Greatest CREC Accomplishments

Tacy CalliesResearch

Editor’s note: This article is part of the special coverage on the 100th Anniversary of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, found in the October 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. By Tom Nordlie Throughout the Citrus Research and Education Center’s (CREC) 100-year history, the collective efforts of its faculty and staff have supported Florida citrus growers in myriad …

Citrus Production in Argentina

Tacy Callieslemons

By Stephen H. Futch and Ariel Singerman In May of 2017, we visited the northwestern citrus production region of Argentina in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán. The purpose of the trip was to learn more about Argentina’s citrus industry and programs being developed to deal with both the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and huanglongbing (HLB). Argentina has a …

citrus greening

Organic Management for HLB

Abbey TaylorCitrus Greening, HLB Management, Organic

By Jaci Schreckengost One of the topics researchers and growers discussed at the 2017 Organic Food & Farming Summit was what can be done organically to combat huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. Florida Organic Growers hosted the summit in Gainesville. It featured many workshops in which researchers and growers could discuss challenges and management practices. Tripti Vashisth, …

system

System Screens Out Citrus Greening-Carrying Insect

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, Industry News Release, Research

Imagine camping in the deep woods. You’d want a tent with mesh that prevents bugs – even those as small as gnats – from entering into your wildlife hangout. That’s the idea behind citrus under protective screens, or CUPS, which helps keep away a pinhead-sized insect that causes citrus greening, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientists …

Rootstocks and HLB Tolerance — Another Perspective

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Rootstocks

By Ute Albrecht Tolerance to a disease is generally defined as the ability to be productive in the presence of disease-causing organisms. This is contrary to resistance, which is defined as the ability to completely evade a pathogen due to specific resistance mechanisms. The question as to what defines an HLB-“tolerant” rootstock was posed in an article by Bill Castle, …

HLB

How the Best Growers Cope with HLB

Ernie NeffBactericides, Citrus Greening, HLB Management

  Some of Florida’s “best” citrus growers recently told Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) researcher Jim Syvertsen how they try to cope with HLB. There was much agreement among the growers on fertilization, irrigation, the management of psyllids that spread HLB, and bactericides that have been used against HLB for more than a year. Syvertsen says a survey conducted …

export expectations

Moroccan Citrus: Increased Production Brings Marketing Challenges

Tacy CalliesCitrus

By Hassan Farouk Ahmed Morocco’s citrus production reached 2.3 million metric tons (MT) in 2016–17, an increase of 15 percent over the previous marketing year. Orange production increased by 4 percent, to 962,250 MT, while tangerine and mandarin production increased 24 percent to 1,325,246 MT. Much of the increase in production was due to increases in the area harvested, as …

Monitoring Tree Health Using Water-Uptake Rate

Tacy CalliesCitrus

By Reza Ehsani, Azadeh Alizadeh and Davie Kadyampakeni Many scientists in Florida and other parts of the world are working hard to find a treatment for citrus greening and frequently conducting field trials to evaluate the effectiveness of their treatments. Monitoring plant physiological factors, yield and fruit quality are usually among the factors that they need to assess tree health. …

Understanding Soil-Moisture Sensor Data

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Irrigation

By Arnold Schumann and Laura Waldo Florida citrus trees may require irrigation throughout the year due to the extremely sandy soils with low water-holding capacities and the warm subtropical climate with distinct drought periods in spring. Citrus trees are evergreen and may be actively growing at any time, with no true dormant phase. HLB-affected trees are particularly prone to multiple …

Georgia Prison Gets Citrus Plot

Tacy CalliesCitrus

By Tacy Callies With the recent birth of the Georgia Citrus Association (GCA), many small commercial citrus groves are getting started in the state. Georgia’s newest citrus planting, however, is not a commercial grove. It’s a 100-tree installation that was planted this spring at the Mitchell County Correctional Institute. Dubbed MitCo Grow by a 4-H student, the project is the …

Sneak Peek: July 2017 Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy CalliesResearch, Sneak Peek, Technology

Technology and equipment are the main themes of the July issue of Citrus Industry magazine. Not to be missed in this issue is a cover story on University of Florida citrus breeder Fred Gmitter, written by senior correspondent Ernie Neff. The article explores the genetic technologies Gmitter is using to create improved citrus varieties. You’ll also learn some surprising facts …

Florida Agricultural Crime on the Rise

Tacy CalliesCitrus

By Abigail Taylor Some Florida citrus growers are struggling to keep their products and possessions safe from thieves. There have been theft reports ranging from large and small equipment, chemicals, fuel, young trees and fruit, as well as accounts of vandalism. Ned Hancock, former Highlands County Citrus Growers Association president, says the issue is “much more significant than most people …

Preparing for and Recovering from a Hurricane

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Weather

By Mongi Zekri, Bob Rouse and Jonathan Crane Hurricane preparation for citrus growers this year is the same drill as every year. Each year, growers look forward to the rainy season to help their young trees grow fast and their mature trees produce good crops. This year, growers will be praying for good distribution of rains following a year of …

HLB

Grower Discusses Many HLB-Related Issues

Ernie NeffBactericides, Citrus Greening, HLB Management

Wauchula citrus grower and orange grove salesman Kenny Sanders was one of the growers sharing experiences at a recent grower roundtable meeting in Wauchula. Sanders tells why he attends the meetings and discusses several practices aimed at coping with HLB. “This is very interesting,” Sanders says of the roundtable meetings. “We hear from the growers ourselves, and today we learned …

Dual Treatment Tested for HLB Trees

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Nutrition

Severe pruning combined with enhanced foliar nutrition did not prove cost-effective. By Monica Ozores-Hampton, Fritz Roka, Robert Rouse and Pamela Roberts Citrus trees affected by huanglongbing (HLB) become diminished, weak and develop dieback resulting in reduced production. Decline in fruit yield ultimately prevents economically acceptable commercial citrus production. Pruning and spraying foliar nutritionals are two practices being considered to restore …

An Update on UF/IFAS-Grower Citrus Nutrition Trials

Tacy CalliesNutrition

By Tripti Vashisth Mineral nutrition plays an essential role in a plant’s life cycle and is critical for its growth and development. Since the early 19th century, the importance of mineral nutrition for plants has been recognized, and fertilization has become an important aspect of crop production. At least 17 mineral nutrients are considered essential for plants. These include carbon, …

weather

UF-Developed Tools to Help Cope with Weather

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release, Weather

by Brad Buck University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Florida weather is unpredictable. While you cannot control the weather, you can use UF/IFAS-developed weather databases to improve farming, home irrigation and flood control. Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have written a new Extension document that summarizes several weather data …

HLB

Growers Share HLB Frustrations and Experiences

Ernie NeffBactericides, HLB Management, Psyllids

Growers shared their frustrations and experiences with HLB at a May 4 grower roundtable meeting in Wauchula. Event co-host Steve Smith, executive director of Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association, summarizes the discussions. “A lot of the growers were talking about fertigation and how much, and what’s working for them on the short-term basis as far as tree health goes,” …

Controlled-Release Fertilizer Boosts Health of HLB Trees (Part 2)

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Nutrition

By Pete Spyke, Joby Sherrod and Jude Grosser Part 1 of this article, published in the April 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine, provided some background information on controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) along with a discussion of practical applications in citrus production. This article, part 2, includes summaries of observations from several case studies in which CRF has been applied for …

Drought Remains Top Concern Despite Recent Floods

Kelsey FryCalifornia Corner

By Len Wilcox The wettest year in recent history is bringing relief to California growers. The relief may be short-lived, however, unless state water officials make permanent changes in water management and address the supply shortfall during drought years. A new executive order has been issued by the state to improve conservation measures and water-management procedures. The short-term outlook is …