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From the Extension: Citrus greening can easily decimate oranges and more
https://www.dailycommercial.com ^ | APRIL 23, 2022 | Staff

Posted on 04/28/2022 11:26:48 AM PDT by Red Badger

While commercial citrus growers in Florida are keenly aware of where the industry stands with citrus greening, I get many questions from the general public about the disease and citrus in general, so I thought an update on the situation was fitting.

I’ll start with a quick history lesson to bring us all up to speed.

Citrus greening or HLB is short for Huanglongbing, a bacterial disease that affects nearly all types of citrus and ultimately cause trees to die. Many have reported that it is the worst disease to ever impact citrus.

The disease is vectored or transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, a small flying insect that feeds on plant tissue. The disease was first reported in Florida in Miami-Dade County in 2005 and in the 17 years since it has been estimated that citrus production in the state has declined by close to 75 percent.

A healthy grove in today’s HLB era.

It starts by impacting the tree’s root system and then vascular tissue up the tree and causes a myriad of symptoms including, but not limited to: die back of all parts of the tree, fruit drop, poor fruit quality and fruit distortion, and overall poor tree health.

Unfortunately, there is still no silver bullet cure for the disease. Researchers from the University of Florida/IFAS and other research institutions all over the world have been working towards solutions since the implications of the disease became apparent early on.

There are, however, some good management strategies and developments that have come out to best manage groves and stay productive (and in business!) in spite of HLB. As well, there are some advances in breeding and genetics and other technologies that producers can be encouraged about for the future of the industry.

Two of the best management strategies for citrus in todays HLB era sort of fit together in tandem – optimized water and nutrient uptake. These two things are often referred to as irrigation and fertilization, respectively, but that is not always the case as rainfall and ‘free’ existing nutrients in the soil have to be considered as well.

Sugar Belle®, one of the recommended citrus cultivars recommended for homeowners, partly due to tolerance to HLB.

That said, the point is that it is imperative that citrus trees have adequate water and nutrients when living with a disease, or the likely potential to have a disease, that affects root and vascular tissue. While a lot could be said about this topic, the short of it is that trees do better when provided smaller but adequate doses of water and nutrients at more frequent intervals since our sandy Florida soil doesn’t hold on to either very well.

More and more growers are also starting to see the benefits of improving overall soil health by utilizing cover crops and composts; both help build organic matter and increase biological life in the soil that in turn helps with water and nutrient holding capacities and uptake by the tree.

These practices are not new, but rather old practices that are coming back around because we have been reminded of their value.

Other than soil health and water and nutrient management strategies, breeding efforts have and will play a significant role in overcoming the severe implications of HLB. There have been several varieties released to commercial growers that have shown tolerance to the disease and been a big help to the industry.

A soil moisture sensor at a Lake County citrus grove. A couple examples of these are OLL4 and Sugar Belle®, both of which are recommended for the home landscape. While tolerance to a disease is great, the higher goal and hope for researchers and growers alike is a resistant tree.

Tolerance to a disease means that the tree can have the disease but still maintain a ‘tolerable’ amount of productivity to prove economical while resistance means that the tree has a greater ability to ‘resist’ getting the disease or at least much slower to develop symptoms.

There are other strategies currently in play but I am out of space! Those who would like to learn more can find plenty of information by searching online with keywords such as citrus, HLB, UF/IFAS, citrus research and education center.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Business/Economy; Food; Gardening
KEYWORDS: citrus; citruspsyllid; hlb; huanglongbing; oranges
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Recently found in California as well...............
1 posted on 04/28/2022 11:26:48 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Joe Brower

Florida citrus Ping..................

2 posted on 04/28/2022 11:28:01 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger
Nothing good comes out of foreign countries: Dutch Elm disease, Emerald Ash Borer, Giant Killer Hornets, Fire Ants, Pythons, Chestnut Blight, slaves, etc. etc.

3 posted on 04/28/2022 11:32:46 AM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

ISWYDT....................


4 posted on 04/28/2022 11:36:10 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

Here in the SF Bay Area, we had the Mediterranean Fruit Fly 40 years ago. We had helicopters flying over us spraying Malathion for days. It was successful, but it drove people mad having the poison sprayed all over the area.


5 posted on 04/28/2022 12:10:33 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (Instead of criminalizing guns, we need to criminalize criminals.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

“Nothing good comes out of foreign countries:”

Obama


6 posted on 04/28/2022 12:11:03 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (Instead of criminalizing guns, we need to criminalize criminals.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie
Nothing good comes out of foreign countries: Dutch Elm disease, Emerald Ash Borer, Giant Killer Hornets, Fire Ants, Pythons, Chestnut Blight, slaves, etc. etc.

Our ancestors . . .
7 posted on 04/28/2022 12:23:36 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana (“...we would live very well without Facebook."-B.LeMaire)
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To: Red Badger

We have many other types of trees that don’t seem to get impacted.

Apparently most trees produce one or more resisting substances that citrus trees don’t.

Genetically modified trees should be developed and marketed.

The European nutcases may not like that, but I like orange juice.


8 posted on 04/28/2022 12:26:00 PM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: Dr. Sivana
"Our ancestors . . .".

Like I said.

9 posted on 04/28/2022 12:29:20 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: Red Badger; JulieRNR21; Travis McGee; AAABEST; kinganamort; katherineisgreat; floriduh voter; ...
Citrus greening was very big news when it first showed up here in Florida. As I recall it, this was a few years before 2005. We had some of this here in Sarasota county around then and there was a bit of a ruckus about it -- seems some state officials discovered a diseased tree, but had been traipsing around on the landowner's property without announcement or permission. One tree was found to have greening, and the policy then was to annihilate everything within a radius of 100 feet or something like that. He chased them off at gunpoint, they came back with the sheriff, and things were tense for a bit there. I think an agreement was reached for some monetary compensation, which, if this fellow hadn't defended his property, he would not have received.

There were quite a few horror stories of whole orchards destroyed by agents of the state government in the mid-2000's. But it's been quite a while since I heard anything more about this problem.

Florida Freeper

I'm compiling a list of FReepers interested in Florida-related topics.
If you want to be added, please FReepMail me.

10 posted on 04/28/2022 12:42:16 PM PDT by Joe Brower ("Might we not live in a nobler dream than this?" -- John Ruskin)
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To: Red Badger

bookmark...


11 posted on 04/28/2022 2:26:30 PM PDT by GOPJ (Gumballs and illegals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=45&v=LPjzfGChGlE)
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To: Joe Brower

a friend of mine in port saint lucie came home from work to two missing orange trees in his back yard when that was going on...

he was not happy...


12 posted on 04/28/2022 2:26:39 PM PDT by heavy metal (smiling improves your face value and makes people wonder what the hell you're up to... 😁)
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To: Dr. Sivana

“Our ancestors . . . “

Look where that got us.


13 posted on 04/28/2022 3:22:13 PM PDT by moovova
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To: Brian Griffin

I live next to a swamp. The greening and black mold are horrible to my orange tree. The only thing I’ve found to work is nano silver water with some dishwashing liquid mixed in then sprayed on the tree every few weeks.


14 posted on 04/28/2022 3:28:02 PM PDT by Justa (If where you came from is so great then why aren't Floridians moving there?)
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To: Red Badger

And, in Brazil. Their greening problems, as I understand it, were much worse than ours. Many citrus companies in Florida are now owned by Brazilians. Many of the growers have tried planting older generation trees, before all of the hybrids started showing up, that supposedly resist greening!


15 posted on 04/28/2022 3:52:46 PM PDT by Road Warrior ‘04 (BOYCOTT The NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR & Faux Snooze! Molon Labe! Oathkeeper! )
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To: Joe Brower
The early 2000 citrus disease you are referring to is Citrus Canker. County extension agents routinely inspected yards and ordered trees in a large radius to be destroyed around a single infected tree. Turned out all of that was overkill.

Citrus greening came later. Caused by a flying insect, the Asian psyllid, citrus greening cannot be controlled by the methods used for citrus canker. The infected trees are not contagious; the flying insects carry the disease. So many beloved dooryard citrus have been destroyed by citrus greening. I speak from experience as a homeowner and a Master Gardener.

16 posted on 04/28/2022 4:16:39 PM PDT by NautiNurse (Who will portray Alec Baldwin in the SNL skit? )
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To: Road Warrior ‘04

Also has showed up in Israel.


17 posted on 04/28/2022 4:22:22 PM PDT by jjotto ( Blessed are You LORD, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.)
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To: Red Badger

Diseases trees are probably the cause of so many libs coming to Florida.The minute a grove is declared diseased the trees are mowed down and a year later there is a new subdivision full of yankees.


18 posted on 04/29/2022 2:46:19 AM PDT by rodguy911 ((FR:home of the free because of the Brave---),ITS ALL A CONSPIRACY: UNTIL IT'S NOT)
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To: NautiNurse

How many of those groves especially in your area are now housing developments?


19 posted on 04/29/2022 2:49:00 AM PDT by rodguy911 ((FR:home of the free because of the Brave---),ITS ALL A CONSPIRACY: UNTIL IT'S NOT)
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To: rodguy911

Swapping one disease for another.....................


20 posted on 04/29/2022 5:13:41 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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