Scott Water Farm to Store Water and Improve Its Quality

Josh McGillFlorida, Water

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with state and local officials last month to celebrate the Scott Water Farm. The farm is a public-private partnership with Evans Properties, Inc. in Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Its purpose is to store water and improve water quality. The farm will store more than 9 billion gallons of …

Mexfly

Texas Mexfly Quarantine Expanded

Josh McGillPests, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) expanded the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas. This expansion follows confirmed detections from Feb. 3 to Feb. 28 of 15 Mexfly adults in citrus at various residential sites. As a result of the detections, the …

Put Predators to Work Against Lebbeck Mealybug

Josh McGillPests, Research, Tip of the Week

By Eric Middleton and Lauren Diepenbrock Lebbeck mealybug is an emerging pest in Florida citrus. Infestations can damage fruit, flowers and branches. The pest can even kill young trees in severe cases. Lebbeck mealybug is often difficult to manage with insecticides alone due to the pest’s tendency to feed in protected spaces and the thick wax that covers adult mealybugs …

OJ Is Half of Household Juice Purchases

Josh McGillCitrus, Florida Department of Citrus, Orange Juice

Orange juice (OJ) recently accounted for more than half of the fruit juice purchased by households, Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) economist Marisa Zansler told the Florida Citrus Commission on March 16. Citing a report on the Household Purchase Dynamics in the Beverage Category, Zansler added that grapefruit juice represented only about 1.5% of fruit juice sales. All fruit juice …

Growers Needed to Aid Development of HLB Tool

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research

Excelsior Aerospace Corporation announced it is pursuing funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to build a free tool that can rapidly detect, track and manage huanglongbing (HLB) disease. “On one end, our tool would serve growers in states such as Texas and California to detect early symptoms of ACP (Asian citrus psyllid) and HLB infection and take measures …

IPCs Improve Fruit Yield and Quality

Josh McGillHLB Management, IPCs, Research

By Fernando Alferez, Ute Albrecht, Susmita Gaire, Ozgur Batuman, Jawwad Qureshi and Mongi Zekri University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers established a field trial in February 2018 to evaluate the efficacy of individual protective covers (IPCs) to prevent Asian citrus psyllids from spreading HLB and to study the effects on tree growth and physiology. The …

ACP and the HLB Pathogen Are Made for Each Other

Josh McGillCitrus, HLB Management, Research

Nabil Killiny, an associate professor of plant pathology for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has been studying the relationship between the bacterium that causes HLB (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) and its vector the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). Globally, insect-borne vector pathogens are responsible for more than 700 plant diseases. HLB ranks high among those in terms …

production

Growers in Northern Regions Whetting Consumer Appetites

Josh McGillCitrus, Production

Citrus production in North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama continues to expand rapidly. That increased production led to a successful marketing year for producers, says grower Kim Jones, who owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida, and is part-owner of a similar facility in Tifton, Georgia. “We’re selling every piece of fruit we pulled into both sheds this …

Early HLB Detection by Dogs

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research

By Amir Rezazadeh Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease, has caused more than 70% decline in the production of oranges for juice and the fresh market in Florida. Once a tree is infected, there is no cure. Early detection followed by a rapid response is important to avoid further spread of the exotic pathogen. Delayed detection of HLB can result in …

Growing Matters: Safe Neonicotinoid Use Urged

Josh McGillBMPs, Growing Matters, News from our Sponsor

Growing Matters, funded by a consortium of agricultural chemical companies, recently launched its fourth annual BeSure! campaign to promote best management practices when using neonicotinoid products on farms and urban landscapes. The campaign uses a wide range of media channels to remind growers, crop protection applicators and others to ensure label directions and responsible stewardship measures are followed for neonicotinoid …

spray drift

Fruit Size and Spraying Interval Are Key for Canker Control

Josh McGillDiseases, Research

The size of fruit that should be sprayed, the spraying interval and ways to avoid copper phytotoxicity were among the citrus canker topics plant pathologist Megan Dewdney offered growers recently. Dewdney said fruit are most susceptible to canker when they are between 3/8 inch and 1.5 inches in diameter. The fruit rind becomes much more resistant when the fruit is …

Balancing Citrus Nutrition in the Era of HLB

Josh McGillHLB Management, Nutrition, Research

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has committed to updating nutrition recommendations for citrus now that HLB is endemic across the state. Some of this ongoing research was discussed during the February All In For Citrus podcast. Growers will be interested to hear from Davie Kadyampakeni, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of soil and water science, …

areas

HLB Update in Georgia

Josh McGillGeorgia, HLB Management

A small amount of citrus greening disease (huanglongbing or HLB) can escalate quickly if growers are not careful. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, cautioned producers about the disease during the recent Georgia Citrus Association meeting. “The issue is not widespread yet (in Georgia) for sure,” said Oliver. “We don’t think the vector is …

Citrus Canker Confirmed in South Carolina

Josh McGillDiseases

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of citrus canker disease in a nursery in South Carolina. The nursery sells plants to consumers through online sales. Other nurseries did not receive these plants. Together with state partners, APHIS is working to collect and destroy the plants shipped to consumers in …

Growers to Gather at Citrus Institute

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research, Tip of the Week

By Chris Oswalt, Mongi Zekri, Ajia Paolillo and Lourdes Pérez Cordero Huanglongbing (HLB) continues to impact citrus-producing areas of Florida. The 2022 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute is an opportunity for Florida citrus growers to come together to learn about effective management of HLB and other challenges affecting the industry. This year’s event will be held Tuesday, April 5 from 8:30 …

Donaldson Tree Is ‘Beacon of Hope’

Josh McGillFlorida Citrus Commission, HLB Management

A recently discovered HLB-infected tree that is producing high levels of fruit holds hope for Florida’s citrus industry, according to Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) Chairman Steve Johnson. “By now, many of you have heard about the Donaldson tree,” said Johnson. “Recently rediscovered at USDA’s (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Whitmore Farm, this decades-old tree is abundantly producing early-season oranges and despite …

Attacking Asian Citrus Psyllid from the Inside

Josh McGillHLB Management, Pests, Research

In the latest episode of the All In For Citrus podcast, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski discussed her research on the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and a new grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to further her work. The goal of the research is to use bacteria already present …

Soil Is Key to Setting Up Trees for Success

Josh McGillAgriculture, Nutrition, Soil Improvement

By Brad Turner As I started my regenerative journey five years ago, it conjured up memories of walking the family groves in the 1970s with my freshly sharpened eye hoe. I would follow the tractor as it pulled the offset chopper, crisscrossing between the widely spaced trees in all directions. The native grasses and broadleaf plants — including legumes like …

Cover Crops in Citrus: Less Weeds, More Microbes

Josh McGillAgriculture, Citrus, Cover Crops

There are many advantages to using cover crops in citrus groves, according to Sarah Strauss, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor. She recently discussed growers implementing cover crops at the Citrus Health Forum at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy. “Certainly, from the microbiology side, the scientific side, I think …

Highlights From Highlands Citrus Growers Meeting

Josh McGillCitrus, Florida

Growers and industry stakeholders recently gathered in Sebring, Florida, to celebrate the 32nd annual meeting of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA). LEADERS ELECTEDNew HCCGA officers and directors were elected. Officers for the 2022 board of directors include: Emma Ezell, president  Hank Crutchfield, vice president Charlie Wilson, treasurer Aaron Nelson, secretary New board members are Joe Collins, Billy Barben, …