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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “SWFREC”
By Ute Albrecht The German scientist Paul Ehrlich pioneered the research for “magic bullets” — chemicals that could kill a microorganism but did not harm the patient. He also coined the term “chemotherapy” and paved the way for developing synthetic drugs. The first synthetic antibiotic (the first sulfa-type antibiotic) to successfully treat human bacterial diseases without major side effects was …
By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP Citrus has the attention of new University of Florida President (UF) Ben Sasse. That bodes well for UF’s continued commitment to the industry. Ag TourIt started on June 3, when I took the president on a 28-hour tour of Florida agriculture. It included a stop at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in …
By Larry Duncan The growers advising the Citrus Research and Development Foundation understand very well the importance of cooperative research projects between growers and scientists. Several years ago, they earmarked a portion of research funding, not for carefully managed laboratory experiments or small plot trials at state, federal or private research centers, but rather for grower-run trials testing potential HLB …
Economists with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) recently published two studies about the adoption of cover crops in citrus. One looked at the economic feasibility of cover crop adoption for citrus growers. The other looked at the preferences and willingness of growers to incorporate cover crops into their production practices. The studies were conducted …
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 …
By Fernando Alferez and Muhammad A. Shahid Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a natural group of hormones that regulate physiological and biochemical attributes that include seed germination, flower development, root formation and resistance to various abiotic and biotic stresses. BRs have shown promise in reducing pests and diseases in a wide range of plants, including citrus. A commercial formulation of BRs has …
By Ute Albrecht Replicated field studies have demonstrated positive effects of oxytetracycline administered by trunk injection to manage HLB. In October 2022, a 24(c) special local need label was approved that allows the use of this technology in Florida, and final clearance was given in January. When practicing trunk injection, it is important to do so properly and to be …
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 …
Researchers and growers have found that individual protective covers (IPCs) can keep young trees free of HLB for two or more years while providing additional benefits like improved tree growth. The IPCs work by keeping HLB-infecting Asian citrus psyllids out of the tree canopies. But trees outgrow the covers and must eventually be removed. Researchers have found that about 60% …
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to quantify damage to fruits and vegetables caused by extreme weather events. One such extreme weather event was Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida on Sept. 28, 2022. The storm’s damage to all crops, livestock and aquaculture products was initially estimated at up …
Although trunk injection of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) has received much recent press for its promise in managing HLB, there is still no silver bullet for the devastating disease. That was part of plant pathologist Ozgur Batuman’s message at a Dec. 10 seminar addressing HLB and other citrus diseases that may exacerbate HLB’s effects on trees. “There is no single effective …
The Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee recently hosted its annual open house. The event had a great turnout of local growers and residents from nearby communities. Several school groups also attended, so students could learn more about farming in Southwest Florida and the research being conducted at the center. Originally established in 1958, SWFREC was dedicated …
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 …
By Fernando Alferez, Daniel Boakye, Susmita Gaire and Tim Gast Growing citrus under protective screen (CUPS) structures for fresh fruit production is effective in controlling HLB disease by completely excluding the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina citri). After several years of research on CUPS to grow HLB-free trees in Florida, and with commercial growers increasingly adopting this technology, there is …
By Yiannis Ampatzidis and Sandra M. Guzmán Pests and diseases, nutrient deficiencies, tree stress from environmental conditions and other factors can be overwhelming. The arrival of sensors and small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) make it possible to gather large amounts of data to assess risk factors and estimate possible crop performance scenarios based on the availability of resources. At the …
By Ute Albrecht There have been numerous reports of malformed roots in field-grown citrus trees recently. The rootstock propagation method is often suspected as the culprit. Before drawing quick conclusions, it is important to recognize that there are many different factors that can influence the root structure of a citrus tree aside from the propagation method. These include the genetic …
By Ute Albrecht, Anas Fadli and Chandrika Ramadugu Most commercially available citrus scion cultivars are highly attractive to the Asian citrus psyllid and susceptible to HLB. There are some citrus species, however, that are HLB tolerant or resistant. This may be because they are less attractive to the psyllids and/or because they restrict pathogen proliferation and therefore HLB disease development. …
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 …
By Ute Albrecht, Gabriel Pugina, Antonio Castellano-Hinojosa and Sarah Strauss Root health is important for tree growth and directly affects a tree’s ability to cope with adverse biotic and abiotic stresses. Most citrus production in Florida occurs on natural infertile sands with very little organic matter and a low cation exchange capacity (CEC), resulting in minimal amounts of soluble nutrients …
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 …
