irrigation

Irrigation Management Advice for HLB Trees

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Irrigation

Water is a limiting factor in Florida citrus production during the majority of the year. Florida citrus trees may require irrigation throughout the year due to the low water-holding capacity of sandy soils and the warm subtropical climate with distinct drought periods during the spring.  Davie Kadyampakeni, assistant professor of soil and water sciences at the University of Florida Institute …

HLB and Citrus Root Health

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Root health

“We’re not going to have a silver bullet” for HLB, says Lorenzo Rossi, an assistant professor at the Indian River Research and Education Center. Instead, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) root biologist says that researchers are trying to keep citrus producing profitably. Rossi described some of his research efforts that focus on root health …

psyllid

Advice for Psyllid/HLB Control

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Psyllids

Even with the virtually 100 percent level of HLB infection found in Florida citrus trees, reducing Asian citrus psyllids improves tree health and yield, entomologist Lukasz Stelinski says. Stelinski is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center.   Stelinski reports that trials the late UF/IFAS researcher Phil Stansly …

florida

HLB Quarantine Area Expands in California

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner

A quarantine expansion has been declared following the detection of the citrus disease huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in two residential citrus trees in Colton, California. This is the first time the disease has been confirmed in Colton. This detection came on the heels of the first detection in San Bernardino County in November 2019. The California Department of Food …

nutrition

CRDF Acts on Bayer HLB Effort

Ernie NeffHLB Management

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) on Jan. 28 did its part to continue a Bayer Crop Science effort to develop new technologies to combat HLB. “What we agreed to do was partner with the California Citrus Research Board (CRB), Pepsi and Coca-Cola and share equally in the costs (of continuing the HLB effort) for another six months,” said …

HLB

HLB and Young Trees: A New Twist

Ernie NeffHLB Management

Southern Gardens Citrus is attempting to curtail HLB infection in young trees by focusing on spraying for HLB-spreading psyllids in mature trees. Mike Irey, the company’s director of research and business development, discussed the effort at the January Florida Citrus Show in Fort Pierce. “The goal of most of the strategies to protect young trees is to get them as …

planting

HLB: Learning From Brazil

Ernie NeffHLB Management

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher Rhuanito (Johnny) Ferrarezi reports on a trip to Brazil to learn about HLB control methods. Ferrarezi, who works at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center, made the trip with former multi-county citrus Extension agent Steve Futch. “Their disease incidence is way lower than in Florida,” Ferrarezi says. …

HLB and Grove Budgeting

Ernie NeffHLB Management

Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers says while much progress has been made in dealing with HLB, many growers now face economic woes because of high orange juice inventories. He discusses some decisions that growers facing those economic issues will have to make and offers some suggestions. “We’ve come a long way since HLB came to Florida,” Rogers …

Niche Market and Dooryard Citrus for the HLB World

Tacy CalliesVarieties

By Jude Grosser, Manjul Dutt and Fred Gmitter The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus improvement team at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) has developed a broad citrus germplasm base. This provides opportunities to generate diverse, interesting and possibly lucrative selections with niche market and dooryard potential. Several such selections are showing reasonable …

nutrition

Bayer-CRDF HLB Effort Updated

Ernie NeffCRDF, HLB Management

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) in 2017 agreed to partner with Bayer Crop Science for three years in an effort to develop new technologies to combat HLB. On Dec. 3, a Bayer representative provided a progress update to the CRDF board of directors. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler discusses the history and possible future of the endeavor. …

soil

Soil Health Focus for HLB

Ernie Neffsoil

A citrus soil health field day recently attracted about 40 people to the Howey-in-the-Hills area to see growers’ success using cover crops and compost on Florida groves once stunted by HLB. Event organizer Juanita Popenoe, commercial fruit production Extension agent for Lake, Marion and Orange counties, comments on the groves’ success. Popenoe is with the University of Florida Institute of …

hlb

California and Florida Collaborate on HLB Research

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, HLB Management, Research

University of California, Riverside (UCR) professor Georgios Vidalakis recently provided an update on the state of California citrus for researchers in Florida. Vidalakis is a noted professor and Extension specialist in UCR’s Microbiology and Plant Pathology Department. Among other honors, he was recently named Presidential Researcher for Sustainable Citrus Clonal Protection. Vidalakis pointed out that California has benefited greatly from …

Cover Crops Bring HLB Recovery

Ernie NeffCover Crops, HLB Management

About eight years ago, Ed James had given up on a grove that was ravaged by HLB in the Howey-in-the-Hills area. “I had abandoned the grove,” he says. “I was going to fix the soil to plant alternative crops. And when I started fixing the soil with cover crops, the trees turned around and started producing again.” On Nov. 15, …

IPCs for HLB Prevention in Young Trees

Tacy CalliesHLB Management

By Fernando Alferez, Susmita Gaire, Ute Albrecht, Ozgur Batuman, Jawwad Qureshi and Mongi Zekri Controlling the Asian citrus psyllid vector of huanglongbing (HLB) is critical, especially in young trees. Reducing HLB incidence is essential for tree survival and productivity under current endemic conditions. Individual protective covers (IPCs) are a novel strategy based on psyllid exclusion by means of a protective …

CRAFT program

Newly Planted Trees and HLB

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Root health

Newly planted trees need to have root systems that are as established, robust and healthy as possible before contracting HLB, Evan Johnson told growers at Citrus Expo. That’s because HLB takes out a tree’s fibrous root system and causes dieback of the structural root system. Having strong root systems from the start will increase the productive life of trees, the …

psyllid

Does Reducing Psyllids Help When HLB Is Present Everywhere?

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Psyllids

By Freddy Ibanez, Nabil Killiny, L. Gene Albrigo and Lukasz L. Stelinski With both Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) and huanglongbing (HLB) distributed throughout Florida groves, there is no longer a need to slow the spread of the disease. So, it is logical to ask whether reducing vector numbers is still something that is worth pursuing, given the investment needed in …

nutrition

Gibberellic Acid for HLB-Affected Trees

Ernie NeffHLB Management

Horticulturist Tripti Vashisth discussed the use of gibberellic acid (GA) in HLB-affected trees at a recent, well-attended OJ Break in Bartow hosted by multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt. Vashisth is an assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center. Vashisth told growers that HLB-affected trees are under continuous stress …

citrus

IPCs Effective Against Psyllids and HLB

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Pests, Psyllids

Long-time multi-county citrus Extension agent Mongi Zekri, who serves Southwest Florida counties, says individual protective covers (IPCs) work well in the fight against citrus greening, also known as HLB. “They have been very effective in controlling or managing citrus greening, because they don’t allow the citrus psyllid, which is the vector of the disease, to get to the tree,” Zekri …

citrus greening

Researchers to Look Deeper Into HLB Management

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

By Karla Arboleda University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are getting ready to conduct several trials on tools used to protect young citrus trees from HLB. The team of five researchers will receive $665,471 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for experiments at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. Lauren …

benefits

Dundee Growers Have Hope Despite HLB

Tacy CalliesHLB Management

By Ernie Neff Like all Florida citrus packers, “our citrus volume is down substantially because of HLB,” says Dundee Citrus Growers Association (CGA) Chairman and President Lindsay Raley. But unlike many packinghouses that have closed since HLB was discovered in Florida, Dundee CGA’s packinghouse is still thriving. Diversifying beyond citrus and helping its members cope with HLB have been keys …