Provide Feedback During Florida Fruit Displays

Josh McGillAll In For Citrus Podcast, Events, Varieties

Later this month, Florida citrus fruit displays will get underway. This is a key component of the citrus breeding program to get input from growers and other industry stakeholders on how fruit from potential new varieties looks and tastes. During the September All In For Citrus podcast, Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …

Combine Plant Growth Regulators for Most Benefit

Josh McGillCitrus Expo, PGRs

Using the plant growth regulators (PGRs) gibberellic acid (GA), 2,4-D and cytokinin in combination can maximize the benefit for HLB-affected trees, researcher Tripti Vashisth reported recently. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor of citrus horticulture and production works at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. She discussed the benefits of …

Treat HLB Trees With the Right PGR at the Right Time

Josh McGillHLB Management, PGRs, Research

By Tripti Vashisth, Wesley Webb and Taylor Livingston As trees become symptomatic for HLB, leaves experience an imbalance of plant hormones. This hormonal imbalance exacerbates HLB symptoms and can lead to more stem dieback, poor vegetative growth and fruit drop. This ultimately leads to reduced bearing wood, resulting in yield losses and tree decline. Thus, the use of growth-promoting hormones …

Young Tree Establishment Tools Compared

Josh McGillCitrus Expo, HLB Management

By Ernie Neff New tools available to aid in establishment of young citrus groves all have pros, cons and unknowns, entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock told a Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo audience in August. Diepenbrock is an entomologist and assistant professor with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. She opened her presentation by saying insecticides alone are …

Citrus Gets Sasse’s Attention

Josh McGillCitrus, Florida

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 …

Participate in Variety Displays and Field Days

Josh McGillEvents, Tip of the Week, Varieties

By Peter Chaires Each year, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus breeding teams provide opportunities for interested parties to sample fruit from new and recent selections. This is a great opportunity to remain current on research results. Participation from growers, processors, packers, marketers and fruit enthusiasts is desired. Shoppers in produce departments represent a …

Wang Appointed to Graves Eminent Scholar Chair

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research

Citrus researcher Nian Wang has been appointed to the Graves Eminent Scholar Chair in Biotechnology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Wang is a professor of microbiology and cell science at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). He was appointed to the chair because of his work to develop a tree resistant to …

Highlights From Citrus Packinghouse Day Presentations

Josh McGillEvents, Packing

Trunk injection for HLB, diplodia stem-end rot (diplodia SER) and citrus under protective screen (CUPS) were among topics addressed at the recent Citrus Packinghouse Day. The event took place at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). TRUNK INJECTION FOR HLBTrunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) increases tree health, fruit quality …

The Status of Citrus Canker in Georgia

Josh McGillDiseases, Georgia

Citrus canker was found for the first time in Georgia this past season. Unfortunately, it may be here to stay. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, talked about the disease during a citrus meeting in Valdosta, Georgia, on Aug. 9. He emphasized that Georgia producers may have to learn to live with the disease …

June

All In For Citrus Podcast, August 2023

Josh McGillAll In For Citrus Podcast, HLB Management

With the trunk-injection season winding down in Florida groves, growers anxiously await to see positive results in HLB-infected trees. Two oxytetracycline (OTC) products have been approved for use in Florida citrus as HLB treatments. A third OTC formulation expects Environmental Protection Agency approval soon. Trunk-injection treatments are the focus of the latest All In For Citrus podcast. Michael Rogers, director …

Doubling Down on CRISPR Research

Josh McGillBreeding

By Michael E. Rogers We have all been waiting (and waiting some more) for new varieties to be developed that are resistant to HLB. Ten years ago, researchers thought they were really close to having new HLB-resistant varieties developed using gene-editing CRISPR technology. But as science goes, the story was much more complicated than first believed. A single edit to …

International Flavor Summit Returns in March

Josh McGillEvents, International

The third International Flavor Summit will take place on March 4–6, 2024, in Orlando, Florida. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) and the UF Center for Smell and Taste will once again co-host the event. The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Lake Buena Vista within walking …

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How to Access the All In For Citrus Podcast

Josh McGillAll In For Citrus Podcast, Tip of the Week

By Ruth Borger The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and AgNet Media produce a monthly podcast called All In For Citrus. It features timely information useful to growers provided by UF/IFAS researchers and Extension agents. The podcast started in September 2018 and has steadily grown an audience. Episodes run from 30 to 45 minutes and …

Return-on-Investment Potential of CUPS

Josh McGillCUPS, Economics, HLB Management

By Ariel Singerman and Arnold W. Schumann To exclude the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina citri) vector of huanglongbing (HLB) and thereby produce disease-free healthy fruit, fresh citrus can be grown under protective screen structures. The expected economic benefit from adopting citrus under protective screen (CUPS) and excluding the ACP is increased yield and quality of fruit, which in turn, are …

Developing Management for a New Snail Pest

Josh McGillPests

By Lauren Diepenbrock A recently established snail species, Bulimulus bonariensis (also known as Bulimulus sporadicus), has been growing in population throughout the Southeast for the past few years. Growers first reported concerns about this snail in 2020 when they found the pest covering microjets and interfering with irrigation in the late spring/early summer (Figure 1). At the time, it was …

Connect and Learn at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo

Josh McGillCitrus Expo, Education, Tip of the Week

By Jamie D. Burrow and Ruth Borger The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo has always been a time for the industry to gather, learn and reminiscence. During the Expo at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa on Aug. 16–17, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Extension booth is in a new location near the …

Citrus Production Guide Available at Expo

Josh McGillCitrus Expo, Production

The 2023–2024 Citrus Production Guide will be available to growers at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo in Tampa on Aug. 16–17. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) publication includes the latest technical advice on HLB management, tree nutrition, grove management and other aspects of Florida citrus cultivation. The guide is a comprehensive reference meant …

Accelerating Citrus Breeding Efforts

Josh McGillBreeding

By John M. Chater Professors Jude Grosser and Fred Gmitter have been breeding improved citrus varieties at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) for decades. Over time, they have released several of their advanced selections. Many of these selections are sweet oranges. There is a subset of these creations …

Capitalize on Cooperative Research

Josh McGillResearch, Tip of the Week

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 …

Stress Factors and Hurricane-Damaged Trees

Josh McGillhurricane

By Syed Bilal Hussain, Rachel Gearhart, G. Zeng Michalzcyk and Christopher Vincent Hurricane Ian in 2022 caused significant damage to Florida citrus groves. Even groves that experienced only Category 1 winds have begun to decline as the weather has warmed. Signs of canopy decline include branch dieback and leaf drop. Branches with new growth are also experiencing leaf drop. These …