HLB

For HLB: ‘We’ve Done Everything That Could Be Done’

Ernie NeffCitrus Greening, HLB Management

The long-time project manager for the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) says the group formed to find solutions to HLB has done the best it can. Tom Turpen with Technology Innovation Group was recently honored for his service, which is being curtailed. Turpen actually began work with CRDF’s predecessor, the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council, soon after HLB …

Citrus Expo

Bactericide Use: an Update at Citrus Expo

Tacy CalliesNews from our Sponsor

By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation Use of bactericides to reduce disease levels in infected trees continues to be a topic of debate in Florida citrus. Now in the second season of grower use, many growers are continuing to use the three products containing oxytetracycline or streptomycin within their seasonal spray programs. The Citrus …

HLB

Bactericides, Psyllids and HLB-Resistance/Tolerance

Ernie NeffBactericides, HLB Management, Psyllids

At a recent meeting of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) Commercial Product Delivery Committee, approximately half of the agenda was devoted to bactericides and HLB-spreading psyllids. Reflective mulch that keeps psyllids away and field trials for HLB-resistant or tolerant rootstocks and scions were also addressed. CRDF Chief Operations Officer Harold Browning summarizes some of the discussions. “The issue …

HLB

How the Best Growers Cope with HLB

Ernie NeffBactericides, Citrus Greening, HLB Management

  Some of Florida’s “best” citrus growers recently told Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) researcher Jim Syvertsen how they try to cope with HLB. There was much agreement among the growers on fertilization, irrigation, the management of psyllids that spread HLB, and bactericides that have been used against HLB for more than a year. Syvertsen says a survey conducted …

Time to Get Serious About Trialing New Scion/Rootstock Combinations

Tacy CalliesRootstocks, Scions

By Jude W. Grosser and Frederick G. Gmitter It’s no secret that citrus greening disease, or HLB, continues to take a heavy toll on the beloved Florida citrus industry. It has been estimated that the industry will need to replant over 3 million trees per year for the next 10 years just to get back to normal. So the million-dollar …

Citrus Expo

Field Trials of Rootstocks and Scions: What Can They Tell Us?

Tacy CalliesNews from our Sponsor, Rootstocks, Scions

By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation Plant breeding programs have been a mainstay of citrus production worldwide. They have served as a basis for gradual improvement in fruit quality, adaptability to varying growing environments, and most importantly, to disease management. For that reason, new germplasm has been a front line of pursuit in the …

Citrus Expo

What Have We Learned?

Tacy CalliesCitrus, 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 NeffCitrus

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 NeffCitrus 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 NeffLegislative

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 NeffGenetic 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 NeffPFD

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 NeffBactericides, 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 NeffCitrus 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 McGillCitrus 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 McGillBactericides, 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 CalliesPests

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 FryAgriculture, 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 McGillBactericides, 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 CalliesBactericides, 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 …