By Ute Albrecht, Carol Tardivo, Gabriel Pugina, Larissa Nunes, Jasmine de Freitas and Gerardo Moreno Since the approval of oxytetracycline (OTC) injection to manage citrus greening (huanglongbing, HLB) in Florida, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant physiology team at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) has completed various research trials with multiple …
Oxytetracycline Efficacy Impacted by Exposure to Field Conditions
By Lauren Fessler Mathews, Sanju Kunwar, Ana Redondo and Ozgur Batuman Based on numerous research studies conducted by scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), it has been proven that injections of oxytetracycline (OTC) can help to alleviate symptoms caused by huanglongbing (HLB) disease. This treatment is now widely practiced and crucial for preventing …
Survey Asks Growers About Oxytetracycline Trunk Injection
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are conducting a grower survey about the use of oxytetracycline (OTC) trunk injection in citrus production. The researchers want to learn about the adoption, efficacy and economic feasibility of OTC injections. The survey, which can be accessed here, will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. It should be completed …
Tips for Trunk Injection of Oxytetracycline
By Ute Albrecht and Ozgur Batuman Follow these important tips for proper trunk injection of oxytetracycline as a citrus therapeutic. APPLICATION TIMING INJECTION TECHNIQUE ADDITIONAL ADVICE Ute Albrecht (ualbrecht@ufl.edu) and Ozgur Batuman (obatuman@ufl.edu) are associate professors at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. Sponsored ContentTake the Sting Out …
How Much Yield Is Needed to Offset the Cost of Injecting Trees With Oxytetracycline?
By Ariel Singerman Citrus growers in Florida are now allowed to inject their trees with oxytetracycline (OTC) to try to control Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and/or suppress citrus greening. The use of OTC is expected to improve the trees’ health and, in turn, increase yield. In this article, cost estimates are used to address the question of what yield response is …
Research Update on Oxytetracycline Injection for HLB Management
By Ute Albrecht The German scientist Paul Ehrlich pioneered the research for “magic bullets” — chemicals that could kill a microorganism but did not harm the patient. He also coined the term “chemotherapy” and paved the way for developing synthetic drugs. The first synthetic antibiotic (the first sulfa-type antibiotic) to successfully treat human bacterial diseases without major side effects was …
Latest CRDF Funding Includes Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride Projects
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors convened its March meeting with a busy agenda, addressing fast-moving current events. Discussion focused on newly approved oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) trunk-injection products currently being applied in groves. The board funded a project to measure the impact of OTC-HCI applications on the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). Specifically, the study will determine …
Citrus Agent Discusses Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride Products
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) multi-county citrus Extension agent Ajia Paolillo recently provided information about two commercial oxytetracycline hydrochloride products approved for use against HLB. TJ Biotech LLC was the first company to receive approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for trunk injection of this formulation. EPA granted TJ Biotech a Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, …
Injectable Oxytetracycline Registered
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) on Oct. 28 granted a 24(c) special local need registration for the injection of ReMedium TI for the control or suppression of HLB. The TJ BioTech product is oxytetracycline (OTC) hydrochloride, an antibiotic. “EPA (the federal Environmental Protection Agency) has 90 days to object, but it is my understanding that growers …
Oxytetracycline Product Promises Timely Relief From HLB
What may be the closest thing yet to a timely silver bullet for HLB was discussed Oct. 26 at Lake Alfred’s Citrus Research and Education Center. Josh Steinbronn, director of research and development at TJ BioTech, said trunk injection of his company’s ReMedium TI oxytetracycline product suppresses Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the causal agent of HLB. He added that injection …
Citrus Industry Weighs In on Oxytetracycline Trunk Injection
Trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) has been proposed as a means to manage HLB in citrus. University of Florida research shows OTC injections increase yield and fruit quality but cause tree injury. TJ BioTech expects to receive EPA registration in late fall of this year for an OTC product that could be injected into trees. Florida citrus industry growers and …
Adjuvants Did Not Improve Delivery of Foliar-Applied Oxytetracycline
In 2016, federal authorities began allowing Florida citrus growers to spray oxytetracycline solutions on their trees to combat citrus greening disease. Since then, researchers have been investigating oxytetracycline delivery methods. In a Citrus Expo presentation, Christopher Vincent, assistant professor of horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, shared …
Oxytetracycline Sprays vs. Trunk Injections
Since 2016, federal authorities have allowed Florida citrus growers to spray oxytetracycline solutions on their trees to combat citrus greening disease. A newly published University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study suggests that the bactericide would be more effective if it were injected into citrus tree trunks, a practice not currently approved under U.S. law. Citrus …
PGRs Can Produce Remarkable Results
Tripti Vashisth, associate professor of horticultural sciences with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), has been studying the use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) to improve citrus tree health and fruit retention for several years now. Her work has culminated into a systems approach of when to use a particular PGR at a certain time …
Citrus Seminars Provide Research Updates
Researchers from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) delivered several presentations to a standing-room-only audience during the citrus seminars at the Florida Citrus Show in March. VARIETIES AND ROOTSTOCKS The citrus session began with a breeder panel discussing research on varieties and rootstocks. Participants were Manjul Dutt and Jude …
All In for Citrus Podcast, April 2025
April is a busy month for citrus events. The Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute was held in Avon Park early in the month followed by a citrus field day at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SFWREC) in Immokalee. These events are the topic of the April episode of the …
Brassinosteroids Improve HLB-Affected Tree Health and Fruit Quality
By Fernando Alferez, Divya Aryal and Saoussen Ben Abdallah In the last few years, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus horticulture team at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee has performed several research trials in commercial farms and at the experimental farm at the SWFREC to elucidate the effect of …
Citrus Field Day Highlights Research
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee hosted a citrus field day on April 10. The event showcased the research being conducted at the center. One of the tour stops featured individual protective cover (IPC) research led by Fernando Alferez, UF/IFAS associate professor of citrus horticulture. Thanks in …
Florida Citrus Grower Feeling Encouraged
In a time when hope can be hard to find for the Florida citrus industry, one grower left last week’s Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute feeling encouraged. Whether it was meeting with fellow growers or learning about ongoing research that has long-term ramifications, Paul Koukos felt optimistic following the April 8 meeting. “It’s always good to get together with other growers, …
Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute Included Interactive Element
Growers gathered in Avon Park for the annual Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute at South Florida Community College in early April. Scientists from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) presented updates on their work and the latest efforts to help in the fight against HLB. New this year, the scientists also hosted learning stations to further …