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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “biological control”
By Tripti Vashisth and Taylor Livingston Hurricane Milton passed over many citrus-producing counties in Florida, resulting in canopy and fruit loss (especially in early varieties). HLB-affected trees undergo a lot of stress, and now the hurricane has added more abiotic stress to trees. High-speed winds caused significant fruit and leaf drop. The fruit and leaves that escaped the drop during the …
By Ute Albrecht, Caroline Tardivo, Larissa Nunes, Gabriel Pugina, Gerardo Moreno and Jasmine de Freitas As growers are well into the second year of oxytetracycline (OTC) injections since approval for commercial use, more and more data are accumulating. The good news is that in all University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) trials, trees have been responding …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program awarded 54 grants and 524 sub-award projects totaling $72.9 million for fiscal year 2024. The following citrus projects were included in the funding. CALIFORNIA The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) received a grant for $448,742 for mitigating huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus using naturally-derived …
By Amir Rezazadeh The giant swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) is a beautiful insect, admired for its large wingspan and vibrant yellow and black coloration. However, for citrus growers, this butterfly is often viewed with less enthusiasm. The larvae of the giant swallowtail, commonly referred to as “orange dogs,” can cause significant damage to citrus trees. Understanding the nature of this …
In Brazil, a more effective and sustainable insecticide for HLB-spreading psyllids was developed by Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Company) in partnership with the Institute of Chemistry of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). The work resulted in a controlled-release system of the insecticide thiamethoxam molecule. Encapsulation was performed in polymeric nanoparticles, structures more than 80,000 times smaller than the thickness …
Acadian Plant Health (APH) is the largest independent marine plant harvesting, cultivation, and extraction company in the world, and an international leader in sustainable, science-based biological solutions for crops. A team of researchers with Acadian closely studied the effects of Ascophyllum nodosum-based bio-stimulants and how they increase resilience against environmental stresses. Holly Little, director of research and development, speaks with AgNet …
A new web-based tool will help growers reduce risks that come with climate variability. It’s called the climate indicators tool, the newest addition to AgroClimate. AgroClimate is a web-based platform designed 15 years ago by Clyde Fraisse, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor of agricultural and biological engineering. Growers can use the new tool …
One California citrus leader believes Georgia should respond more aggressively to huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) for the sake of the industry’s future in the state. Roger Smith, fourth-generation citrus producer and executive of AC Foods, spoke during the recent Georgia Citrus Association meeting in Tifton. He discussed the disease that devastated citrus production in Florida and could …
By Ramdas Kanissery and Robert Riefer Pre-emergent herbicides, also known as residual herbicides, are highly effective in the long-term suppression of weeds in citrus tree rows. These herbicides remain in the soil and prevent susceptible weeds from germinating. In order to achieve the best weed control results, pre-emergent herbicides need to stay within approximately the top 5 inches of soil, …
By Davie Kadyampakeni Huanglongbing (HLB) is a citrus disease that affects the growth of the fibrous roots of citrus trees. This means that HLB-affected trees may have reduced root volume, which impacts water uptake. A greenhouse study was conducted from October 2019 to July 2021 at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and …
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has been awarded five federal grants totaling more than $5 million to control HLB. The grants are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). HLB is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). The Asian citrus psyllid can transmit CLas into a …
By Tripti Vashisth, Wesley Webb and Taylor Livingston As trees become symptomatic for HLB, leaves experience an imbalance of plant hormones. This hormonal imbalance exacerbates HLB symptoms and can lead to more stem dieback, poor vegetative growth and fruit drop. This ultimately leads to reduced bearing wood, resulting in yield losses and tree decline. Thus, the use of growth-promoting hormones …
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) recently issued a report describing some of its projects testing the injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) into trees as an HLB treatment. 1. Lukasz Stelinski and Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski, both of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), are measuring the impact of OTC injection on the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) …
Developing disease-resistant, high-quality improved crop varieties may seem like a “hairy” task, but Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists may have gotten to the root of the issue. A new biological technology that develops and multiplies disease-resistant citrus plants is under development by an AgriLife Research team led by Kranthi Mandadi. Mandadi is an associate professor at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research …
Pesticide-maker AgLogic has asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve use of the pesticide aldicarb on Florida oranges and grapefruit, the Center for Biological Diversity reported. The center, which opposes the approval, says it is dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. The EPA approved a similar aldicarb request in the waning days of the Trump …
Specialists from Brazil’s Fundecitrus recently participated in the Argentine Citriculture Congress in Concordia, Argentina. They were among more than 400 at the event. Participants included producers, researchers and students. Fundecitrus researcher Renato Bassanezi gave the opening lecture on epidemiology and management of greening in Brazil. He also participated in a round table discussion on the current status of advances in …
By Sarah Strauss, Emma Dawson and Elena Karlsen-Ayala The term “soil health” has become increasingly popular in the last several years. While there are many definitions of soil health, one of the more commonly cited ones is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It defines soil health as “…the continued capacity of a soil …
By Taylor Livingston and Tripti Vashisth Fighting HLB alongside weather disasters like freezes and hurricanes is leaving growers with little options for sustaining yields. The Hamlin sweet orange variety is known for higher susceptibility to HLB symptoms which cause rapid tree decline, including increased pre-harvest fruit drop and canopy loss. Production strategies that target fruit drop and canopy health improvement …
The citrus session at the Florida Grower Citrus Show started off with a special award acknowledgement by Ron Cave, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC). Cave recognized Pasco Avery for his induction into the 2022 class of the IPM Hall of Fame from the Southern IPM …
Far from his roots in a small town in northwest China, Changying “Charlie” Li is now the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) artificial intelligence (AI) administrative coordinator. He’s also a professor of agricultural and biological engineering. Li joined UF/IFAS last year to focus on agricultural AI with research, teaching and administration appointments. He wants to …
