Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Question: It is known that ReMedium TI® is working to fight HLB in young trees. Are ReMedium TI® injections proving to be effective in older citrus trees? Answer: ReMedium TI® is indeed effective in older citrus trees. The caution …
Big Year Expected for Diverse Georgia Citrus Crop
Georgia’s citrus industry is growing and so are the diverse varieties producers are planting every year. Jake Price, University of Georgia citrus agent, said at the Citrus Grower’s Summer Update meeting last week in Valdosta that there were 4,400 citrus acres planted in South Georgia. At approximately 145 trees per acre, this equates to about 638,000 trees. What started out …
Nutrients for Improving Fruit Growth and Quality
By Tripti Vashisth, Jeff Brecht, Yu Wang and Faisal Shahzad In the last decade, fruit quality and size has become a major issue. Moreover, fruit peel color is another challenge to overcome for citrus growers who intend to sell for fresh fruit consumption. Many nutrients are known to improve fruit growth and quality in citrus trees. For example, potassium increases …
Tree Age and Yields: Implications for Trunk Injection
By Ariel Singerman This article examines the impact of HLB and other factors on yield by tree age group in Florida using U.S. Department of Agriculture statewide average data from 1994 to 2021. To focus on the impact of HLB and other relevant lasting factors, seasons in which there were hurricanes or freezes are excluded. YIELD REDUCTIONS Figures 1 and …
Maximizing the Value of a Trunk-Injection Product
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 …
Factors to Consider When Planting a New Grove
Growers have numerous things to think about when planting a new grove. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus genetic improvement specialist John Chater discussed this topic during a recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo presentation. Following are highlights from his talk on establishing new varieties in a new citrus grove. PESTS AND DISEASES Soilborne pests …
The Best Defense for Mitigating Preharvest Fruit Drop
By Tripti Vashisth Over the past decade, HLB-associated fruit drop has become a significant problem in Florida groves. Many growers opt to harvest the fruit before the peak fruit drop begins. However, the downside to this strategy is that the fruit does not get enough time for optimal Brix accumulation. Plant growth regulators, when applied at the right time, can …
Citrus Nutrient Management Recommendations Continue to Evolve
When HLB arrived in Florida, it changed the world for citrus growers, and a lot of other things had to change with it. One of the biggest changes has been how growers manage their fertilizer programs. The nutrient recommendations that had been developed by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) before HLB became outdated because …
Seeking Early-Season Sweet Oranges
HLB has reduced citrus production across the board, but early varieties like Hamlin have taken an even bigger hit. Hamlin has been plagued by the disease and fruit drop, which has left a void in the juice-processing segment in the early season. Growers who have been replanting have mostly relied on later-season varieties like Valencia because it seems to be …
The Future of Citrus
By Rob Gilbert, ragilber@ufl.edu Last month I went to Lake Alfred for a look at the future of the citrus industry. You’ll like what I saw. BREEDING EFFORTS What I saw first was a lab focused on finding an HLB-tolerant tree that has doubled in size since my last visit to the Citrus Research and Education Center. Nian Wang can …
Drop in Florida Citrus Acreage
The 2024 Commercial Citrus Inventory for Florida shows total citrus acreage of 274,705 acres, down 17% from the 2023 annual survey. The net loss of 57,551 acres is 14,505 acres more than was lost the previous year. New plantings at 4,751 acres are down from 2023, when 6,203 acres were planted. The inventory was released Aug. 29 by the U.S. …
Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo Presentations Available Online
By Michael E. Rogers The 2024 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, hosted by AgNet Media, took place Aug. 21–22 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus educational sessions were held during the afternoon of the first day of the event and in the morning on the second day. …
Algal Spot an Increasing Problem in Florida Groves
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 …
Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Funds Citrus Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program awarded 54 grants and 524 sub-award projects totaling $72.9 million for fiscal year 2024. The following citrus projects were included in the funding. CALIFORNIA The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) received a grant for $448,742 for mitigating huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus using naturally-derived …
IPCs Aid Trees and Fruit After Removal
Individual protective covers (IPCs), used primarily to protect young citrus trees from HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids, have become ubiquitous in Florida citrus groves in recent years. New University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research shows the trees grown under the IPCs also grow well for a few years after growers remove the bags. Growers typically remove …
All In For Citrus Podcast, August 2024
The August episode of the All In For Citrus podcast features highlights from this year’s Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. The event included two citrus educational sessions that covered a wide range of topics, including HLB management, other pest management topics and new varieties. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus …
Sneak Peek: September 2024 Citrus Industry
HLB has drastically changed how citrus is grown in Florida. The September issue of Citrus Industry magazine offers insight on some of the newer production practices growers are using to manage the disease. In a feature story, Citrus Industry Editor-in-Chief Frank Giles looks at how citrus nutrient management recommendations are continuing to evolve in the HLB era. In the article, …
Psyllid Nanopesticide Developed in Brazil
In Brazil, a more effective and sustainable insecticide for HLB-spreading psyllids was developed by Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Company) in partnership with the Institute of Chemistry of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). The work resulted in a controlled-release system of the insecticide thiamethoxam molecule. Encapsulation was performed in polymeric nanoparticles, structures more than 80,000 times smaller than the thickness …
Enhancing Citrus Nutrient Programs
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension agent Mongi Zekri recently discussed numerous ways growers can enhance their nutrient programs for better tree and fruit performance. TIPS FOR MAKING ADJUSTMENTS Zekri offered the following tips for adjusting a fertilizer program. SOIL TESTING Soil testing is most effective when done annually, Zekri suggested. “Choose a lab you trust …
Talking Trunk Injection at Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo
The educational program on the first day of the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo focused on trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) being applied to citrus to treat HLB. Trees have received their second OTC treatment, and growers are hopeful trees will respond with better fruit retention and improved quality. Ute Albrecht, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …