By Rhuanito S. Ferrarezi, William S. Castle, Kim D. Bowman, Jude W. Grosser, Stephen H. Futch, Steve Rogers and Andres Gonzalez First published in 1989 as Rootstocks for Florida Citrus, the work of William Castle and his colleagues remains relevant 30 years later. The purpose of the fourth edition of the Florida Citrus Rootstock Selection Guide is to provide timely …
Lebbeck Mealybug Management Update
An update on lebbeck mealybug, a relatively new pest of Florida citrus, was provided recently by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock. Diepenbrock, who works at the Citrus Research and Education Center, prepared the presentation for the April Florida Citrus Growers Institute, which was canceled due to COVID-19. Lebbeck mealybug was found in …
HLB Update for North Florida, South Georgia
Since 2018, there have been no huanglongbing (HLB) finds in commercial citrus groves in North Florida, and there have still been no disease detections in Georgia groves. In North Florida, HLB was detected in groves in Live Oak in Suwanee County and Perry in Taylor County in 2018, reported Xavier Martini, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
Summer Tree Care Practices to Improve Fruit Quality and Yield
By Fernando Alferez and Tripti Vashisth As summer approaches and citrus trees bear developing fruit, growers can engage in several practices to improve fruit quality and yield. As temperatures rise and daylength increases, conditions are conducive for enhanced photosynthesis and accumulation of soluble sugars in the fruit. It is important to note that, in general, the temperature is negatively correlated …
New Opportunity for Citrus Growers to Earn CEUs Online
When the annual 2020 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute was canceled due to the stay-at-home guidelines recommended by the state, growers were shut out of learning the latest research updates from University of Florida citrus scientists. In addition, they were denied access to earning valuable continuing education units (CEUs) needed to renew pesticide licenses. University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural …
Cover Crops Benefit California Citrus Grower
A California citrus grower says he has substantially increased water retention and decreased irrigation usage by planting cover crops. Chris Sayer, of Petty Ranch, says he has added about 3 percent organic content to his soil, which has reduced irrigation water usage from 2 acre feet to 1.25 to 1.5 acre feet. Sayer is a fifth-generation Ventura County farmer. He …
COVID-19 Hurts Texas Citrus
The COVID-19 pandemic that reduced food-service sales nationwide took a toll on some Texas citrus growers this season. MARKET DISRUPTION“Schools and restaurants make up a significant percentage of sales for Texas citrus,” said Dale Murden, a grower and president of Texas Citrus Mutual. “Whether it’s fresh or juice, the loss of those markets definitely hurt.” At least in part because of the …
All In For Citrus Podcast, May 2020
In May’s All In For Citrus Podcast, listeners can hear the latest huanglongbing (HLB) research and recommendations as well as how the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus team is operating as COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease. As always, Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) Director Michael Rogers begins the podcast. He shares news about …
Video in Spanish on HLB Best Practices
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), through its Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program, has developed a mobile-friendly, Spanish-language training video. It’s for use by field crew supervisors and farm labor contractors prior to harvest. The new tool trains industry managers and workers, including field crews, with best practices to prevent the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid …
UF/IFAS Welcomes New Entomologist
In mid-April, Tolulope Morawo began a new position as an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce. He joins UF’s statewide effort to protect crops and natural environments with integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. In 2017, Morawo completed his doctorate degree …
HLB a Target of MIT Research
Citrus, olives and bananas are under threat in many areas due to diseases that affect plants’ circulatory systems and that cannot be treated by applying pesticides. Huanglongbing (HLB) is the disease inflicting heavy damage on citrus in Florida and many other parts of the world. These diseases are difficult to detect early and to treat, given the lack of precision …
Citrus Scientist Succeeds at Working From Home
University of Florida scientist Christopher Vincent is used to working with the unknown to learn new grove management practices. As a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant physiologist, Vincent works to discover how citrus trees can thrive under stressful conditions. Now, during the coronavirus stay-at-home recommendations, he’s applying those skills in a whole new experience — …
Updated Citrus Nutrition Guide Helps Growers Manage Greening
Florida citrus growers hit hard by citrus greening can benefit from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) expertise in an updated book — the third edition of the Nutrition of Florida Citrus Trees. Greening, known scientifically as huanglongbing (HLB), has caused significant damage to Florida’s citrus industry. UF/IFAS scientists and Extension faculty have updated the guide …
The Economics of Mesh Bags for Protecting Young Citrus Trees
By Ariel Singerman The use of mesh bags has been proposed as a strategy for excluding Asian citrus psyllids to protect young citrus trees. The expected benefit of using mesh bags is increased yield by delaying HLB infection. A scientific experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of mesh bags started in February 2018. There are still many unknowns regarding yield, use …
How Arizona Has Avoided HLB
Although the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is found in Arizona at very low levels, the devastating huanglongbing (HLB) disease, also known as citrus greening, is not. John Caravetta, associate director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA), discussed successful efforts to control the psyllid and prevent HLB from infecting orchards. Caravetta reported that “AZDA is conducting trapping for ACP in …
Watch Out for Invasive Species
By Clint Thompson April is Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants help in identifying invasive species that threaten the food supply and cause plant diseases. Samantha Simon, USDA’s executive director of emergency and domestic programs, says invasive species can threaten agriculture and many farming operations, especially in the Southeast. She …
New HLB Find in California
A new finding of huanglongbing (HLB) has been reported in a residential citrus tree in the city of San Bernardino, California. This is the first confirmed find of the citrus disease in the city and follows the recent detections of several HLB-positive trees located in Colton, Montclair and Ontario. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is working with …
Incentive-Based Tariffs and Invasive Pests
Incentive-based policies have had success in some industries by helping regulate air quality, control pollution and protect wildlife and fisheries. But two University of Maryland professors in agriculture and resource economics have determined that incentive-based tariffs likely aren’t the answer to controlling invasive pests in imported fruits and vegetables. Erik Lichtenberg and Lars Olson published their findings recently in the …
Georgia Citrus Groves at Risk
Loundes County University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension Coordinator Jake Price recently provided huanglongbing (HLB) disease information and advice to the state’s citrus growers. “Greening (another name for HLB) is the big gorilla in the room,” said Price, who has helped producers with the growth of citrus in Lowndes County and surrounding areas. Georgia’s citrus industry launched in 2013 and …
Nursery Diseases at Planting: What to Watch for
By Ozgur Batuman and Megan Dewdney Citrus nurseries work very hard and put forth considerable effort to reduce pest and disease problems. However, there continues to be problems with certain diseases, because the nursery environment for growing citrus trees is ideal for many pests and diseases. Basic principles of good nursery sanitation practices together with screening and removing suspected or …




























