Sneak Peek: February 2022 Citrus Industry

Josh McGillSneak Peek

In the February issue of Citrus Industry magazine, Florida growers will find out what diseases to watch for this season. Megan Dewdney’s annual foliar fungal disease round-up reports on what some of the major problems are likely to be in 2022. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant pathologist and Extension specialist provides tips on …

United States to Accept Pummelos From Vietnam

Josh McGillInternational, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has proposed that fresh pummelo fruit can be safely imported from Vietnam into the United States. The proposal is part of a pest risk assessment and risk management document that APHIS prepared. Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said in early January that U.S. …

Paraquat Alternatives for Citrus Weed Control

Josh McGillHerbicides, Tip of the Week

By Ramdas Kanissery Paraquat is an herbicide labeled for various crops, including citrus, for post-emergent weed control. When applied during the early growth stage, paraquat controls many annual grasses and broadleaf weeds commonly found in Florida citrus. Additionally, paraquat typically offers relatively good crop safety in citrus due to its lack of translocation in the plant. This makes it the …

Smart Technology Cuts Spray Costs

Josh McGillPesticides, Technology

As they battle HLB, growers must control costs wherever possible, including by applying pesticides and fertilizer more efficiently. With that in mind, Yiannis Ampatzidis is engaging artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a low-cost, smart tree-crop sprayer that can automatically detect citrus trees, calculate their height and leaf density, and count fruit. That way, growers target their spray more efficiently, so …

Freeze Damage: Preparation and Recovery

Josh McGillTip of the Week

By Amir Rezazadeh Low temperatures can cause serious injury to leaf, wood and fruits of citrus trees. An extended freeze can kill a citrus tree. A rapid temperature decrease or a longer duration of freezing temperature can worsen the damage. Because preparation is paramount in protecting citrus trees, growers should use the Florida Automated Weather Network. The network provides information …

Impacts of Herbicides on Young Citrus Trees

Tacy Calliesweeds

By Ramdas Kanissery, Nirmal Timilsina and Mongi Zekri Weed control is crucial for the growth and establishment of young citrus trees. Chemical weed control with herbicides is an efficient and cost-effective method for managing weeds in newly planted groves. However, before applying herbicide products, care must be taken to avoid damaging young trees and newly planted resets. Every so often, …

Stay Prepared Throughout Hurricane Season

Tacy Callieshurricane, Tip of the Week

By Ajia Paolillo Although October is toward the end of hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, it can still be a very active month for storms. These storms can range from tropical depressions to hurricanes. Major concerns for citrus growers during a storm include personnel safety, damage to trees, fruit loss and damage to equipment and …

PIECES OF THE PAST: Tiller of the Soil

Tacy CalliesPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I recently came across this poem in a 1930s book titled “Citrus Growing in Florida” by the Florida Department of Agriculture in a chapter on cover crops: “Would’st have abundant crops reward thy toilAnd fill thy barns, O tiller of the soil?Then ever keep in mind this maxim true,Feed well the land and ’twill in turn …

Cover Crops Can Benefit Citrus

Ernie NeffCover Crops

Cover crops, which are not planted for harvest and sale, offer numerous potential benefits to Florida citrus growers. The benefits and additional information were addressed in a presentation offered at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) booth at Citrus Expo in August. The crops can improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. …

Landscape Fabric Blocks Diaprepes Larvae

Ernie NeffPests

Fabric mulch landscape covers, typically used to block weeds in nurseries, can aid in diaprepes root weevil control, Larry Duncan reported at the recent Citrus Expo. “Some of these products, not all of them, are extremely effective at blocking the diaprepes weevil larvae from getting into the soil” after falling from a citrus tree, Duncan said. Duncan is a University …

Irrigation Aided by Thermal Imaging

Ernie NeffIrrigation

Scientists in Brazil and Florida found that the direct examination of plant canopy temperature can assist in optimizing citrus irrigation management in greenhouses. The researchers were Gustavo Haddad Souza Vieira with the Federal Institute of Espírito Santo in Brazil and Rhuanito “Johnny” Ferrarezi with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Their study aimed to develop a …

USDA Expands Citrus Imports From Australia

Ernie NeffTrade

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is expanding the production areas in Australia from which fresh citrus fruit may be shipped to the United States. It is also revising the conditions under which citrus from Australia may be imported. Currently, imports of fresh citrus fruit are allowed into the United States from the Riverina …

Making Sense of Biologicals: A Key Tool Against Citrus Canker

Tacy CalliesMSOB

Disease management ranks high on the list of every Florida citrus grower’s agenda. Tools are available for producers to combat citrus diseases like greasy spot, melanose, scab, foot rot and citrus canker. But growers can never have enough tools, especially when disease resistance is a real possibility in the future. STOCKING THE TOOLBOX“To grow citrus trees and produce quality fruit …

Cover Crops Promising, But …

Ernie NeffCover Crops

Scientist Sarah Strauss has learned some interesting and promising things about the use of cover crops in Southwest Florida citrus over the past 2.5 years. But the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher has not yet found that cover crops provide what growers seek most — increased yields. Use of the crops has also not yet …

Interplanting Improves Wasp Control

Ernie NeffPests

Lucerne (also known as alfalfa) interplanting improved citrus gall wasp (CGW) control in Australia’s New South Wales (NSW). The interplanting is practiced by some citrus growers in NSW to suppress weeds, reduce soil compaction and improve soil fertility. Jianhua Mo of the NSW Department of Primary Industries addressed the matter; a summary of Mo’s comments follows. One possible explanation is …

The Do’s and Don’ts of Weed Control

Ashley Robinsonweeds

When developing a weed management program, there are many things for growers to consider. Application site, the stage of weed growth, herbicide selection, the amount of herbicide used, spray volume and pressure, and herbicide bandwidth are just a few of the factors that contribute to the cost and success of a weed management program. Ramdas Kanissery, weed scientist at the …

Florida Citrus Grower Discusses Issues

Ashley RobinsonCover Crops, Herbicides

Florida and California specialty crop growers recently gathered for a virtual discussion presented by J.L. Farmakis, Inc. to talk about issues unique to their crops and regions. Citrus grower Lee Jones with Cross Covered Caretaking represented the Sunshine State. He shared some of the struggles and successes of growing citrus in Florida. Jones says one of the biggest challenges he …

What to Consider Before Planting Cover Crops

Tacy CalliesCover Crops, Tip of the Week

For those interested in cover crops for citrus groves, the end of harvest and the upcoming start of the rainy season is a great time to start planning. Cover crops can have a variety of benefits to soil health. These include increasing soil organic matter and microbial diversity and activity as well as reducing weed growth. While research is still …

When a Pesticide Doesn’t Work

Tacy CalliesCEU

By Juanita Popenoe Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. Pesticides are only one part of a comprehensive integrated pest management (IPM) plan and should be used strategically. What happens …

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Research ‘of Use to Growers Right Now’

Ernie NeffResearch

“We’ve come a long way in the time that we’ve had HLB here in Florida,” says Michael Rogers. The director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center says early HLB research “covered a wide range of topics.” Now, however, “We’re really narrowing down things that are of use to growers …