growers

Growers to Learn About Pest Management at Workshop

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, HLB Management, Industry News Release, Pests, Psyllids

Citrus growers can learn more about managing Asian citrus psyllids and other pests in a workshop Jan. 8 at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). The psyllid can transmit the bacteria associated with greening disease to citrus trees and has already caused severe damage to Florida’s multi-billion-dollar-a-year citrus industry. …

Components of a Healthy Citrus Soil

Tacy CalliesSoil Improvement

By Sarah Strauss and Ute Albrecht There is increasing discussion and interest in soil health from both growers and researchers. Soil health is generally synonymous with soil quality. It can impact not just sustainability, but also improve water-holding capacity, nutrient availability, yield and overall grove productivity. In citrus, soil health is particularly important because of the reduction of root mass …

Effects of Homobrassinolides on HLB-Affected Trees in Florida

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

By Fernando Alferez, Christopher Vincent and Tripti Vashisth In the current scenario of widespread infection and severe symptoms of HLB in Florida, horticultural practices that improve plant health in the presence of the disease are needed. For this reason, we sought to follow up on reports of positive effects of a brassinosteroid on infected plants. Brassinosteroids are a relatively newly …

Putting Florida Citrus in the Public Spotlight

Tacy CalliesPublic Relations

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates Citrus Project will promote the value of the Florida citrus industry. By Jim Gravley The citrus industry has endured many setbacks this year and needs an across-the-board evaluation. As a grower first, I devote my extra time to helping assist the industry with current issues affecting production, research and the marketing of our product. …

citrus

Citrus Tree Covers Keep Deadly Psyllids Away

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, HLB Management, Research

University of Florida (UF) scientists are finding that by covering new citrus trees with mesh, they can keep disease-carrying insects from harming the plants. That could be a big step toward stemming the deadly citrus greening disease, UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) researchers say. Asian citrus psyllids can infect the citrus trees with greening, also known as …

Ag Industry Mourns Loss of Phil Stansly

Tacy CalliesCitrus

Philip A Stansly, age 74, of LaBelle, passed away Sept. 12, 2018 in Fort Myers, Florida. Stansly served the agricultural industry as a member of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center team for 32 years. Stansly was a frequent contributor to Citrus Industry magazine and was featured as the “psyllid slayer” …

citrus greening

Early Findings Show Plant Hormone May Help in HLB Fight

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, Industry News Release, Research

University of Florida scientists think a group of hormones may eventually help growers battle citrus greening, but they still want to study them before recommending growers use the chemical. Fernando Alferez, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), leads a team of UF/IFAS researchers studying the effects of Homobrassinolides …

Foliar Nutrition Research Update

Tacy CalliesNutrition

By Rhuanito S. Ferrarezi, Alan L. Wright, Kelly T. Morgan, Philip A. Stansly, Monica Ozores-Hampton and Robert Ebel Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening is endemic in Florida, resulting in billions of dollars of losses since the state’s first detection in 2005. The disease induces visual symptoms in leaves and branches, while severely impacting citrus fruit yield and quality. Fibrous root …

Buddha’s Hand Citron Could Play Role in Canker Resistance Breeding

Kelsey FryCitrus, Diseases

By Naveen Kumar, R.C. Ebel and P.D. Roberts Citrus canker became endemic in Florida after several introductions and eradication programs dating back to 1915. The citrus industry struggles for an effective, permanent program. Canker is an expensive disease due to the need to increase the number of sprays and products applied. Canker also causes enormous economic losses due to fruit …

Phil Stansly: Psyllid Slayer

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Citrus Health Management Areas, HLB Management, Pests

By Ernie Neff Gulf citrus growers had a CHMA (citrus health management area) before CHMAs were popular — even before they were called CHMAs! Phil Stansly, University of Florida (UF) entomology professor, is among those credited with organizing Florida’s first psyllid- and HLB-fighting CHMA. Others recognized for the achievement include Gulf Citrus Growers Association (GCGA), Florida Cooperative Extension Service and …

weed management

Adding Weed Management Tools

Ernie NeffHerbicides

“I’m in the process of information gathering now,” says Ramdas Kanissery, a new weed scientist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee. “I’m traveling to several groves and looking at the weed problems.” A trained agricultural chemist, Kanissery began working at the SWFREC at the end of October 2016. His expertise is in understanding the fate, …