California CRaFT Project Targets Psyllids

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, Psyllids, Research

All commercial citrus producers in California are invited to apply for participation in the Citrus Research Board’s (CRB) California-focused Citrus Research and Field Trials (CA-CRaFT) project. The overarching goal of CA-CRaFT is to demonstrate the effects of additional mitigations on Asian citrus psyllid control within commercial citrus groves across the various citrus-growing regions in California. The project is supported by …

Oriental fruit fly

Fruit Fly Actions in California and Texas

Josh McGillPests, Regulation

Federal and state officials in July established an Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantine in California and removed two Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine areas in Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) took the actions along with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), respectively. CALIFORNIA …

A Two-Pronged Approach to Suppress Psyllids

Josh McGillHLB Management, Psyllids, Research

By Bryony C. Bonning and Lukasz L. Stelinski Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) transfer the pathogen that causes citrus greening from plant to plant as they feed. After confirmation of citrus greening in Florida in 2005, growers intensified their use of insecticides against ACP to try to stop disease spread. However, this method alone has yielded variable success and increased costs. …

European Mandarin Production to Drop

Josh McGillInternational, Mandarins, Production

European Union (EU) mandarin production in 2021–22 is forecast at 3.16 million metric tons (MMT), a 2.3% decrease from the previous year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) recently reported. Spain will be the largest EU producer of mandarins in 2021–22 at 2.1 MMT, down from 2.3 MMT the prior year. Italy’s expected mandarin production of 832,300 …

Update to Hurricane Forecast Issued

Josh McGillhurricane, Weather

On Aug. 4, Colorado State University (CSU) decreased its hurricane forecast for Atlantic seasonal activity and landfall strike probability for 2022. But citrus growers and other agriculturists shouldn’t relax their guard because the CSU Department of Atmospheric Science continues to call for an above-average Atlantic hurricane season. NEW PROJECTIONSCSU now forecasts the Atlantic will have 18 named storms in 2022, …

New UF/IFAS Entomologist to Focus on Invasive Pests

Josh McGillPests, Research

Nicole Quinn recently joined the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) as an assistant professor of entomology. She’ll specialize in the biocontrol of invasive pests, insects and mites at the Hayslip Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory. The lab is at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce. Quinn will begin …

mexfly

Texas Mexfly Updates Issued

Josh McGillPests, Regulation, Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in late June announced updates regarding Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantines in Texas: On April 29, APHIS and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) established a Mexfly quarantine in Lyford, Willacy County, Texas. APHIS and TDA established the Lyford quarantine following the confirmed detection of a mature …

California HLB Quarantine Areas Expanded

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, HLB Management, Regulation

Federal and state officials in late June expanded the areas quarantined for huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, in California. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) took the action in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). APHIS added portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside …

psyllids

Second CLas-Positive Psyllid Sample Found in California Grove

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, Pests, Psyllids

An Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) — the bacteria that causes huanglongbing (HLB) — was collected from a commercial citrus grove in the Pauma Valley area of California’s San Diego County. This confirmation marks the first CLas-positive ACP found in a commercial grove in San Diego County and only the second grove detection …

Farmworker Protection Rule

Glyphosate Decision Disappoints Ag Groups

Josh McGillLegal, Pesticides

Several national agricultural organizations issued a statement expressing disappointment over the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent glyphosate decision not to hear the case Monsanto vs. Hardeman, which pertains to state glyphosate health warnings. The statement read: “We are disappointed the Supreme Court has decided not to hear this case, which has significant implications for our global food supply and science-based regulation. …

California Panel Issues HLB Update

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, HLB Management, Pests

California’s commercial citrus groves remain free of HLB disease 14 years after Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) were first detected there. The state’s Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) described that as “no small feat” in its recently released 2020-21 annual report. “The past fiscal year presented its fair share of headwinds for citrus-growing operations,” the report stated. “From pandemic-induced …

Experimenting With Cover Crops: Results From Three Years of Trials

Josh McGillCover Crops, Research, weeds

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 …

Does Compost Improve Young Tree Growth?

Josh McGillResearch, Root health, Soil Improvement

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 …

Heritage Practices for Today’s Challenges

Josh McGillCover Crops, Soil Improvement

By Brad Turner Cover cropping and composting in Florida citrus production are not new concepts. Our ancestors understood the basic principles and implemented these practices just a couple of generations ago. YESTERDAY AND TODAYAs a boy, I can remember an old citrus grower telling me how beggarweed and crotalaria, both native nitrogen-fixing legumes, growing wild in neighboring fields would be …

High Summer Temperatures Take a Toll on Trees

Josh McGillResearch, Weather

By Anirban Guha and Christopher Vincent A quick body temperature test is common these days before entering many workplaces, hospitals and clinics due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose is to screen people for fevers, usually with a non-contact infrared thermometer. Measurement of plant body temperatures also has become common for many field crops, not to screen for infectious …

Grower and Researcher CUPS Collaboration

Josh McGillAll In For Citrus Podcast, CUPS, HLB Management

The spread of HLB in Florida citrus groves has forced growers and researchers to try all sorts of practices to fight off the disease’s devastating effects. One of the most successful methods has been planting citrus under protective screen (CUPS). The screen excludes the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and keeps HLB out of plantings. CUPS also is a great example …

mexfly

Mexfly Actions Taken in Texas

Josh McGillPests, Regulation, Texas

Federal and state authorities recently established one Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Texas and expanded another. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). On April 8, the agencies established a Mexfly quarantine in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas. They established the Weslaco quarantine …

citrus crop forecast

A Challenging Harvest Season for Alico

Josh McGillCitrus, Industry News Release

The current citrus harvest season “has been a challenging one for Alico,” the company stated in a late March press release. “In addition to a harvest season that was anticipated to produce less fruit than in the prior year, many of the state’s citrus groves, including Alico’s citrus groves, were impacted by a freeze event in late January 2022.” Nearly …

Advancing Artificial Intelligence for Growers

Josh McGillFlorida, Research, Technology

University scientists, engineers, producers, government agencies and industry officials across the Southeast recently met to brainstorm ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help growers. They concluded that they could empower growers and equip farms to increase their economic and environmental sustainability and develop resilient solutions to address climate change by using AI. The three-day conference, Envisioning 2050 in the …