Fruit Size and Spraying Interval Are Key for Canker Control

Josh McGillDiseases, Research

The size of fruit that should be sprayed, the spraying interval and ways to avoid copper phytotoxicity were among the citrus canker topics plant pathologist Megan Dewdney offered growers recently. Dewdney said fruit are most susceptible to canker when they are between 3/8 inch and 1.5 inches in diameter. The fruit rind becomes much more resistant when the fruit is …

Be Prepared for Postbloom Fruit Drop

Josh McGillFruit Drop, Research

A La Niña weather pattern is most likely this spring, with higher-than-average temperatures and below-average rain predicted in Florida, researcher Megan Dewdney reported in a Feb. 24 presentation about postbloom fruit drop (PFD). That could have some influence on the severity of PFD, since its preferred climate is humid and subtropical, and the fungus moves with rain splash and wind-borne …

Expo Focus: ‘What Growers Can Do Now’

Ernie NeffCitrus Expo

Many of the citrus presentations featured on the first day of Citrus Expo, Aug. 18, will focus on “what growers can do now” to keep groves productive, Michael Rogers reports. Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, offers what he calls “a 30,000-foot view” of the citrus seminar …

podcast

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 …

Time to Cut the Dead Wood

Tacy CalliesTip of the Week

By Megan Dewdney, Tripti Vashisth and Lauren Diepenbrock Dead wood has long been challenging for fresh citrus fruit production. Spores in twigs can form which cause blemishing diseases that downgrade fruit for lower profits. More recently, it has come to light that there are horticultural and entomological reasons to remove this wood as well. Many growers are familiar with melanose, …

Argentina Lemon Production to See Sharp Drop

Ernie NeffCrop Forecast, International

Fresh lemon production in Argentina is forecast at 1.03 million metric tons in 2020-21, down 30 percent compared to the previous marketing year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported these figures. Low spring temperatures seem to have significantly affected production and, coupled with the ongoing drought, resulted in reduced fruit size. As a result of the …

oranges

Who Needs Grower Compliance Agreements?

Ernie NeffRegulation

Several growers recently asked the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) if they need to sign a Grower/Caretaker Compliance Agreement (CA) they received from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). HCCGA Executive Director Ray Royce’s answer is essentially yes. He says state law requires all citrus growers and caretakers of 40 or more trees to sign a …

Nursery Diseases at Planting: What to Watch for

Tacy CalliesDiseases, nursery

By Ozgur Batuman and Megan Dewdney Citrus nurseries work very hard and put forth considerable effort to reduce pest and disease problems. However, there continues to be problems with certain diseases, because the nursery environment for growing citrus trees is ideal for many pests and diseases. Basic principles of good nursery sanitation practices together with screening and removing suspected or …

Planning for Foliar Disease Management in 2020

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Megan Dewdney and Evan Johnson In 2019, the trend of fewer problems with foliar fungal diseases for Florida citrus continued, which was good news for the industry. Despite the El Niño conditions during the spring, little postbloom fruit drop (PFD) was observed because the temperatures were low (< 75 F) when it rained during bloom. The southern parts of …

Long-Horned Beetle Update

Ernie NeffPests

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock provides an update on the long-horned beetle, the newest Florida citrus pest. The beetle was discovered in a Hendry County grove in September. Diepenbrock reports that a grove crew worker “hit a branch and the branch fell right off.” After finding a hole in the branch, the …

citrus research

CRDF 2018 Funding Cycle Is in Full Swing

Tacy CalliesCitrus

Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) On April 24, the CRDF board of directors approved research priorities for two separate research funding programs. One is for projects that will lead directly to the development of commercial products, tools or recommendations (Commercial Product Development Committee, CPDC-18). The other is for projects with broader, fundamental researchable questions (Research …

disease

Managing Disease with Copper and IPM

Ernie NeffDiseases

Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies and copper are both good control measures for common citrus foliar fungal diseases, as well as for citrus canker. So says University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant pathologist Ozgur Batuman. Batuman summarizes information he presented at a fall field day and seminar attended by about 60 people at the Southwest Florida …

HLB

Pathologist to Tackle HLB and Other Diseases

Ernie NeffCitrus Greening, HLB Management, PFD

Ozgur Batuman, a new citrus plant pathologist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, discusses the diseases he’ll work on. “I am planning to of course tackle some of the more pressing issues that citrus growers are facing these days, one of them being huanglongbing (HLB), and confronting its vector, Asian citrus psyllid,” he says. He will also research …

Continuing a Legacy of Leadership

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Citrus Greening, Citrus Health Management Areas, Regulation

By Tacy Callies Callie Walker comes from a long line of Florida farmers. In 1875, her family set up homestead in Alva. Her father, uncles, grandfather and great-grandfather have been involved in a diversity of agricultural fields including citrus, cattle, sugar cane, vegetables and row crops. “My dad and his three brothers still run the family operation — citrus and …

fruit fly

Identifying California’s Numerous Fruit Flies

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests

Sandipa Gautam, University of California area citrus integrated pest management advisor, recently wrote that California is experiencing an unusually high number of invasive fruit flies in the 2023–24 season. She noted that several areas in California are now under fruit fly quarantines. Excerpts from her article follow: Several species of invasive fruit flies that belong to the family Tephritidae are …

Scouting Tools and Tactics

Tacy CalliesCEU

By Matt Smith 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. This article is an updated version of a previous article, “Scouting: The Tip of the IPM Spear,” published in the …

New CUPS Research Results Reported

Josh McGillCUPS

Positive results from experiments with photoselective shadecloth for color break and with plant growth-promoting bacteria for tree health were reported at a June 14 citrus under protective screen (CUPS) seminar. Presenter Arnold Schumann also gave an update on the generous fruit yields being generated in CUPS. Schumann is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research …

Fine-Tuning CUPS Production Practices

Josh McGillCUPS, Production

Mixon family members were pioneers in the Florida blueberry industry. Brothers Jerry and Keith Mixon planted their first berries in 1993. Over the years, they grew their business and became worldwide marketers, eventually adding blackberries, raspberries and strawberries to their portfolio. BACK TO CITRUSIn 2011, they sold their berry business to the Dole Food Company. But the brothers still had …

Brazil’s First Orange Forecast for 2022–2023

Josh McGillBrazil, Crop Forecast

The 2022–2023 initial orange crop forecast for Brazil’s São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt is 316.95 million boxes. The forecast was published on May 26 by Fundecitrus and its cooperators. The projected volume is 20.53% higher than the previous crop, which totaled 262.97 million boxes. The orange production forecast includes:• 59.48 million boxes of Hamlin, Westin and Rubi• …

Pests, Pathogens and IPCs

Josh McGillIPCs, Pests, Research

By Lauren Diepenbrock, Megan Dewdney, Fernando Alferez, Jawwad Qureshi and Ozgur Batuman Individual protective covers (IPCs) are becoming commonplace in citrus production to support the development of young trees after planting. IPCs are made of fine mesh and are intended to keep Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) off young plants. Because ACP can transmit the pathogen that causes citrus greening/huanglongbing, preventing …