By Megan Dewdney and Evan Johnson In 2019, the trend of fewer problems with foliar fungal diseases for Florida citrus continued, which was good news for the industry. Despite the El Niño conditions during the spring, little postbloom fruit drop (PFD) was observed because the temperatures were low (< 75 F) when it rained during bloom. The southern parts of …
Black Spot Scouting and Control
“The most important time to scout for black spot is when the fruit begin to change color,” said University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant pathologist Megan Dewdney. She has seen color change for Valencia oranges, the most commonly infected variety, from December to March. But she added it is usually late-February to early-March when citrus black …
Sneak Peek: February 2020 Citrus Industry Magazine
The February issue of Citrus Industry magazine lets growers know what diseases to be on the lookout for this season and how best to spot them in the grove. University of Florida (UF) researchers Megan Dewdney and Evan Johnson give citrus growers tips on planning for disease management in 2020 in their article. Citrus canker, greasy spot, melanose, black spot …
Production Guide: What’s New
The three editors of the new Florida Citrus Production Guide recently told growers at a meeting in Sebring what’s new in the guide this year. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) produced the guide. Megan Dewdney, a UF/IFAS plant pathologist, addresses new information provided about diseases. New items include the addition of a chemical for …
Researchers to Look Deeper Into HLB Management
By Karla Arboleda University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are getting ready to conduct several trials on tools used to protect young citrus trees from HLB. The team of five researchers will receive $665,471 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for experiments at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. Lauren …
Manipulating Flowering for Better Grove Management
By Tripti Vashisth, Garima Singh and Megan Dewdney Citrus trees grown in the field undergo various types and levels of stress continuously. The stressors can be several things, including heat, cold, drought, soil pH, chemicals, pests and diseases. The constant presence of huanglongbing (HLB) and psyllid infestation adds stress to the trees, which compromises the plant response and makes the …
Citrus Black Spot Quarantine Area Updated in Florida
Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is adding eight sections in Charlotte County, nine sections in Lee County, 28 sections in Hendry County, and five sections in Collier County to the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. This action is in response to the confirmation of CBS during annual surveys conducted by APHIS and …
Studying Citrus Greening with an Integrated Approach
While citrus growers continue to look for best management approaches to deal with the deadly greening disease, scientists will take an integrated look at how to protect young trees by using existing tools growers can use. Five scientists from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will compare insect management tools, including insect-proof netting. Researchers also …
HLB: Horticultural Practices
Scientists from numerous countries attending the International Citrus Research Conference on HLB in March reported on studies of horticultural practices that might help growers cope with the disease. Tripti Vashisth, a horticulturist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), summarized their observations at the recent Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. She shares those observations in the …
Pathology Research for HLB
Scientists from numerous countries attending the International Citrus Research Conference on HLB in March reported on pathology research that might help growers cope with the disease. Megan Dewdney, plant pathologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), summarized their reports at the recent Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. Dewdney shares the research findings in the current …
All In For Citrus Podcast, April 2019
April’s All In For Citrus Podcast has a different format than previous programs. This month’s podcast kicks off with a message from Michael Rogers, center director at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). He gives a summary of the recent Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute that took place at the beginning …
Hurricane Irma Raises Black Spot Threat
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension pathologist and associate professor Megan Dewdney reported that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist Tim Gottwald thinks there’s a “fairly high” chance that Hurricane Irma spread citrus black spot. Black spot had been confined primarily to Southwest Florida, especially Collier and Hendry counties, before Irma hit the state with damaging …
Ambrosia Beetle Update
By Lauren Diepenbrock In October 2018, a potential “new pest” was found in large numbers in one grove in Hernando County, Florida. The damage to trees was dramatic, with dark staining throughout the trunk of the tree and beetle damage evident. It was something that would put any grower, Extension agent or researcher on alert. Fortunately, by working with Jiri …
When to Be on Canker Alert
Citrus fruit is susceptible to canker after it reaches three-eighths of an inch in diameter, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension pathologist Megan Dewdney told growers this winter. “Once you get to that point and we get rain, then all bets are off as to whether you will keep canker out,” Dewdney said at a winter …
Fungal Foliar Disease Concerns for 2019
By Megan Dewdney The Florida citrus-growing seasons of 2017 and 2018 were quiet in terms of fungal foliar disease outbreaks. Small pockets of severe disease occurred sporadically, but there were no widespread reports of diseases like postbloom fruit drop, much to the relief of the industry. Greasy spot has flared up in a few locations on cultivars like Valencia, and …
Brown Rot Basics
Plant pathologist Megan Dewdney with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences discussed the basics of brown rot and its control at a recent disease seminar in Immokalee. Approximately 60 growers and others attended the seminar held at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. Brown rot is especially prevalent in early-season citrus varieties. “It’s particularly problematic …
Sneak Peek: February 2019 Citrus Industry Magazine
Disease defense is on the agenda for the February 2019 issue of Citrus Industry. University of Florida plant pathologist Megan Dewdney gives growers a fungal foliar disease forecast for this year. She warns that the risk of postbloom fruit drop is greater in 2019 than it was in 2017 and 2018. Other diseases she says growers should to be on …
PFD Threat Nears
“Postbloom fruit drop (PFD) season is coming upon us fairly quickly,” plant pathologist Megan Dewdney said in summarizing a presentation she made Jan. 16 in Immokalee, Florida. “Growers should be planning on keeping an eye on the rain forecast … how much bloom they are having now, how much bloom they’ll have in two (to) three weeks, and keeping an …
Thermotherapy’s Effects on Fruit Drop, Yield and Quality
By Megan Dewdney, Evan Johnson, Naweena Thapa and Michelle Danyluk In 2015, we started a large-scale project to determine if thermotherapy would be an effective huanglongbing (HLB) treatment for field trees. Some of the objectives were to determine effective temperature-time combinations for thermotherapy, which season gave optimal results for thermotherapy, and the effect on yield in subsequent years. TRIAL DETAILSComprehensive …
Citrus Advisory System May Help Prevent PFD Losses
A new University of Florida-developed forecasting system could help citrus growers control postbloom fruit drop this winter, despite the predicted El Niño weather pattern that’s expected to bring more rain and moderate temperatures. With an El Niño, forecasters expect above-average rain this winter and early spring. Increased rain improves the chances of fungal spores splashing from flower to flower in …