hlb

Weathering the HLB Storm

Daniel CooperHLB Management

Specialty crop growers might be aware of the disease sweeping through Florida’s citrus industry. Its impact has been tremendous and has tested the survival of the state’s signature crop. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the official confirmation of citrus greening disease (also known as huanglongbing or HLB) in Florida. In the past two decades, the state’s output …

pest management

Plan Your 2025 Pest Management

Daniel CooperPest Management, Pests, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Diepenbrock Pest management is a year-round challenge in Florida citrus. With the warm climate, pests are at the ready as soon as plant resources are available to them. With knowledge of invertebrate biology in relation to tree phenology, growers can develop plans to protect fruit and maintain productive citrus trees. HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC PESTS Populations of some highly problematic …

Costa Rican

Costa Rican Orange Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) expects Costa Rican orange production to increase approximately 11% in 2024–25, to 250,000 metric tons. Production in 2023–24 was lower than expected at 225,000 metric tons as a result of erratic rainfall patterns associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon. The area planted in oranges is expected to remain unchanged …

success

CUPS Success Rate a Relief for Researcher

Daniel CooperCUPS

The success of citrus under protective screen (CUPS) in protecting Florida citrus from citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing or HLB, was not surprising to Arnold Schumann. The professor of soil fertility and water quality at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center is thankful research had yielded a temporary solution …

residential

Improving ACP and HLB Control in Residential Settings

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Psyllids, Tip of the Week

By Romain Exilien and Xavier Martini Residential gardens serve as reservoirs for Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) and citrus greening disease (also known as huanglongbing or HLB) due to unmanaged citrus trees. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) conducted a survey to assess residents’ needs regarding ACP and HLB management. The survey examined their current control …

California

California HLB Quarantine Expanded

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Diseases, Regulation

Agricultural officials recently expanded the areas in California quarantined for citrus greening disease [also known as huanglongbing (HLB)], which is spread by Asian citrus psyllids. The quarantined area in Orange and Riverside counties was increased by a total of approximately 31 square miles. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) in cooperation with the …

trunk-injection

Ongoing Research Shows the Promise of Trunk-Injection Therapy

Daniel CooperHLB Management

Trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) has been the center of attention in Florida citrus for the past two years since the Environmental Protection Agency registered formulations of the material for use. But experience with antibiotics in Florida citrus is not new. That was part of the message Lukasz Stelinski delivered to attendees of the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo in …

cups

CUPS Expensive but Beneficial

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, CUPS

The benefits of implementing citrus under protective screen (CUPS) could be major for growers in the cold-hardy region. But they first must overcome the major limiting factor associated with the system — its cost. Arnold Schumann, a professor of soil fertility and water quality at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education …

post-hurricane

Post-Hurricane Pest Management

Daniel Cooperhurricane, Pests

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher Lauren Diepenbrock recently offered post-hurricane observations and management suggestions for some insects and snails. Diepenbrock is an assistant professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center.  BULIMULUS SNAILS Related Bulimulus snail species have been found to lay eggs in the fall after major rain events. Both small and larger …

Interstocks

Australian Lime Interstocks to Combat HLB

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research, Tip of the Week

By Ozgur Batuman, Sanju Kunwar and Ana Redondo In a promising effort to protect citrus from huanglongbing (HLB), University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are exploring the potential of Australian lime as an interstock graft for Valencia scions with Swingle rootstock. The interstock technique uses various limes, known for their natural HLB-tolerant peptides, between the …

top pruning

Top Pruning Evaluated as HLB Strategy

Daniel CooperBrazil, HLB Management, Pruning

A Brazilian study evaluated the effects of top pruning on orange trees located on the edges of an orchard as part of an HLB management strategy. The pruning was an attempt to attract the HLB-spreading psyllid from external areas to the orchard edges and control it, reducing its dispersion into the orchard. Fundecitrus and Embrapa Cassava and Fruits conducted the …

managing

Immediate Response Required When Managing HLB

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, HLB Management

The first chore for growers in the cold-hardy citrus region when managing citrus greening is scouting for the disease and its vector, the Asian citrus psyllid. The next step is prompt removal of any trees infected with the disease, says Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist. “At this point, we think greening is still …

brassinosteroids

Brassinosteroids Help Trees After IPC Removal

Daniel CooperHLB Management, IPCs

Associate Professor Fernando Alferez and his team at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) learned several years ago that individual protective covers (IPCs) protect newly planted trees from HLB. They do that by excluding the Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) that spread the devastating citrus disease. But multi-county citrus Extension agent Mongi Zekri noted that IPCs …

new grove

Factors to Consider When Planting a New Grove

Daniel CooperCitrus Expo, planting

Growers have numerous things to think about when planting a new grove. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus genetic improvement specialist John Chater discussed this topic during a recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo presentation. Following are highlights from his talk on establishing new varieties in a new citrus grove. PESTS AND DISEASES Soilborne pests …

Brazil’s

Heat and HLB Hurting Brazil’s Production

Daniel CooperBrazil, Production

Brazil’s citrus crop is suffering this season, according to Franklin Behlau, a senior researcher for Fundecitrus. That was the focus of a recent presentation he provided at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. “Things have changed in Brazil this season,” Behlau said. “We are a little behind …

IPCs

IPCs Aid Trees and Fruit After Removal

Daniel CooperIPCs

Individual protective covers (IPCs), used primarily to protect young citrus trees from HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids, have become ubiquitous in Florida citrus groves in recent years. New University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research shows the trees grown under the IPCs also grow well for a few years after growers remove the bags. Growers typically remove …

international

International HLB Conference Focused on Grower Solutions

Daniel CooperEvents, HLB Management, Research

This spring, the seventh International Research Conference on Huanglongbing (IRCHLB) was held in Riverside, California. The inaugural event was held in 2008 and funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture. USDA researcher Tim Gottwald and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor Jim Graham founded the …

high-density plantings

ACP Management in High-Density Plantings

Daniel CooperPsyllids, Tip of the Week

By Jawwad Qureshi The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Figure 1) is the vector of huanglongbing (HLB) disease associated with the phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. Infected trees start to decline and produce poor-quality fruit, which drops prematurely. Consequently, citrus production has decreased dramatically since the advent of HLB in Florida in 2005. There is no cure for the disease yet. …

Residents’

Study Shows Florida Residents’ Attitudes on HLB

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

In the fall of 2022, five University of Florida researchers investigated Florida residents’ attitudes on HLB and Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) using online surveys over a 9-month period. The results of the study, Residents’ contribution to Asian citrus psyllid and citrus greening management in Florida residential habitats, was recently published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management. Authors Romain Exilien, …

treatment

Teenager Awarded for Investigation of Alternative Trunk-Injection Treatment

Daniel CooperAwards, HLB Management, Research

Tanishka Balaji Aglave of Valrico, Florida, received the $10,000 H. Robert Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research for her investigation into a natural alternative treatment against citrus greening disease (known as huanglongbing, or HLB). Aglave, a 15-year-old who attends Strawberry Crest High School and grew up on a citrus farm, injected the trunks of infected citrus trees with an extract from …