Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) systems in Florida provide trees significant protection from the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and the HLB it spreads. Several other pests are also significantly reduced in CUPS, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers reported. For instance, citrus leafminer (CLM) populations were reduced by more than 80%. Large predators such as …
Citrus Greening Inevitable for North Florida, South Georgia
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 …
New UF/IFAS Extension Agent for Highlands County
Lourdes Pérez Cordero is the new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension agent for Highlands County. She did not grow up in the citrus industry, but you wouldn’t know that upon meeting her. Pérez, who recently started her new job, is eager and enthusiastic to engage with local citrus and vegetable growers and connect them to …
Free ACP Scouting Service
Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), California and Texas citrus growers can apply for the use of detection dogs to survey their groves for Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The ACP-hunting canine scouts are highly trained and have shown to be more than 90% accurate when tested in various environments. The information obtained from the scouting can …
Citrus Leafminer Control: Timing Is Everything
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 …
Citrus Tristeza Virus Still in Florida
Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is still present in Florida and can be transmitted to new trees, especially during brown citrus aphid outbreaks, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). A presentation about surveying for CTV was available at the UF/IFAS booth during Citrus Expo in August. The presentation noted that switching to sour orange …
Packinghouse Day Updates: Greasy Green Disorder and Cold Hardy Citrus
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 …
Kaolin Helps With ACP and HLB
According to researchers in Florida and California, kaolin clay, especially red kaolin, aids in the management of Asian citrus pysllids (ACP) and the HLB they spread, among other attributes. Christopher Vincent of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Monique Rivera of the University of California at Riverside recently presented a webinar about kaolin. The University …
Georgia Growers: Stop Citrus Greening Spread
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 …
CUPS Yielding Positive Results for Grapefruit
An innovative way to manage huanglongbing (HLB) disease is producing impressive results in University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research. According to Arnold Schumann, UF/IFAS professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), citrus under protective screen (CUPS) production systems have increased yields with zero effect from HLB. He shared research results during a recent …
Update on Culturing of the Citrus Greening Bacterium
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 …
IPCs Help With Diaprepes and Nematodes
Florida citrus growers have known for several years that individual protective covers (IPCs) do a good job of excluding HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids from young trees. “But those protective covers also protect from things like Diaprepes abbreviatus,” researcher Larry Duncan told the recent Citrus Expo audience. Duncan is a nematologist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
Dantzler Still Optimistic Regarding HLB
Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler told a Citrus Expo crowd why he remains optimistic regarding HLB, even in the face of negative industry trends. Dantzler, who started at CRDF on the first day of Citrus Expo three years ago, declared, “I am more optimistic than ever. It is taking longer than I thought, but …
Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter Making a Comeback?
The glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) is a pest that made California headlines from the late 1980s until its suppression at the turn of the new century. Unfortunately, it made a fast comeback in 2020, probably due to unusually warm winter weather. A warm winter and spring caused populations in the southern San Joaquin Valley to surge. Kern County traps showed a …
Chilli Thrips a Potential Problem in CUPS
A modified way of producing citrus in Florida to protect against the Asian citrus psyllid may provide shelter for another pest — chilli thrips. Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) production systems protect against the psyllid and the huanglongbing (HLB) disease the pest transmits. However, according to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock, the …
Assessing Spatial Patterns of Individual Protective Covers
By Fernando Alferez, Ozgur Batuman, Susmita Gaire, Ute Albrecht and Jawwad Qureshi In previous and ongoing research performed at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC), we have demonstrated that individual protective covers (IPCs) are effective in keeping psyllids off newly planted citrus trees. Trees have been HLB-free for more than two years after planting, and the IPCs provide …
First HLB Detection in San Diego County
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has declared a quarantine in north San Diego County following the detection of the citrus disease huanglongbing (HLB), known as citrus greening. The disease was found in two citrus trees on one residential property in the city of Oceanside. This is the first time the plant disease, which does not harm people …
Expo Focus: ‘What Growers Can Do Now’
Many of the citrus presentations featured on the first day of Citrus Expo, Aug. 18, will focus on “what growers can do now” to keep groves productive, Michael Rogers reports. Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, offers what he calls “a 30,000-foot view” of the citrus seminar …
Making Sense of Biologicals – Biofertilizers: Improving Nutrition in Citrus Trees
Citrus greening disease appears to be a problem for the foreseeable future for Florida growers. But what if growers could improve nutrition so trees could better cope with the disease? Scientists at Douglas Plant Health believe biofertilizers have that capability. “Think about it from a human health standpoint,” says Marcus Jones, vice president of research and development at Douglas Plant …
Sneak Peek: August 2021 Citrus Industry
August brings the biggest issue of Citrus Industry magazine of the year! That’s due to the annual Citrus, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo on Aug. 18-19 in North Fort Myers, Florida. The August issue serves as the show guide to the event and includes the seminar schedule, an exhibitor directory and everything attendees need to make the most of the …





























