citrus greening

Citrus Greening Inevitable for North Florida, South Georgia

Tacy CalliesCitrus Greening

It’s not a question of if citrus greening disease will be an issue for North Florida and South Georgia citrus growers, but when will it be. Fred Gmitter, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus breeder, believes the disease’s impact in both areas is inevitable. He shared his assessment during a recent Cold Tolerant Citrus Production …

pests

Citrus Leafminer Control: Timing Is Everything

Tacy CalliesPests, Tip of the Week

By Lukasz Stelinski The citrus leafminer (CLM) remains a major pest of citrus throughout Florida. The adults are small, white/silver colored moths about half the size of a typical mosquito (Figure 1). Adults are difficult to spot because of their small size and because they are active only in the evening (dusk) and early pre-dawn hours. CLM adults can be …

acp

Psyllid Management Key for Georgia Growers

Tacy CalliesGeorgia, HLB Management

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is not yet well established in Georgia. University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist Jonathan Oliver wants to keep it that way. The ACP vectors citrus greening disease (HLB), which has decimated Florida’s citrus production. Oliver encourages producers to scout their groves regularly to avoid a similar fate happening in Georgia. “It’s …

Packinghouse Day Updates: Greasy Green Disorder and Cold Hardy Citrus

Ernie NeffCold Hardy, Diseases

Updates on the so-called greasy green disorder and the Cold Hardy Citrus Association were presented at the virtual Packinghouse Day on Aug. 26.   GREASY GREENThe greasy green disorder affecting fruit primarily in Florida’s Indian River region has “been getting worse the past two seasons,” researcher Mark Ritenour reported. Ritenour is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …

Georgia Growers: Stop Citrus Greening Spread

Tacy CalliesCitrus Greening

Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, is concerned about the potential impact of citrus greening disease in Georgia. That’s why he is encouraging Georgia growers to quickly dispose of infected trees if any are found. “Once greening becomes really widespread and established in a lot of our trees, it’s really hard to stop it,” Oliver …

Update on Culturing of the Citrus Greening Bacterium

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

By Nabil Killiny, Anders Omsland, Haluk Beyenal and David R. Gang The suspected causative agent of citrus greening disease, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is one of many plant pathogens that has not been isolated and grown in pure culture. One major reason for this is its small genome size; it is missing the genes for several metabolic pathways critical for …

Psyllid Exclusion and Screen Selection

Tacy CalliesCUPS, Tip of the Week

By Arnold Schumann and Timothy Ebert As the adage goes, “necessity is the mother of invention.” Since the presence of huanglongbing (citrus greening) in Florida, new methods of managing the Asian citrus psyllid that transmits the bacteria have resulted in the growing of citrus in screen houses (CUPS, citrus under protective screen) and the use of individual protective covers (IPCs), …

Renewed Effort to Stop Chinese Citrus Imports

Ernie NeffTrade

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida recently urged U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to re-implement a prohibition on the importation of five varieties of citrus from China. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in April 2020 decided to allow the importation of the Chinese varieties. “The USDA’s decision continues to risk an increase in unfair trade competition …

Brazilian

Fundecitrus to Evaluate Peptide

Ernie NeffHLB Management

Invaio Sciences, Inc. recently announced an agreement with Brazil’s Fundecitrus to evaluate the use of a natural peptide to control HLB in Brazil. The agreement will leverage Fundecitrus’ expertise in citrus grove and pest management to evaluate application details of the novel peptide maSAMP in locally relevant conditions. The peptide was developed by Hailing Jin of the University of California Riverside. …

Citrus Australia Focuses on Biosecurity

Ernie NeffInternational

Citrus Australia recently applauded the federal government’s additional investment in national biosecurity and stated that it will seek an opportunity for additional dialogue on enhancing plant biosecurity. The government announced $400 million in funding to enhance biosecurity over a four-year period. According to Citrus Australia, citrus exports alone are worth $500 million to the national economy annually. A pest incursion …

Citrus Acreage Increasing in North Florida, South Georgia

Tacy CalliesAcreage

Interest in citrus continues to spike in North Florida and South Georgia. Georgia acreage has doubled over the past year. North Florida acreage has increased by another 300 to 400 this spring, says grower Kim Jones. He owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida, and is president of the Cold Hardy Citrus Association. “We’re seeing a whole lot of …

How Artificial Intelligence Can Enhance the Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesTechnology

By Yiannis Ampatzidis Artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising area in computer science, automation, robotics and agriculture. AI describes the capability of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior and mimic cognitive functions such as learning and problem-solving. Machine learning, which is an application of AI, is based on the idea that a machine, such as a computer or microcontroller, …

positive

Aldicarb Registration Denied for Florida Citrus

Tacy CalliesIndustry News Release, Pesticides

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) denied AgLogic Chemical LLC’s state pesticide registration application for the pesticide aldicarb on citrus crops in the state of Florida. Aldicarb is an N-methyl carbamate insecticide primarily used as a nematicide. Responsible for the worst known outbreak of pesticide poisoning in North America, aldicarb is one of 28 active pesticide ingredients …

winter

Economically Sustainable Psyllid Control

Ernie NeffPsyllids

Spraying for the HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is essential for HLB control even when virtually all trees are already infected with the disease. Entomologist Lukasz Stelinski made that declaration early in his virtual presentation at the April 6 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. Stelinski is an entomologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus …

Tweaking the Sunshine for Better Citrus Health and Yield

Tacy CalliesProduction

By Christopher Vincent, Anirban Guha, Joon Hyuk Suh and Yu Wang It may surprise you to learn that citrus trees can get too much sunshine in the Sunshine State. Manipulating the light environment around a plant can have several surprising benefits. Shade can suppress the HLB cycle and enhance citrus health and yield. Overall, a mildly shaded citrus plant is …

Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute Returns

Ernie NeffEducation

The annual Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute, hosted by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension, will be held on April 6. The event will be delivered via a Zoom webinar from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. “We hope to reach a broad audience despite the limits imposed on us because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chris …

acp

The Do’s and Don’ts of Spraying for Psyllids

Ashley RobinsonPsyllids

Psyllid sprays have been a point of contention for Florida citrus growers. Under endemic HLB conditions, high psyllid control costs have cut into the grower’s bottom line, which has already been hit by reduced production. So, what is the right time to spray and how can a grower remain sustainable and profitable? Lukasz Stelinski, University of Florida professor of entomology …

Colony Collapses

Protecting Honey Bees in Citrus Groves

Tacy CalliesEnvironment

By Sylvia Willis, Amy Vu and Jamie Ellis When people think of Florida, the first thing that comes to mind is Fresh From Florida oranges. Florida accounts for 44 percent of total U.S. citrus production. Citrus, like many other fruits, vegetables and specialty crops, requires certain inputs to grow and produce fruit. But how are pollinators and the production of …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, March 2021

Taylor HillmanAll In For Citrus Podcast, Sponsored Content

March’s All In For Citrus podcast brings news of in-person events, details on controlling the vector of HLB disease, as well as potential changes to nutrient and water management recommendations. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers begins the episode discussing several upcoming events for growers. On April 6, the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute will return as a virtual …

psyllids

Citrus Phenology-Based Spraying for Psyllids

Ashley RobinsonPsyllids

By targeting Asian citrus psyllids on an area-wide scale and focusing on several individual properties simultaneously, growers can minimize psyllid movement between groves, reduce HLB transmission and maintain citrus production at a profitable level. Generally, most psyllid sprays are applied on a calendar or threshold basis, resulting in high-spray frequencies and associated costs. Because of the Asian citrus psyllid’s high …