricultural operations. “Most of the findings found in the San Joaquin Valley …
A large population of Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) and nymphs were found in an older residential area northwest of Visalia, California, last week. With multiple life stages of ACP found, county and state officials have moved into eradication mode immediately. According to the Visalia Times-Delta, 250 ACP were found in four locations. California Citrus Mutual reported that up to 400 …
California Citrus Mutual (CCM) has published a guide to the new minimum wage increases for agricultural employees that take effect Jan. 1, 2019, in California. Note that the rule for exemption from overtime has changed for agricultural workers. To maintain the exemption from overtime compensation, an exempt employee’s weekly salary must be no less than two times the applicable minimum …
By Fernando Alferez, Christopher Vincent and Tripti Vashisth In the current scenario of widespread infection and severe symptoms of HLB in Florida, horticultural practices that improve plant health in the presence of the disease are needed. For this reason, we sought to follow up on reports of positive effects of a brassinosteroid on infected plants. Brassinosteroids are a relatively newly …
By Fred Gmitter, Bill Castle and Jude Grosser King Solomon once pointed out that “there is nothing new under the sun,” meaning that what has happened before will happen again. Although the idea of growing lemons in Florida is viewed by some these days as a new thing, Florida actually has a fairly long history of lemon production. FLORIDA LEMON …
By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, William Holmes, Gary Test and Tim Ebert Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly common in electronic devices at home or work, in social media, video streaming services, electronic commerce, and in internet search engines. Now, AI is rapidly entering the farming scene. Growers using modern precision agriculture tools and techniques often face a barrage of high …
