Diagnosing Herbicide Phytotoxicity in Citrus

Josh McGillweeds

By Ramdas Kanissery, Nimal Timilsina and Ruby Tiwari Chemical weed control is an essential component of the toolbox to keep weeds in check in citrus groves. Citrus growers primarily rely on herbicide to manage weeds due to their efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Despite their benefits, herbicides may have a wide range of unintended effects on citrus. For instance, an herbicide-related injury …

Preparing to Plant Cover Crops

Josh McGillCover Crops, Tip of the Week

By Sarah Strauss If you’ve been exploring methods to improve your soil health, chances are you’ve come across the use of cover crops. Even though we call them “crops,” these plants are not harvested and are only planted to improve soil health. The benefits of cover crops to soil health include increasing soil organic matter and microbial diversity and activity …

Sneak Peek: May 2022 Citrus Industry

Josh McGillHLB Management, Pesticides, Sneak Peek

While many citrus growers use similar strategies to cope with HLB, no two approaches are exactly the same. One grower who uses a very different method to manage citrus greening is Chip Henry. In the May cover story of Citrus Industry magazine, he tells how growing organically has helped him successfully fight the disease. Sometimes, production practices aimed at protecting …

Let’s Talk About CUPS

Josh McGillCUPS, Economics, Florida Department of Citrus

By Thomas H. Spreen Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) is a relatively new technology being adopted to help spur expansion of fresh citrus production in Florida. Large screen houses (approximately 10 acres) are constructed. In the current arrangement, several screen houses are located together to facilitate caretaking and harvest. Trees are planted at high densities (more than 300 trees per …

Growing Matters: Implementing Pollinator Protection Practices

Josh McGillGrowing Matters, News from our Sponsor

The 2022 BeSure campaign from the Growing Matters Coalition is once again helping to support the implementation of practices focused on pollinator protection. “Pollinators have obviously taken a lead in the industry and how we can protect and steward that resource. This campaign is looking at how can we promote awareness for applications and protect pollinator safety out there,” said …

Nutritional Lessons Learned From the Field and in the Wild

Josh McGillNutrition

By Brad Turner In the 1970s, the majority of my family’s groves in Hillsborough, Polk and Hardee counties remained on a 25-foot by 25-foot setting or wider. Most of these “old school” blocks received several light cultivations in both directions, two fertilizations and two foliar sprays per season. These groves contained some of the most grand and bountiful trees in …

Pointers for Pre-emergent Herbicide Use

Josh McGillHerbicides, Tip of the Week

By Ramdas Kanissery Weeds emerging in citrus rows are problematic as they compete for resources with the trees, support pests and interfere with grove operations like irrigation (Figure 1). Hence, effective strategies to control weed emergence should be in place.   Pre-emergence (or residual) herbicides are an excellent tool for the long-term suppression of weeds in tree rows. These herbicides …

Increasing Pesticide Effectiveness With Adjuvants

Josh McGillCEU

By Ajia Paolillo Editor’s note: THIS ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR CEU CREDIT. Pesticides are widely used in commercial agriculture to manage insects and other arthropods, diseases and weeds. Each application needs to be as effective as possible in managing the target pest. Many factors, such as environmental conditions, tank-mix incompatibility and solution pH, can cause a pesticide application …

Avoid Phytophthora When Planting

Josh McGillDiseases, Research

Phytophthora infection can lead to severe stunting in newly planted citrus trees, researcher Megan Dewdney told growers and others at a Jan. 19 presentation at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. She said stunted trees never thrive or produce adequate fruit. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant pathologist. She …

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 …