Florida citrus growers are now well into their second application of oxytetracycline (OTC) via trunk injection to treat HLB. Per the label of both registered OTC products, after two applications, there is a one-year treatment pause.
So, growers will be formulating plans on what to do during the off-season for OTC-treated trees. That was the subject of discussion during the February episode of the 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, advised that a solid fertilizer program is going to be critical.
“We can’t stress enough the importance of nutrition when we are dealing with HLB. I know that sounds like a broken record because we are constantly saying that, but it really is the No. 1 thing that you can do to keep trees productive and healthy,” Rogers said. “In some of our research blocks, we really have had some excellent results with some of our more expensive fertilizer programs. After four or five years, these trees have really healthy root systems, the canopies are lush and green, and the Brix has been very high in fruit. This is where we’ve been using these expensive controlled-release fertilizer applications.”
The high cost of these nutrition programs can be difficult for growers to afford, so researchers are beginning to seek out which elements are most responsible for the great results evident in those blocks.
“We do know there are differences in the micronutrient and macronutrient amounts and how they are delivered to the tree,” Rogers said. “We have allocated some funds to seek out how we can develop the right blend of minor and major nutrients at a cost much lower to growers.”
To hear more about this research and catch up with Flavia Zambon, who was recently named UF/IFAS assistant professor of production horticulture of citrus and other tree crops, don’t miss the February episode. Also in the podcast this month is a sneak peek at upcoming events, including the Florida Citrus Show.
The All In For Citrus podcast is a partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media. Find all the episodes here.
All In For Citrus, Episode 29 January 2021
All In For Citrus, Episode 28 December 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 27 November 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 26 October 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 25 September 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 24 August 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 23 July 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 22 June 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 21, May 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 20, April 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 19 March 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 18 February 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 17 January 2020
All In For Citrus, Episode 16 December 2019
All In For Citrus, Episode 15 November 2019
All In For Citrus, Episode 14 October 2019
All In For Citrus, Episode 13 September 2019
All In For Citrus, Episode 12 August 2019
All In For Citrus, Episode 11 July 2019
All In For Citrus, Episode 10 June 2019
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