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, …
Sneak Peek: February 2021 Citrus Industry
While everyone strives to protect themselves from coronavirus disease, growers have an additional concern: protecting their trees from citrus disease. While HLB is of course the most damaging disease of citrus, there are other diseases that should not be overlooked. Disease management is the theme of the February 2021 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. University of Florida Institute of Food …
Citrus Holiday Traditions
By Ruth Borger and Megan Dewdney Oranges and other citrus have a special place during holiday celebrations. We find them in our decorations, on our dinner table, shipped to friends and families across the country, and sometimes, if you are really good, in your Christmas stocking. But where did these traditions come from? And when did they become part of …
Black Spot Likely in More Florida Counties
Although citrus black spot has only been detected in commercial groves in five Southwest Florida counties, it is still spreading and likely to be in additional counties, according to plant pathologist Megan Dewdney. The five counties with detections are Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor at …
Emerging Trunk Disorders
By Evan Johnson and Megan Dewdney The last two years have seen increasing grower questions and reports of citrus trunk disorders in Florida. Sometimes these reports are associated with sudden tree collapse. In many cases, phytophthora foot rot is initially suspected. Typically, the symptoms don’t quite match those of foot rot, and phytophthora cannot be isolated from the lesion. If …
Citrus Advisory System Provides PFD Alerts
Beep. Beep. Beep. That’s the sound of an alert telling a citrus grower it’s time to spray fungicide to help prevent fruit from falling off the tree due to postbloom fruit drop (PFD). University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have developed a Citrus Advisory System (CAS) that sends web-based alerts to growers via mobile devices. …
Phosphite Best for Algal Spot
Algal spot had rarely been seen in Florida groves until fairly recently, Megan Dewdney reported in a virtual Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute presentation. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant pathologist said she started hearing from concerned orange growers within the past five years. Those growers told her that copper, the historical recommendation for the disease, …
Black Spot and Production Guide Updates
Megan Dewdney recently provided information about positive results from fungicide trials for citrus black spot, as well changes to the new Citrus Production Guide. Dewdney is a plant pathologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), working at the Citrus Research and Education Center. Dewdney conducted the fungicide trials for black spot in a 20-year-old …
All In For Citrus Podcast, September 2020
National recognition, new findings on black spot control, and research on antimicrobial peptides highlight the September episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers starts the episode with the announcement that the University of Florida was ranked in the top 10 of U.S. News and World Report’s Top Public Schools list. Rogers …
Gibberellic Acid: Increase Fruit Size and Yield, Reduce Drop
By Tripti Vashisth and Megan Dewdney This article discusses the use of gibberellic acid (GA), the naturally occurring plant hormone, on huanglongbing (HLB)-affected trees. The results were generated from a 3-year trial in which Valencia trees were treated with GA in the fall. The outcomes suggest that GA can be effectively used for synchronizing and suppressing profuse flowering without negatively …
CRDF Looking at Peptide for HLB
When news broke in July that University of California Riverside (UCR) scientists had found a peptide that might control HLB, Rick Dantzler quickly contacted lead UCR scientist Hailing Jin. Dantzler is chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), which was organized in Florida primarily to find ways to solve or cope with HLB. Jin had found …
Canker Quarantine Expanded in Texas
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced June 30 it was immediately expanding the area quarantined for citrus canker in Texas. The agency added portions of Cameron County near San Benito and Brownsville to prevent the spread of the disease. APHIS confirmed the positive identification of citrus canker in two residential trees in San …
Fruit Drop of Citrus in Summer Months
By Tripti Vashisth, Megan Dewdney and Lauren Diepenbrock This article summarizes what is known about summer fruit drop in healthy citrus trees and those with huanglongbing (HLB). Also discussed is how HLB can affect early fruit development and exacerbate fruit drop. Additionally, strategies to reduce summer fruit drop are included. Citrus flowers profusely, but less than 2 percent of the …
Sneak Peek: June 2020 Citrus Industry Magazine
Florida’s citrus harvest may be winding down for the season, but tree care continues year-round. The June issue of Citrus Industry magazine includes two timely articles on summer tree care practices. In the first article, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers Fernando Alferez and Tripti Vashisth discuss techniques to improve fruit quality and yield during …
Tips for Planting Container Trees
By Phillip Rucks The following is a summary of planting tips for container trees garnered from work done by various University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers as well as my own experience: Keep trees in shade until planted. They should be wet down at least once daily. Be sure trees are not set out in the …
Nursery Diseases at Planting: What to Watch for
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 …
Citrus Canker Management Through the Year
Plant pathologist Megan Dewdney with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences offers suggestions for managing citrus canker at different times of the year. She is an associate professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. Dewdney suggests that copper sprays begin when fruit reach three-eighths of an inch in diameter in groves …
Sneak Peek: April 2020 Citrus Industry Magazine
As everyone strives to stay healthy amid the coronavirus crisis, the April issue of Citrus Industry magazine focuses on another kind of health — young tree health. In the first of four articles focused on practices for planting new trees, University of Florida (UF) researchers Ozgur Batuman and Megan Dewdney give growers advice on what to watch for when receiving …
Now Is the Time to Watch for PFD
With bloom breaking out in Florida citrus groves, plant pathologist Megan Dewdney recommended growers keep an eye out for postbloom fruit drop (PFD). Dewdney works for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. “We have actually observed some diseased flowers,” Dewdney said March 3 at an OJ …
Algal Spot: A Re-emerging Disease
By Megan M. Dewdney Algal spot has not been seen frequently for many years, but in the last few years I have been getting more questions about identification and management. The disease is caused by a green alga, Cephaleuros virescens. The alga is not considered a parasite, as it grows superficially, but it does cause damage to trees if left …