Citrus Expo

What Have We Learned?

Tacy Callies Citrus, News from our Sponsor

By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation Within the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), the daily challenge of keeping up with a wide array of HLB topics, more than 75 currently funded projects, and monthly committee and board meetings translates into a constant flow of information. Project managers meet weekly to discuss progress and …

bactericides

How Much Psyllid Control Needed for HLB?

Ernie Neff Citrus

Soon after Florida’s citrus industry realized it couldn’t eradicate HLB, researchers and growers put a huge emphasis on controlling the Asian citrus psyllids that spread the disease. Most still agree that psyllid control remains essential in the short term to survive HLB. But many are now questioning the long-term economic sustainability of massive levels of psyllid control. Such questioning took …

Highlights from the International HLB Conference

Ernie Neff Citrus Greening, HLB Management

Harold Browning, chief operations officer at the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), provides an overview of activities at the recent International Research Conference on HLB held in Orlando. The conference was hosted by Florida Citrus Mutual, with much assistance from CRDF. “There were nearly 500 participants from 24 countries” including for the first time scientists from Cuba, Browning reports. …

legislative issues

Mutual President Summarizes Legislative Issues

Ernie Neff Legislative

Florida Citrus Mutual President John Barben summarized Mutual’s efforts at the state and federal levels during the recent Highlands County Citrus Growers Association annual meeting in Sebring. “We talked a little bit about going after our (state legislative) funding for this year – for CRDF (Citrus Research and Development Foundation), for New Varieties (Development and Management Corp.) – trying to …

HLB

Coordinating Citrus Research and Regulatory Issues

Ernie Neff Genetic Engineering, Regulation, Research

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) has discussed having national experts educate citrus researchers about the regulatory issues that could impact possible solutions to citrus problems. CRDF Chief Operations Officer Harold Browning explains the need for such education. “It’s a changing world, and researchers are being asked not to just do the experiment and write the paper and give …

HLB

Postbloom Fruit Drop: It’s All About Timing

Ernie Neff PFD

Postbloom fruit drop (PFD) in recent years has caused many Florida citrus growers as much, or almost as much, anguish as HLB. The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) in December approved an extension of PFD research begun in 2016. CRDF Chief Operations Officer Harold Browning discusses PFD and the research. “Progressively the last several years, PFD has increased in …

Update on Bactericide Trials

Ernie Neff Bactericides, Citrus Greening, HLB Management

A Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) researcher provided an update on grower trials of bactericides for HLB to the CRDF’s Commercial Product Delivery Committee on December 5. CRDF Chief Operations Officer Harold Browning summarizes the report. “Most of the metrics that we’re most interested in are coming up as we go into harvest,” Browning says. “The true test of …

Update on $9 Million NuPsyllid Effort Against HLB

Ernie Neff Citrus Greening, HLB Management, Pests

Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) Chief Operations Officer Harold Browning provides an update on a major five-year HLB project that CRDF is managing. “It’s (NuPsyllid) a project that started in 2012, involving a team of scientists from all over the country … And the goal is to build and release into the field the psyllid that has less capacity …

Evaluation of HLB Treatments

Josh McGill Citrus Greening

By Stephanie Slinski Evaluating how well bactericides, nutritional programs or other treatments work against HLB can be difficult. Symptoms are not uniform between trees in a grove, and tree health fluctuates throughout the season, which may give the appearance of an effect. Rigorous field trials are the best way to test new treatments, but not every treatment program can be …

Bactericide Survey Results Summary

Josh McGill Bactericides, Citrus Greening

By Stephanie Slinski and Harold Browning (Editor’s note: Click on the graphs throughout the article to enlarge them.) Bactericides have been available to growers as a new tool to improve the health of HLB-infected trees since early March 2016. This use has been under a crisis declaration from the Florida commissioner of agriculture, but on August 15 of this year, …

Post-Bloom Fruit Drop Survey

Tacy Callies Pests

A Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) Research Management Committee meeting was called on June 29, 2016, to discuss post-bloom fruit drop (PFD) caused by Colletotricum spp. in Florida. In this meeting, it was suggested that there is an opportunity to retrospectively investigate PFD management strategies from 2016 to determine if grower treatment programs led to variable results. A survey …

Why Should Growers Take the Bactericide Survey?

Kelsey Fry Agriculture, Bactericides

With the 2016 Citrus Expo approaching, Harold Browning, chief operations officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), is reminding Florida growers to take the bactericide survey if they haven’t already done so. The deadline to complete the survey is August 10. It can be found online at citrusexpo.net. Browning said that the bactericide survey results will be a …

Help Fight HLB, Take the Bactericide Survey

Josh McGill Bactericides, Citrus Greening

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) has selected AgNet Media, owner of Citrus Expo and Citrus Industry magazine, to administer a grower survey on bactericide use. CRDF is asking that all Florida citrus growers participate in the survey so that the industry can gain a better understanding of how these products are being used against HLB. Three commercial bactericide …

Grower Participation Needed for Short Bactericide Survey

Tacy Callies Bactericides, Citrus Greening

It has been approximately two months since the crisis declaration was issued that allows Florida citrus growers to use bactericides to combat HLB. Three commercial products containing the two active ingredients, streptomycin and oxytetracycline, are available for use. Growers are implementing season-long plans for application of these materials to suppress HLB. A range of options exist for use of these …

Update on Bactericide Use

Josh McGill Citrus

Harold Browning, chief operations officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), reports on the first month of grower bactericide use on Florida citrus. Topics he addresses include options for the number of applications per year and product availability. He also discusses a soon-to-be-released document CRDF is developing that will provide instructions for growers on how to set up …

bactericides survey

Update on the 2016-17 Citrus Appropriations and Legislation

Josh McGill Citrus

[nextpage title=”Update on Citrus Appropriations…”] Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM), distributed the following update on Florida citrus appropriations and legislation: Dear FCM Board and Members: I have some very positive news to share. The items/proposals/appropriations I’ve highlighted below have been approved by the Legislature and Governor Scott. This news came about quickly after our e-mail …

Upcoming Meetings on Bactericide Use for Citrus

Kelsey Fry Citrus

Florida citrus growers are reminded of three upcoming meeting on bactericide use for citrus: 1. On March 9 at 8:00 a.m., Laurie Hurner, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus agent, is hosting a citrus grower forum where several topics will be discussed in conversations led by growers and production managers; including the most recent information regarding the …

Citrus Growers Can Begin Using Three Bactericides

Kelsey Fry Citrus

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, with the concurrence of the Environmental Protection Agency, has issued a Crisis Declaration that makes the use of three bactericides legal as of today. See the Crisis Declaration for details. Growers should make sure to have a copy of the Crisis Declaration and other portions of the attachment in their possession when utilizing these products. …

Legislative Progress for Florida Citrus Growers

Kelsey Fry Citrus

In a message below, Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, reports positive news on the current status of the citrus industry’s agenda items in the legislative session. Dear FCM Board and Members: It’s been a whirlwind 2016 in Tallahassee and with a week left in the scheduled legislative session, I have some very positive news to share. …

Results of Florida Citrus Research Order Referendum Announced

Kelsey Fry Citrus

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that Florida’s citrus growers reauthorized the Florida citrus research order in a statutorily required referendum conducted by the department. More than 87 percent of ballots received by the department were in favor of reauthorization. Sponsored Content5 Facts About Fire Ants and How to Control ThemApril 30, 2024BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS IN A …