pesticides

Pesticides and the Environment

Daniel CooperCEU, Pesticides

By Mongi Zekri 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. The fate processes for pesticides fall into three major types: adsorption, transfer and degradation. PESTICIDE ADSORPTION The adsorption process binds …

milton

Hurricane Milton: Spotty Citrus Damage, Some Severe

Daniel Cooperhurricane

A few themes are unfolding as Florida’s citrus industry begins to assess Hurricane Milton’s damage. First, it could have been worse. The overall citrus losses do not appear to be as bad as those incurred from Hurricane Ian in 2022. Second, the hurricane affected nearly the entire Florida Citrus Belt, but damage varies greatly depending on the specific area. Reports …

early

Maximizing the Value of a Trunk-Injection Product

Daniel CooperHLB Management, OTC Expert

Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: What is the proper way to handle and inject ReMedium TI® to get the most value from the product? Tom Johnson: Because purity matters, it is important to purchase a trunk-injection product for HLB control in citrus that …

Brazil’s

Heat and HLB Hurting Brazil’s Production

Daniel CooperBrazil, Production

Brazil’s citrus crop is suffering this season, according to Franklin Behlau, a senior researcher for Fundecitrus. That was the focus of a recent presentation he provided at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. “Things have changed in Brazil this season,” Behlau said. “We are a little behind …

Northeast Citrus Show

Fundecitrus Researchers Participate in Northeast Citrus Show

Daniel CooperBrazil, Events

Fundecitrus researchers Silvio Lopes and Wellington Ivo Eduardo participated recently in the second edition of the Northeast Citrus Show in Aracaju, Brazil. Lopes gave a lecture on the two main Brazilian citrus diseases: citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) and citrus greening. “In the orchards of Bahia and Sergipe, greening has not yet been detected, but there are psyllids,” Lopes reported. He …

algal spot

Algal Spot an Increasing Problem in Florida Groves

Daniel CooperDiseases

Algal spot, not frequently seen in Florida citrus groves before 2015, has become more severe in recent years, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences speakers reported Aug. 30. And the disease is likely to intensify as a problem with average temperatures increasing, said Megan Dewdney, associate professor of plant pathology at the Citrus Research and Education Center …

foliar feed

Foliar Feed Your Trees

Daniel CooperNutrition

By Mongi Zekri Foliar fertilizer application is certainly not a new concept to the citrus industry. For over six decades, foliar fertilization has been recommended to correct zinc, manganese, boron, copper and magnesium deficiencies in citrus. It is now common knowledge in agriculture that properly nourished crops may tolerate insect pests and diseases. Traditionally, citrus growers try to achieve optimum …

housing

Farmworker Housing Grants Available

Daniel CooperCitrus

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the availability of $6.5 million in grants to help organizations improve delivery of safe and sanitary housing solutions for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents. Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) will award approximately eight grants. They will go to organizations that propose project designs …

diaprepes

Where to Watch for Diaprepes Root Weevil

Daniel CooperPests, Tip of the Week

By Larry Duncan Prior to the introduction of citrus greening disease in Florida, certain conventions applied to the occurrence and impact of diaprepes root weevil in groves across the state. The abundance and damage potential of this major pest were greatest in some Flatwoods habitats, such as parts of the inland East Coast where newly planted trees sustained major damage. …

Citrus thrips

California Growers Gear Up for Citrus Thrips Threat

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests

Citrus thrips caused serious problems for many California growers last year. This year, growers appear to be gearing up in case it is another bad season for thrips. “Going into this spring, there’s a lot of eyes on it,” said Colby Campbell, general manager of Cobblestone Fruit. “Everybody’s watching, and I think everybody has made preparations. Guys have called ahead …

nutrient availability

The Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Availability

Daniel CooperNutrition

By Chris Oswalt Soil pH influences nutrient availability. This article considers the specific fate of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soils with elevated pH values. The discussion also assumes that these effects would be similar to conditions in the wetted zone where micro-sprinkler irrigation has raised soil pH. NITROGEN Soil pH can affect several reactions involving nitrogen in the soil …

commercial

University of Georgia Lab Offers HLB Testing

Daniel CooperGeorgia, HLB Management

The University of Georgia’s (UGA) Plant Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (MDL) on the Tifton campus is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified lab performing huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) testing. It offers the advanced test to commercial growers, homeowners, nurseries, Extension and research personnel and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The molecular test per sample costs $80. Candidatus Liberibacter species associated with HLB …

acreage

California Citrus Growers Anticipate Good Year Despite Challenges

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests, Production

Two California citrus industry leaders recently shared their perspectives on the prospects of the industry.  Al Bates, chief executive officer and president of Sun Pacific, said the yield for this year’s crop is mediocre but that “the fruit size is larger and ideal from a consumer perspective.”  The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) projected a 1% increase in …

production

Turkish Lemon and Grapefruit Production to Rise

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projects that lemon and grapefruit production in Türkiye (previously known as Turkey) will both increase in 2023–24. LEMON Lemon production is forecast to increase 20% to 1.58 million metric tons (MMT). The increase is due to favorable weather conditions during spring 2023. Half of the total lemon production in Türkiye …

panel

Gulf Citrus Grower Panel Discusses Trunk Injection

Daniel CooperEvents, Gulf, HLB Management

The Gulf Citrus Growers Association recently hosted a grower panel at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee to discuss experiences and results of trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) to treat HLB. Participating in the panel were Ron English, Florida’s Natural Growers/Ranch 1; David Wheeler, Wheeler Farms; and …

Crop Transformation Center

Crop Transformation Center Takes Aim at HLB Resistance

Daniel CooperBreeding, HLB Management, Research

By Frank Giles The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has established itself as a leader in new technological frontiers like artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, the school has the 15th most powerful computer in the world. The HiPerGator, as the computer is called, will assist in AI development and on many other technological fronts. Another …

Scouting Tools and Tactics

Tacy CalliesCEU

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. This article is an updated version of a previous article, “Scouting: The Tip of the IPM Spear,” published in the …

How Mexico Has Dealt With HLB

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Mexico

Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recently pointed out ways the country has successfully dealt with huanglongbing (HLB), the most devastating disease of citrus worldwide. The ministry reported that the disease has triggered socioeconomic problems in other citrus-producing countries and regions in the Americas, Africa and Asia. “With appropriate agronomic-phytosanitary management, the life of affected trees can be prolonged, …

New AgTech Expo Looks at Rapidly Moving Sector

Tacy CalliesEvents, Technology

The Gulf Citrus Growers Association and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center presented the Florida AgTech and AI Expo in Punta Gorda on Dec. 14. The event showcased emerging trends in technology and how some farms are putting ag technology to work in the real world. In addition to …