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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “irrigation”
This fall, many Florida citrus growers are experiencing heavy fruit drop, some even up to 50 percent. Tripti Vashisth, assistant professor of horticulture at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, recently spoke on this topic. She discussed fruit drop during the first presentation of the new UF/IFAS OJ Break meeting …
Lowell Teal, former executive director of the Orange County Farm Bureau, received Florida Farm Bureau’s most prestigious honor, the Distinguished Service Award. Florida Farm Bureau President John Hoblick presented the award on Oct. 8. Of special interest to the citrus industry, Teal is credited with being instrumental in pioneering the microsprinkler irrigation system for Florida citrus growers statewide. In addition …
The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame will induct four new members in 2021. They are John L. Jackson of Sorrento, Florida; the late Lew J. Prosser of Plant City, Florida; Adam H. Putnam of Memphis, Tennessee; and Steven D. “Steve” Sorrells of Arcadia, Florida. They will be inducted during a luncheon tentatively scheduled for Nov. 5 at Florida Southern College …
Lindy Savelle received numerous calls and texts from relatively new southern Georgia citrus growers prior to a mild freeze the morning of Dec. 2. “They were asking, ‘What should I do?’” said Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association. The new growers were concerned because lows of 26 and 28 that morning were the coldest in the region in several …
Ray Royce readily acknowledges grower and nurseryman John Gose’s many contributions to the Florida citrus industry, including serving “on way too many advisory committees to list.” Gose has even been president of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association, where Royce is executive director. PROGRAM LEADERSHIPBut it’s not Gose’s work with growers that most impresses the association executive. “I always think …
Florida citrus yields have declined by almost 56 percent since 2005. With such a large decrease, growers have been forced to replant trees at much higher densities to counter-balance tree loss. In November 2017, researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) initiated a study to determine how …
By Chris Oswalt and Davie Kadyampakeni In preparation for winter in Florida, citrus growers must first understand some essential concepts related to protecting citrus from freezing temperatures. Specifically, growers need to know when and how to protect citrus trees from freeze damage. WHEN TO PROTECT When (i.e., at what critical temperature) will damage begin to occur? This temperature is dependent on …
University of Florida (UF) researchers are conducting a survey to study smart agriculture technology acceptance and adoption behavior of Florida specialty crop growers, specifically growers of crops requiring regular irrigation. Adam Watson, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and doctoral candidate Raminder Kaur are requesting the information. The survey requests feedback on growers’ use of …
Many Florida citrus growers have been using individual protective covers (IPCs) for several years primarily to protect trees from HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids (ACP). Smaller but increasing numbers of growers are utilizing the more expensive citrus under protective screen (CUPS) system to protect trees from ACP and HLB. Recently, Fernando Alferez informed growers in a virtual presentation about some other …
Algal spot had rarely been seen in Florida groves until fairly recently, Megan Dewdney reported in a virtual Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute presentation. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant pathologist said she started hearing from concerned orange growers within the past five years. Those growers told her that copper, the historical recommendation for the disease, …
By Ronald G. Doetch I am a lifelong farmer/agronomist and, at the age of 73, have worked with many different crops through the many changes in agriculture challenges and production practices. I moved to Florida four years ago to grow a few oranges and have a firsthand look and understanding of the relationship of soil health to tree decline and …
Weather is one of the most important factors affecting crop growth and production. The Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN), a University of Florida-operated service, was created to assist growers in making decisions related primarily to irrigation scheduling and cold protection. Currently, the FAWN network operates 42 stations located from Jay to Homestead that record and report every 15 minutes on …
Get the dirt on soil in the October 2020 issue of Citrus Industry magazine! Soil is not the most glamorous subject, but it’s one that seems to be getting more attention in the citrus industry lately. As citrus growers work to keep trees productive in the HLB era, they are implementing practices to improve soil health. Providing roots with a …
Not many watching a recent virtual Citrus Expo presentation were surprised by Ariel Singerman’s declaration that “taking into account total cost, on average, growers sustained a loss” in the 2019-20 Florida citrus season. Singerman, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences economist, pegged the average per-acre losses at $1,606 for early-midseason oranges and $1,254 for Valencias. Singerman …
Davie Kadyampakeni emphasized the importance of the four Rs of good nutrition of HLB-affected orange trees, with a heavy focus on the “right rate” of nutrient use. The other three Rs are right time, right placement and right source of nutrient applications. Kadyampakeni, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher, discussed nutrition at this year’s virtual …
Many Florida citrus growers in recent years have used individual protective covers (IPCs), often referred to as “bags,” for pest management, especially to protect young trees from HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids. Lauren Diepenbrock addressed the benefits and challenges of IPCs at this year’s virtual Citrus Expo. Diepenbrock is an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of …
Artificial intelligence (AI) will likely help growers and researchers cope with citrus greening (huanglongbing, known as HLB) and other citrus problems over the long run. That’s the belief of J. Scott Angle, the new head of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Angle, UF’s vice president for agriculture and natural resources, says AI is a …
The 2020-2021 Florida Citrus Production Guide is now available. See the online version of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences resource. Hard copies of the guide can be obtained at local UF/IFAS Extension county offices. Get the list of citrus Extension agents here. It is always best to email or call the agent ahead of time …
By Ute Albrecht, Sameer Pokhrel and Kim D. Bowman The rootstock has received increased attention as a management strategy to alleviate the devastating effects of HLB. In commercial citrus nursery production, rootstocks are typically propagated by seed. This is possible because citrus produces polyembryonic seeds with nucellar embryos, which develop into plants that are genetically identical to the mother plant. …
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 …
