The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) received 59 proposals for funding of projects in response to the organization’s recent request for proposals (RFP). “This is the best RFP we’ve ever done since I’ve been here,” said CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler. The deadline for submitting proposals was April 26, a day before the CRDF’s board of directors …
Georgia Citrus Industry Ripening
One Georgia grower sees citrus as an emerging industry in Georgia with huge potential. Justin Corbett even compares it to another popular crop that’s dominated the state’s fruit landscape. “I think it has the potential to be a big industry. I compare it to blueberries 10 or 15 years ago. I just hope we don’t follow the same path they …
Grower Sees Steady Production Without Chemical Fertilizer
By Owen “Sonny” Conner The two greatest challenges of the last 20 years, for me as a citrus grower, have been HLB and foreign competition depressing prices. Citrus growers had never faced a disease threat even approaching the devastating effects HLB has had on the industry. It was the industry killer we all feared would one day raise its ugly …
Sneak Peek: May 2021 Citrus Industry
New citrus technology and tried-and-true techniques are among the article topics in the May issue of Citrus Industry magazine. Yiannis Ampatzidis, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor, discusses several ways artificial intelligence is being used to improve citrus production and reduce negative environmental impacts. Among the topics he covers in his article are automated …
Grower Views Differ on Aldicarb Denial
Two growers expressed different views about the recent decision to deny the use of the pesticide aldicarb in Florida citrus. The denial was made by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). One termed the decision “disappointing.” The other referred to it as a “a blessing.” “It is disappointing to lose any tool that would strengthen our existing …
Herbicide Adjuvants in Citrus Weed Control
By Ramdas Kanissery Adjuvants (derived from Latin, adiuvare: to aid or help) are materials added into an herbicide spray solution that improve handling, performance and crop safety. To be effective, an herbicide must overcome certain environmental and biological obstacles before entering and acting in the weeds. For example, environmental conditions like hot and dry weather will result in a thicker …
IPCs and Tree Performance
Preventing HLB infection in newly planted citrus trees with individual protective covers (IPCs) can improve productivity and fruit quality. Thus far, IPCs have kept young citrus trees free of HLB in research plots. “Once you plant a tree, if it’s not protected, it’s exposed to HLB infection from day one,” says Fernando Alferez, an assistant professor at the University of …
All In For Citrus Podcast, April 2021
A whole-systems approach to one University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research project is the focus of the April All in For Citrus podcast. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers said the project is a good example of citrus researchers taking a more comprehensive look at problems in the industry. “We’re starting to put …
Vaccinating Trees Against CTV and HLB
University of Maryland virologist Anne Simon and the company she founded, Silvec Biologics, have successfully vaccinated laboratory hosts against citrus tristeza virus (CTV). They are now focusing on HLB, also called citrus greening. The vaccination induces trees to produce their own therapeutic agents. Silvec’s vaccination concept is based on the discovery of a novel infectious RNA that the company calls …
PIECES OF THE PAST: A Quatrain to Frame
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette In the July 15, 1933 issue of the Florida Clearing House News, an article by the Committee of Fifty titled “To Fit Demand to Production – ADVERTISE” caught my eye. Advertising has always been the tennis ball in the citrus industry’s battle over how much is enough and whether generic advertising really helps. The Committee of …
Growing Matters: BeSure About Applications by Following Labels
The Growing Matters Coalition is kicking off its 2021 BeSure campaign that reinforces practical stewardship practices. “(The campaign) is to remind growers and applicators of some simple steps that they can take to ensure pesticides don’t harm pollinators and other wildlife,” Valent USA Sustainability & Stewardship Manager Leslie Garcia said. One of the ways the industry can achieve this is by remembering …
Aldicarb Registration Denied for Florida Citrus
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) denied AgLogic Chemical LLC’s state pesticide registration application for the pesticide aldicarb on citrus crops in the state of Florida. Aldicarb is an N-methyl carbamate insecticide primarily used as a nematicide. Responsible for the worst known outbreak of pesticide poisoning in North America, aldicarb is one of 28 active pesticide ingredients …
The Impact of Soil pH on Nutrients
In the April Central Florida citrus Extension newsletter, multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt discussed the fate of the nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soils that have elevated pH values. Here’s most of the discussion he presented: Soil pH can affect several reactions involving nitrogen in the soil solution and the efficient use of this nitrogen by plants. Nitrification, …
Above-Average Hurricane Season Predicted
Colorado State University (CSU) researchers are predicting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2021, citing the likely absence of El Niño as a primary factor. Tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures are near their long-term averages, while subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures are much warmer than their long-term average values. The warmer subtropical Atlantic also favors an active 2021 Atlantic hurricane …
Nematode Identification With AI
Parasitic nematode damage in agriculture totals $125 billion around the world each year. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers hope to alleviate some of that destruction. The UF/IFAS scientists will use artificial intelligence (AI) to try to more rapidly identify nematodes. Some nematodes live in the ground and harm plants, while others are beneficial, so …
Tackling Weeds After Composting
By Ramdas Kanissery The use of compost in tree rows is receiving increasing attention among citrus growers. The use of weed-free certified products can considerably minimize the weed emergence issues associated with compost use. However, eventually, weeds will start to grow in the composted areas in the grove. As compost and similar soil amendments prove to be very rich in …
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 …
Managing Lebbeck Mealybug
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock provided an update on lebbeck mealybug during the 2021 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. The pest, first found in Florida commercial citrus in 2019, feeds on and damages citrus, causing up to 70% fruit drop in heavily infested groves. According to Diepenbrock, damaged fruit will not be marketable for …
More Storms in ‘Average’ Hurricane Season
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will issue its initial seasonal outlook for the 2021 hurricane season in late May. The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Beginning with this year’s hurricane season outlooks, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) will use 1991-2020 as the new 30-year period of record. The updated averages for …
California Funding to Reduce Wildfire Threat
California citrus growers joined their fellow farmers and ranchers in suffering through the worst wildfire season in California history. Some groves were directly threatened by wildfire, and many were located in growing areas that were blanketed with smoke for weeks or months. Smoke exposure resulted in employee time loss due to respiratory illness, and an increase in asthma and allergy …