On April 12, Australia was officially declared free from citrus canker after the remaining restricted areas in the Northern Territory (NT) were lifted. The disease was not detected in commercial orchards in Australia and was restricted to non-commercial residences in Western Australia (WA) and NT. Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud acknowledged NT and WA for their …
Antibiotic Delivery Methods: Trunk Injection vs. Foliar Application
By Nabil Killiny and Christopher Vincent The citrus industry has suffered numerous setbacks over the past 20 years because of the devastating effects of huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Many options for controlling the disease are being investigated to make groves as productive as possible under the current HLB pressure. Even small improvements in tree health or yield of diseased trees may …
Plan Greasy Spot and Melanose Management
By Megan Dewdney Greasy spot and melanose are two fungal diseases that have long needed the attention of Florida citrus growers. While they are more of a concern for fresh fruit growers, trees for processing can be damaged, too. In terms of management priorities, greasy spot is the greater concern since it reduces tree photosynthetic capacity and causes defoliation. Melanose …
Managing Asian Citrus Psyllid with RNA Interference
Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are using RNA interference (RNAi) to alter field populations of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). Nabil Killiny, UF/IFAS associate professor, shared the latest findings from his team’s RNAi research in a recent All In For Citrus podcast episode. He says the team is using RNAi to attack …
Economically Sustainable Psyllid Control
Spraying for the HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is essential for HLB control even when virtually all trees are already infected with the disease. Entomologist Lukasz Stelinski made that declaration early in his virtual presentation at the April 6 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. Stelinski is an entomologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus …
Trials to Seek Hamlin Alternative
Twenty-four citrus scions were approved by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) on March 23 for eventual use in multiple field trials around Florida. The purpose of the trials will be to find an early-season orange that is more tolerant of HLB disease than Hamlin, said CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler. Hamlin has long been the primary early-season …
Tweaking the Sunshine for Better Citrus Health and Yield
By Christopher Vincent, Anirban Guha, Joon Hyuk Suh and Yu Wang It may surprise you to learn that citrus trees can get too much sunshine in the Sunshine State. Manipulating the light environment around a plant can have several surprising benefits. Shade can suppress the HLB cycle and enhance citrus health and yield. Overall, a mildly shaded citrus plant is …
Scouting Tips for Finding Asian Citrus Psyllids
A presentation at the recent Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee State of the Central Valley meeting in California highlighted the importance of scouting for Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) in groves. Scouting becomes even more critical as the risk of ACP and HLB, the disease the insect transmits to trees, rises. The presenter, University of California (UC) Riverside Extension Specialist …
Mexican Lemon Sector Seeking to Improve and Expand Reach
By Francisco Seva Rivadulla According to Bernardo Bravo, president of the National Committee of the Mexican Lemon Product System, Mexican lemons are produced on more than 90,000 hectares distributed in the states of Michoacán, Colima, Oaxaca and Guerrero. Regarding the challenges facing this sector, Bravo points out that “global phytosanitary alerts regarding citrus growing are increasingly latent and present …
Making Sense of Biologicals: Crop Optimization With Seaweed
Sometimes growers must think outside the box to remain sustainable amid high input costs and devastating diseases. That is the situation facing citrus growers who are struggling to remain viable in the era of citrus greening. What if seaweed could be used to aid in the quality of citrus production? Seaweed is a biostimulant that is part of the biological …
EPA Sued Over Streptomycin in Citrus
A coalition of groups on March 25 sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approving spraying of streptomycin on citrus trees to prevent or treat HLB or citrus canker. The groups claimed that the practice of spraying antibiotics on trees has been ineffective in combating the diseases and can drive antibiotic resistance in bacteria, which can threaten human health. The …
Task Force Recommendations for ACP in Kern County
The San Joaquin Valley ACP/HLB Area-Wide Task Force strongly recommends citrus growers in Kern County, California, to add an Asian citrus psyllid (ACP)-effective material to their pre-bloom or spring foliar treatments. Since ACP build populations on the young leaf flush, the sooner growers spray, the better. Fortunately, this timing coincides with pre-bloom treatments for katydid, worms, thrips and other pests. …
Update on Oak Mulch Research to Fight HLB
Researchers have been looking for ways to help Florida citrus growers fight HLB, and spreading oak mulch around the drip line of citrus trees appears promising. Lukas Hallman, a graduate student at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) is doing research to find what is in oak trees …
Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute Returns
The annual Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute, hosted by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension, will be held on April 6. The event will be delivered via a Zoom webinar from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. “We hope to reach a broad audience despite the limits imposed on us because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chris …
Citrus Expo, Other Events Highlighted
Michael Rogers discusses three popular upcoming citrus grower educational meetings: Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute in April, the Florida Citrus Show in May, and Citrus Expo in August. Rogers is director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. UF/IFAS is the primary planner of educational presentations at all …
What to Do About Citrus Black Spot
By Megan Dewdney Citrus black spot is one of the newer diseases to worry Florida citrus growers. The fungal disease was first detected in Southwest Florida in 2010. The vast majority of finds have been in the southwestern citrus-producing counties of Collier, Hardee, Lee, Charlotte and Glades, but the disease has slowly moved northward. Black spot is still considered a …
Protecting Honey Bees in Citrus Groves
By Sylvia Willis, Amy Vu and Jamie Ellis When people think of Florida, the first thing that comes to mind is Fresh From Florida oranges. Florida accounts for 44 percent of total U.S. citrus production. Citrus, like many other fruits, vegetables and specialty crops, requires certain inputs to grow and produce fruit. But how are pollinators and the production of …
All In For Citrus Podcast, March 2021
March’s All In For Citrus podcast brings news of in-person events, details on controlling the vector of HLB disease, as well as potential changes to nutrient and water management recommendations. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers begins the episode discussing several upcoming events for growers. On April 6, the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute will return as a virtual …
Protect Young Citrus from Weeds
Protect Young Citrus from Grasses, Broadleaf Weeds & Nutsedge Weeds in citrus groves can cause yield loss of up to 33%, according to research published by the University of Florida (UF) Citrus Research & Education Center. This significant – yet largely preventable – level of yield loss can be due to weeds that interfere with harvesting, serve as alternate hosts …
Integrated HLB Management in Brazil
By Marcelo Pedreira Miranda, Haroldo Xavier Linhares Volpe, Renato Beozzo Bassanezi, Ivaldo Sala and Juliano Ayres Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, is a notable threat to the citrus industry worldwide and was reported in the central region of São Paulo state (SPS) in Brazil in 2004. HLB then spread quickly throughout SPS, requiring the citrus industry to adapt rapidly to …