Florida citrus growers need help in the fight against HLB. And they need that help quickly. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, addresses those concerns during the April All In For Citrus podcast. He says UF/IFAS scientists understand the urgency of the HLB fight and that …
Integration of Nutrition and Crop Protection Products
By Davie Kadyampakeni and Evan Johnson In the era of citrus greening disease (huanglongbing, HLB), maintaining optimal nutrition and disease/pest management strategies is critical for avoiding adverse effects on tree performance. Use of the right fertilization rate, timing and placement are important for optimal citrus production. In a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research study, …
Let’s Talk About CUPS
By Thomas H. Spreen Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) is a relatively new technology being adopted to help spur expansion of fresh citrus production in Florida. Large screen houses (approximately 10 acres) are constructed. In the current arrangement, several screen houses are located together to facilitate caretaking and harvest. Trees are planted at high densities (more than 300 trees per …
Drone Aids Brazil in HLB Battle
The use of a drone for chemical control of the psyllid that spreads HLB adds to Brazil’s efforts to battle the citrus disease, recent research indicates. The research was conducted by Fundecitrus in partnership with the startup Anáhata Serviços Agronômicos. Drones are ideal for complementing terrestrial applications and for emergency applications that need to be made quickly. For example, a …
HLB Research Focused on Near-Term Solutions
The urgency is high to find any solution to help citrus growers more effectively mitigate HLB. During the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute this month, Citrus Research and Education Center director Michael Rogers gave a presentation that outlined the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research projects aimed at finding short-term HLB solutions. “We understand where the …
Webinar to Address PGRs and Fruit Drop
Florida citrus growers can learn more about the use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) in the fight against fruit drop at an upcoming online seminar. The webinar will be at 10 a.m., April 27 and will be presented by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Speakers at the webinar, titled “Gibberellic Acid Research Update and …
Consequences of Skyrocketing Fertilizer Prices
By Ariel Singerman and Stephen H. Futch Chemical input prices have increased significantly over the last year. In particular, the price of fertilizer has roughly doubled during the last 12 months, as denoted by Figure 1. Figure 1. Producer Price Index of Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Supply and demand factors help explain such an …
Managing Weeds in Row Middles
By Ramdas Kanissery It is essential to maintain a patch of weeds or vegetation in the row middles to hold the soil from eroding and, at the same time, without being a source for weed invasion into the tree rows (Figure 1). Below are some quick tips for managing the vegetation in row-middle spaces between the citrus tree rows: MOW …
Texas Region Plans Citrus Revival
The area of Falfurrias, Texas, was a very prosperous citrus-growing region from 1909 until 1951, according to Romulo Montilla, who has a ranch there. “However, in 1951 there was a freezing temperature that killed close to 90% of the citrus. In 1967, the remaining citrus was eliminated with another terrible freeze.” Montilla and others recently began working to return citrus …
Foliar Potassium and Boron Can Improve Mandarin Yield and Quality
By Tripti Vashisth and Faisal Shahzad Mandarin production has been increasing in Florida since some mandarin varieties can potentially withstand HLB better than sweet orange varieties. Mandarin varieties such as Tango are popular among growers. However, Florida weather poses challenges for the external fruit quality; the peel color is often not satisfactory. Warm night temperatures in fall inhibit chlorophyll breakdown, …
Biostimulants and Cold-Hardy Citrus
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is asking fruit growers in North Florida, Alabama and Georgia to take a survey about crop biostimulants. UF/IFAS will use the results to better help those growers with the use of biostimulants and direct future research and Extension education programs. Those participating in the anonymous survey are asked to …
Research Update: Stable Antimicrobial Peptide
By Hailing Jin Research on the effectiveness of a novel stable antimicrobial peptide (SAMP) identified from the Australian finger lime (Microcitrus australasica) to fight huanglongbing (HLB) continues in a multistate initiative involving 1,500 citrus trees. Although the pandemic has impacted the progress of the research, work has steadily continued and expanded. Researchers at the University of California, Riverside and University …
Hurricane Activity Likely to Be Above Average in 2022
The last hurricane to cause major, widespread damage to Florida’s citrus industry was Irma five years ago, in September 2017. But growers should stay on alert this year, because Colorado State University (CSU) researchers are predicting an active Atlantic hurricane season in 2022. The CSU Tropical Meteorology Project team is predicting 19 named storms during the Atlantic hurricane season, which …
Farm Bill to Focus on Climate Change and Sustainability
The 2023 Farm Bill was one of the major themes of the recent Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference held at the University of Florida’s Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka. While in the early stages, discussions are already underway for next year’s farm bill. The federal legislation will lay out agricultural policy for the following five years. The direction …
U.S. Lemon, Grapefruit and Tangerine Outlook
Lemons are the only U.S. citrus commodity forecast this season to exceed last season’s production levels, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reported recently. At a projected 976,000 tons, lemon production is expected to be 10% higher than last season. Ninety-four percent of lemons commercially grown in the United States are from California. Despite the higher domestic production, …
Legislation Introduced for Growers Impacted by Freezes
U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.) introduced the Temperature Endorsement for Multi-Peril Policies (TEMP) Act to protect farmers impacted by crop-damaging freezes. Rep. Steube proposes this legislation for inclusion in the 2023 farm bill. “This winter, a freeze caused significant damages to Florida’s citrus, sugarcane, ornamental plants, and many fruits and vegetables. Currently, specialty-crop insurance policies are expensive, leaving farmers with limited options …
Brazil Has Knowledge Needed to Manage HLB
Although a Fundecitrus researcher recently called the HLB situation in Brazil “alarming,” the organization says the industry has the knowledge needed to manage the disease. HLB is also known as citrus greening. “The management package exists and is efficient. The problem is that, in order to reduce costs, it is not applied rigorously, correctly and in an integrated manner,” said …
Assessing the Safety of a Water Distribution System
By Taylor O’Bannon, Matt Krug and Michelle Danyluk The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently proposed changes to the pre-harvest Agricultural Water (Subpart E) section of the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (PSR). Removing the annual water distribution system inspection is not one of the proposed changes. Rather, water testing for generic E. coli and developing a microbial …
Phosphorus Recommendations and Soil pH Amendments
By Kelly T. Morgan and Davie Kadyampakeni Most information provided in the 2020 3rd edition of Nutrition of Florida Citrus Trees is still sound for healthy citrus trees under Florida production conditions. Past information on nutrients, application methods, leaf and soil sampling, and irrigation scheduling are also effective for management of huanglongbing (HLB)-affected trees. However, research conducted since HLB was …
Working With Citrus Growers to Select New Varieties
John Chater joined the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in January as an assistant professor of horticultural sciences. His mission is to act as a conduit between citrus plant breeders and growers to find fits for new rootstock and scion selections. Chater’s love of plants was inspired by his grandfather who was a plant breeder …