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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “UF/IFAS”
By Mongi Zekri Foliar fertilizer application is certainly not a new concept to the citrus industry. For over six decades, foliar fertilization has been recommended to correct zinc, manganese, boron, copper and magnesium deficiencies in citrus. It is now common knowledge in agriculture that properly nourished crops may tolerate insect pests and diseases. Traditionally, citrus growers try to achieve optimum …
A recent University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) document reported results of research about Florida finger lime storage temperatures and coatings. “Postharvest Changes That Occur in Finger Limes at Chilling and Non-Chilling Temperatures” was written by Moshe Doron, Faisal Shahzad and Jeff Brecht. The document notes that finger limes, like other citrus fruits, cannot continue ripening …
By Ariel Singerman Federal crop insurance is a key component of the farm safety net because it allows growers to obtain coverage against losses and, therefore, manage risk at a subsidized premium rate. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency (RMA) started offering Florida citrus growers the option to insure their crop under a policy called Actual …
By Brett Bultemeier and Lauren Diepenbrock The status and availability of chlorpyrifos has had numerous, and at times, confusing changes due to new rules, court rulings and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decisions. The point of this article is to clearly define if chlorpyrifos can be used and until what date. As always, changes are possible in the future and users …
The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo is scheduled for Aug. 21–22 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. This year’s event will be the second at the fairgrounds — a venue which was well received by attendees of last year’s Expo. The event features an expansive trade show providing growers with an opportunity to learn about the products and services …
Blood oranges teeming with antioxidants and other health benefits may be a shot in the arm for consumers and citrus growers, if the fruit is stored at cool temperatures, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study shows. But it’s too soon to know if blood oranges are a viable crop for the Florida citrus industry, …
By Chris Oswalt During this time of the year, Florida growers should be aware of the potential for the development of citrus brown rot disease. It can infect fruit at color break. If severe, the disease can cause a significant amount of infected fruit to drop. For this reason, groves with a history of brown rot in areas that recently …
A wealth of observations are being recorded by growers and scientists on the effects of trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC). Visually, trees have responded with better canopies. Hopefully, higher yields and quality will continue to follow the applications. But what about below ground? There have been recorded improvements in citrus root mass in treated trees. Sarah Strauss, associate professor of …
The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS) and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have created an online toolkit to help protect agricultural workers from the summer heat. Last year’s sweltering summer temperatures convinced SCCAHS leadership that additional promotion about heat-related illness education could save lives. Even before the summer ended, the …
Sarah Strauss, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) soil microbiologist, joined the June All In For Citrus podcast episode to discuss her research on the interaction of oxytetracycline (OTC) currently being injected into citrus trees and the soil microbiome. She noted that OTC does change the soil microbial community. The good news is that the changes …
By Jawwad Qureshi The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Figure 1) is the vector of huanglongbing (HLB) disease associated with the phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. Infected trees start to decline and produce poor-quality fruit, which drops prematurely. Consequently, citrus production has decreased dramatically since the advent of HLB in Florida in 2005. There is no cure for the disease yet. …
A recent update of Millennium Block research at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce indicates the 5,500 trees in the project are yielding promising results. The four trials within the Millennium Block aim to unlock the genetic potential of new scion and rootstock hybrids never tested …
The conversation in Florida citrus continues to center around trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC). The July issue of Citrus Industry magazine presents the latest information on the OTC topic. OTC product labels require a one-year pause in application after two years of use. This requirement was put in place to prevent pathogen resistance to the product. Florida growers who have …
The educational seminars at the June Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference covered a wide range of topics intended to give growers hope that progress is being made in the fight against HLB. During the June All In For Citrus podcast, Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, …
By Davie Kadyampakeni and Miurel Brewer Row middle management is a key area that can improve tree performance. Row middles encompass 80% of citrus orchards, and 70% of the root system of citrus trees was located in row middles before huanglongbing (HLB). Typically, Florida citrus growers manage row middles using physical, chemical and mowing practices, often leaving them free of …
Alissa Hevesh on June 17 became the new Highlands County agriculture production/natural resources Extension agent. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences position includes citrus agent duties. Hevesh received a dual bachelor’s degree in economics and environmental studies and a minor in leadership studies from Eckerd College in 2018. She received a master’s degree in food and …
A recent update of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Multi-Agency Coordination (MAC) Project evaluating multiple grapefruit varieties on different rootstocks reveals that some combinations have less HLB symptoms than others. Jackson has one of the lowest ranks for disease index across the combinations. The healthiest trees in the trial include: At least half of the blocks in the MAC trial …
By Peter Chaires When June rolls around, the last of the oranges are generally coming in and it’s time to reassess what worked and identify areas for improvement. Research-based entities are making every effort to steer dollars to where they will have the most immediate impact. The name of the game right now is capacity preservation. We must do what …
The pros of using interstocks for HLB management seemed to outweigh the cons, based on a presentation horticulturist Manjul Dutt made at this spring’s Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. Dutt is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor. An interstock is a graft of a citrus selection that can be used as a bridge between …
By Ramdas Kanissery Finding the right time to apply post-emergent herbicides for controlling weeds in citrus groves is challenging in the summer months due to frequent rain. Rainy conditions delay grove maintenance, including herbicide spraying, while also impacting the effectiveness of the herbicides. Monitoring weather forecasts and identifying optimal conditions for herbicide applications can help achieve the best results. Below …
