The November All In For Citrus podcast takes a trip around the globe. Faculty from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) join the show to describe citrus production in regions outside of the United States.

Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, gives an update on citrus in the Caribbean and how UF/IFAS scientists collaborate with colleagues in those countries to advance citrus production knowledge.

The podcast also provides updates on citrus production in South America, Brazil, the Indian subcontinent, Israel, Africa and the Mediterranean. One of the key takeaway messages from the episode is that sharing knowledge with other production regions benefits all citrus growers globally. UF/IFAS scientists say that, in most cases, U.S. citrus producers can gain beneficial knowledge by following what is happening in other parts of the world.

Flavia Zambon, UF/IFAS assistant professor, gives an update on citrus in her home country of Brazil. The world’s largest citrus producer has begun to feel the bite of HLB more acutely in recent years. In addition, an ongoing drought in Brazil is challenging citrus production.

Tripti Vashisth, UF/IFAS associate professor, discusses citrus production on the Indian subcontinent. Interestingly, growers in that part of the world have been dealing with HLB for more than 100 years but have remained relatively productive. Vashisth said that is due in part to the region’s better soils and production practices.

The podcast is a partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.

The October All In For Citrus podcast features citrus under protective screen (CUPS). Over the past decade, the practice has grown in popularity due to its ability to exclude the Asian citrus psyllid and huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Roughly 1,500 acres of citrus are grown under screen in Florida with more acreage under development.

Lauren Diepenbrock, associate professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), addresses pest management in CUPS. While CUPS successfully keeps out the psyllid, other pests are small enough to breach the mesh netting. Those pests include chilli thrips, lebbeck mealybug and mites.

Diepenbrock discusses her research on how these pests enter, survive and multiply in CUPS and the latest knowledge on managing the pests. She also provides information on strategies like introducing beneficial insects in the structures to manage the pests.

Megan Dewdney, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant pathology at the CREC, joins the discussion to talk about disease management in CUPS. She says greasy spot and citrus canker have been the most problematic diseases in the system.

Jerry Mixon, a CUPS grower in Central Florida, shares why he tried the CUPS approach and what his experience has been like so far. Mixon says he was impressed with the yields and very high-quality fruit CUPS can produce. He also had experience building similar structures (to exclude birds) when he and his family grew blueberries.

Mixon mostly grows grapefruit in his CUPS but is evaluating other varieties in collaboration with UF/IFAS. He has also worked with Diepenbrock and Dewdney on pest and disease trials in his structures.

Varieties and rootstocks are the topics of the September episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Earlier this month, a field day was held in Jason Griffin’s grove near Lake Alfred, Florida. He is collaborating with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) to evaluate several rootstock/scion combinations developed by UF/IFAS citrus breeders.

Griffin has focused much of the trial work on the OLL variety line, which was developed by Jude Grosser, UF/IFAS professor of plant cell genetics. Both Griffin and Grosser are podcast guests this month.

Grosser discusses his research developing the OLL varieties and why he believes they are a good fit for Florida growers. The OLL line grew out of his relationship with Orie Lee. Lee was a legend in citrus breeding circles and discovered an interesting tree in his research groves near Saint Cloud, Florida, where the original OLL cuttings were taken.

Grosser has developed several OLL varieties that are now commercially available. Combinations like OLL-8 on UFR-4 rootstock have performed well. Grosser also recommended growers consider the Orange 14 rootstock, which has shown some tolerance to both diaprepes and HLB.

Griffin discusses his grove trials and why he selected the OLL line. Tolerance to HLB, good yield and quality are among the reasons he likes the varieties. There are several rootstock/scion combinations he highlights as favorites during the podcast. One of those is OLL-20 on a mutant X639 rootstock. 

Griffin also talks about the importance of a solid production program to promote tree health and productivity. In addition to a solid fertilizer program, he is a big believer in compost and mulch to increase soil organic matter. More frequent and controlled irrigation is also an important part of his program.

The August All In For Citrus podcast features seminar recaps from the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, which was held this month at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The event included an extensive citrus educational program with more than 20 presentations.

Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, shares highlights from the event in this month’s podcast.

Rogers discusses the citrus under protective screen (CUPS) presentation by Arnold Schumann, UF/IFAS professor of soil, water and ecosystem sciences. The presentation included details on the significant increase in acres dedicated to CUPS in Florida and the high value of CUPS-grown crops. Schumann also introduced a new AI chatbot called "CUPS Chat" to assist growers with questions about CUPS production.

Rogers also talks about the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) programs and the new cycle of funding for new plantings and therapies in existing groves. Many of the new varieties and therapies that are part of the CRAFT programs have been developed and/or evaluated through UF/IFAS research.

In the podcast, John Chater, UF/IFAS assistant professor of horticultural sciences, provides descriptions of new varieties that have been added to CRAFT and are eligible for the program’s planting incentive.

Sarah Strauss, UF/IFAS associate professor of soil microbiology, also joins the August episode of All In For Citrus to discuss her presentation at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. Her talk focused on ways to measure the impact that cover crops and/or compost have on soil health. She said with Florida’s sandy soils, the practices take time to increase organic matter and soil health, but they do offer potential benefits.

The July All In For Citrus podcast episode focuses on the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. The event is scheduled for Aug. 20–21 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.

Micheal Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, previews a new, special educational session on alternative crops. Rogers said the session will focus on bamboo, macadamia, avocado and mango production.

The bulk of alternative crop presentations will focus on bamboo, which has been gaining more attention in recent years. Rogers said there are more than 1,000 acres of the crop planted in Florida, and some processing infrastructure is falling into place. Bamboo has food, wood and other use functions and is in high demand. He said the goal of the bamboo presentations is to set realistic expectations about the cost of establishing the crop, growing it and its market potential.

Tripti Vashisth, UF/IFAS associate professor of citrus horticulture, joins the podcast to provide details on the citrus seminars, which include 21 presentations on HLB management and other current topics. She said the primary focus of the presentations will be to provide information that growers can use in their groves right now.

Jamie Burrow, UF/IFAS Extension program manager, talks about the UF/IFAS citrus research booth that will be on the trade show floor. The booth is one of the largest exhibits and is always a highlight for attendees.

Burrow said several key research scientists will be available throughout the event at the booth so growers can have one-on-one interactions with the experts. Attendees can also pick up educational materials in the booth like the new edition of the Florida Citrus Production Guide. And there’s plenty of swag like pens, notepads and other freebies for the taking in the booth.

Don’t miss the latest All In For Citrus episode. And don’t miss the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo; register here!

In the June All In For Citrus podcast, Michael Rogers gives an update on some of the activities keeping University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers busy this summer. Rogers is the director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.

One of their big projects is helping to coordinate the citrus seminars for the upcoming Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo on Aug. 20–21 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.

Rogers provides a sneak peek of the citrus presentations, which number more than 20. While the Expo program will focus on HLB management, additional topics will be addressed. This includes other diseases and pests, crop insurance considerations and more.

The citrus seminars will provide growers with the latest knowledge on how to optimize trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC). New research on OTC applications and degradation and how different varieties respond to treatments will be shared. There will also be a presentation on advancements in automated trunk injection.

Lukasz Stelinski, UF/IFAS professor of entomology and nematology, joins the podcast to give growers useful reminders on Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) management. He stresses the importance of new flush in timing insecticide applications targeting the ACP. Stelinski also emphasizes the importance of dormant sprays during the winter to really push the pest’s population down.

On the disease front, Megan Dewdney, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant pathology, speaks in the podcast about some key disease concerns this time of year, including phytophthora brown rot, algal spot and canker. She adds that melanose could be more problematic than normal due to recent weather patterns of heavier rainfall.

The May All In For Citrus podcast features highlights from a recent OJ Break hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred.

Podcast host Frank Giles caught up with Michael Rogers, CREC director, during the event. Rogers summarized some of the information presented at the OJ Break, including a talk by Nian Wang, UF/IFAS professor and Graves Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Biotechnology, on his work to develop a CRISPR citrus tree with resistance to HLB.

Wang has already engaged with the regulatory agencies required to get a CRISPR tree approved for commercial use by growers. Those agencies include the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Rogers said the good news is a CRISPR tree is not a transgenic genetically modified plant, which means the regulatory process is easier to navigate. When a tree is proven to work in real-world grove conditions, it can be moved to growers more quickly. But Rogers added it will take time to identify the right tree.

In addition, Wang discussed an observation he made during his research on letting some rootstock shoots grow up into the canopy of the tree. Some rootstocks have proven to be more tolerant to HLB.

“Studies have shown that the root-die off from HLB is caused by carbohydrate starvation, because the plant is not moving the carbohydrates down to roots from the leaves,” Rogers explained.

Wang observed that the rootstock shoots act as a means to move carbohydrates down to the roots. This could help sustain roots in HLB-infected trees.

“I want to be clear this an observation and not a recommendation from UF/FAS,” Rogers said. “But it might spark some ideas with growers as it did today with the OJ Break audience. And that’s a fact that some of our rootstocks are very tolerant to HLB on their own.”

Also discussed in the May episode of All In For Citrus is managing the growing problem with snails in citrus as well as survey results on grower attitudes toward trunk injection of oxytetracycline. The podcast is a partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.

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 All In For Citrus podcast. Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, opens the podcast with a summary of the presentations given at the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. Covered subjects are psyllid management, rootstock interactions with oxytetracycline (OTC), the development of a Bacillus thuringiensis citrus tree, optimizing the use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) and an update from the UF/IFAS Crop Transformation Center.

Tripti Vashisth, UF/IFAS associate professor of citrus horticulture, discusses in more detail her Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute presentation on the use of PGRs like gibberellic acid to improve tree health and yields. Vashisth has developed a program approach utilizing various types of PGRs during different parts of the season.

Her results show yield and quality improvements in line with the use of OTC. She added that her PGR program would be a good option to apply during the label-required off year of OTC use. The PGRs are also a good complement to use with OTC.

Sarah Strauss, UF/IFAS associate professor of soil microbiology, details the SFWREC citrus field day and the tour stop she hosted on the use of cover crops and compost to boost soil and tree health. Her research is studying how compost in conjunction with cover crops can benefit soil.

 The podcast is a partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.

With spring comes a number of citrus events. One of those was the Florida Citrus Show held on March 13 in Fort Pierce. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, joins the March All In For Citrus podcast to discuss highlights of Florida Citrus Show. He also gives a sneak peek of the annual Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute planned for April 8 at South Florida State College in Avon Park.

Rogers says the seminars were well attended at the Florida Citrus Show and covered a wide range of topics. One highlight was a grower panel, which he says was a good example of growers and researchers collaborating.

“It was good to hear that the growers on the panel were committed to hanging in there and continuing to fight HLB,” says Rogers. “I really appreciated that they are sharing information and working closely with the researchers.”

Chris Oswalt, citrus Extension agent for Polk and Hillsborough counties, also joins the podcast this month to give more details on the Citrus Institute. There’s a change in the program this year that he believes growers will appreciate. After lunch, rather than going back into a seminar setting with speakers, there will be researchers from the various UF/IFAS citrus labs available to answer specific questions from attendees. It will be a way that growers can build their own educational experience. The Citrus Institute will be providing continuing education units for growers.

Also in the March podcast, UF/IFAS weed scientist Ramdas Kanissery discusses his research aimed at helping citrus growers manage weeds. He says this is a tough task given Florida’s climate and large weed-seed bank in the soil. One area he is studying is the growing tolerance weeds are developing to important herbicides like glyphosate. He also talks about the role cover crops could play in weed management.

In the February episode of the All In For Citrus podcast, Michael Rogers provides an update on activities at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. He said the beginning of the year is the time when current and future projects are evaluated.

“The months of February and March are full of meetings with our faculty one-on-one where we go over the accomplishments of the past year,” Rogers said. “It allows us to see what’s going on more in-depth about the progress being made in research with each faculty member. There are areas where great progress is being made, but they might need more resources and support to make things happen.”

He added that the emphasis is on keeping research moving forward, especially when it comes to HLB. It’s all hands on deck when it comes to HLB.

Rogers said he has reviewed some very promising work in this year’s faculty evaluations. One project is looking at how the HLB bacterium moves from cell to cell in the tree. Molecules that allow the bacteria to move throughout the plant have been identified. By using techniques like CRISPR, scientists could develop a way to prevent those molecules from having the ability to pass along the HLB bacteria.

Another study he mentioned is a project looking at the HLB tolerance of the Parson Brown orange. UF/IFAS is studying why the variety has this tolerance to the disease. This is useful information in developing future HLB-tolerant varieties.

Also in this episode, UF/IFAS associate professor Davie Kadyampakeni shares the latest information on the work to update citrus nutrient recommendations for Florida’s best management practices program. And Ute Albrecht, UF/IFAS associate professor, discusses what has been learned to optimize trunk-injection applications of oxytetracycline.