The All In For Citrus Podcast

All In For Citrus, Episode 61 September 2023

One of the overlooked casualties of tropical storms and hurricanes is field research conducted by scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Research on new varieties, plant treatments and other practices can be upended in a day by a violent storm.

That happened to some of Christopher Vincent’s research. The UF/IFAS assistant professor of environmental physiology saw some of his grove trials disrupted by Hurricane Ian last year. So, he decided to turn lemons into lemonade by shifting the focus of his research to study the after-effects of the hurricane and what mitigation efforts seem to help groves recover.

Vincent joined the September All In For Citrus podcast to discuss this research and what he found in the aftermath of Ian. He said it can take as long as six months for citrus trees to fully decline after being impacted by a hurricane. Vincent noted his research will help growers establish benchmarks of what to expect during future storms. It also will add to existing knowledge on production practices that are most beneficial after tropical systems.

Gillian Zeng Michalczyk, a UF/IFAS master’s student who assisted on the project, joined Vincent in the podcast discussion.

A grower-cooperator, Jake Pendergrass, also participated in the podcast to discuss how Hurricane Ian affected his groves and steps he took to rehabilitate them.

On a positive note, Pendergrass spoke about his experience injecting citrus trees with oxytetracycline (OTC) for the first time this season. He treated about half his family’s grove acreage. Pendergrass reported that treated trees look good and seem to be responding well to OTC. Meanwhile, those trees not treated with OTC continue to decline. That makes him believe OTC is having a positive benefit on HLB-infected citrus.

Listen to the September episode of All In For Citrus. The podcast is a joint partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.

All In For Citrus, Episode 60 August 2023

With the trunk-injection season winding down in Florida groves, growers anxiously await to see positive results in HLB-infected trees. Two oxytetracycline (OTC) products have been approved for use in Florida citrus as HLB treatments. A third OTC formulation expects Environmental Protection Agency approval soon.

Trunk-injection treatments are the focus of the latest 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 in Lake Alfred, joins Ute Albrecht, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant physiology, for an in-depth conversation about OTC injections. They discuss what was learned as the first application was made in groves.

Albrecht noted that OTC trunk injection is among the most significant breakthroughs in HLB research since the disease was confirmed in Florida nearly two decades ago. She has been a leading UF/IFAS researcher on OTC usage in citrus. Albrecht said if results in commercial groves mirror that of research trials, the industry could see some significant improvements in tree health and production.

While it is still too early to know for sure, she said there are some encouraging reports that trees are responding. But it will likely be after next season’s harvest before it is fully known just how beneficial the OTC treatments have been.

The podcast takes a deep dive into previous research, best application practices and what’s next when it comes to trunk-injection therapies. While Rogers and Albrecht acknowledge OTC therapy is not the silver bullet, it hopefully serves as a significant bridge to help growers remain viable until a long-term solution is found.

Don’t miss this episode of the All In For Citrus podcast to get the latest on OTC trunk injection. The podcast is a joint partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.

All In For Citrus, Episode 59 July 2023

The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo is fast approaching, scheduled for Aug. 16–17 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The event is the subject of the July 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, previews the presentation he will be giving during the Expo. While there has been a lot of attention paid to near-term ways to fight HLB in groves, it is important not to lose sight of the longer-term solutions researchers are working on. In his Expo presentation, Rogers will address progress on moving a genetically modified (transgenic) citrus tree through the breeding, evaluation and regulatory processes. And he will give an update on CRISPR gene editing. Both approaches have created trees that hold up very well against HLB. He says it is important growers understand where UF/IFAS research is with both of these techniques.

Tripti Vashisth, UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences, joins the podcast to talk about the citrus educational seminars that will be held on both days of the Expo. Some of the key citrus scientists will be stepping out from behind the speaker’s podium to participate in a panel discussion so growers can engage with them in a more conversational way about the latest HLB therapies and how to apply them in groves.

Another panel will feature growers who are having success in mitigating the effects of HLB. Some of their groves look healthy and are producing great yields.

Jamie Burrow, UF/IFAS Extension program manager, gives a preview of the UF/IFAS trade show booth. She said the booth will have several interactive elements, including a demonstration on how to use the new Canopy Assist application that helps growers quantify tree health in their groves. There will also be a demo on how to pick the right individual protective cover for newly planted trees.

Burrow notes there will be plenty of “swag” (pencils, pens, notepads, etc.) for growers to pick up while visiting the booth. In addition, there will be lots of educational materials available for the taking.

Hear more about the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo in the July episode of All In For Citrus. The podcast is joint partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.

All In For Citrus, Episode 58 June 2023

Speaking at the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference in June, Scott Angle, leader of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), reaffirmed the urgency the institution has placed on finding viable solutions to HLB. 

This includes presenting the citrus industry with a road-map document to lay out UF/IFAS HLB research priorities and objectives. One of the approaches will be turning over every stone in the search for solutions. Part of this effort is UF/IFAS researchers traveling to other citrus-producing regions across the globe to assess the impact of HLB and how growers are dealing with the disease.

Christopher Vincent, UF/IFAS assistant professor of environmental physiology, embarked on one such trip recently to Nepal. He joined the June All in For Citrus podcast episode to discuss his trip. Vincent said citrus growers in the region have been dealing with HLB for many years, and like in Florida, the impact on trees varies from one planting to the next.

Citrus in Nepal is grown in mountainous areas on very small plots. Growers don’t have access to the same type of inputs as U.S. growers, but they have managed to produce citrus for hundreds of years.

Vincent said one important observation made during his trip was that growers with good fertilizer and irrigation programs had trees that were withstanding HLB much better than those who did not have good programs. This reinforces what has been observed in Florida — solid production programs are essential in the era of HLB.

Larry Duncan, UF/IFAS professor of nematology, joined the June podcast to discuss a citrus production course that will be offered this fall. It is a great educational program for not only students, but also growers or production managers who want to brush up on their skills.

Hear more about Vincent’s trip to Nepal and the citrus course in the latest episode of All In For Citrus. The podcast is a joint partnership between AgNet Media and UF/IFAS.

All In For Citrus, Episode 57 May 2023

The latest All In For Citrus Podcast takes an in-depth look at a new product allowing growers to hone-in on the health of their citrus trees.

All In For Citrus, Episode 56 April 2023

April was a busy month for citrus events with both the Citrus Growers’ Institute and the Florida Grower Citrus Show taking place. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), joined the All In For Citrus podcast to discuss the success of the two events.

All In For Citrus, Episode 55 March 2023

Growers have been deploying several new therapies aimed at improving the health of HLB-infected citrus in recent years. Plant growth regulators like gibberellic acid, 2,4-D and brassinosteroids have demonstrated the ability to improve tree health and help in fruit retention. More recently, direct delivery of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) via trunk injection has been approved for use in groves.

There is hope these therapies will move the needle against HLB, but sometimes it is hard to gauge tree-health improvement. Tripti Vashisth, an assistant professor of horticultural sciences with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), joins the March All In For Citrus podcast to give a sneak peek of a new technology she and her colleagues have developed to help growers assess tree health in their groves.

The tool, called Canopy Assist, is a smartphone app that will score citrus tree health based on images captured by the phone. She said tracking of tree health will become even more important as growers initiate trunk-injection programs in their groves.

Christa Court, UF/IFAS economist and director of the Economic Impact Analysis Program, joins the podcast to discuss the economic impact of Florida’s citrus industry. Despite the decades-old challenge of HLB, Court said the sector still contributed nearly $7 billion in economic output in the 2020-2021 season. The citrus industry also supported 32,542 full-time and part-time jobs. The stats show citrus still commands a significant spot in Florida farming.

The March podcast also features previews of upcoming events. The Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute and Florida Grower Citrus Show will be held in April. Hear more about these educational and networking events in the latest episode of All In For Citrus. The podcast is a joint partnership between UF/IFAS and AgNet Media.

All In For Citrus, Episode 54 February 2023

With spring fast approaching, Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, addresses important crop care items that should be on growers’ checklists. He shares his comments in the February episode of the All In For Citrus podcast.

All In For Citrus, Episode 53 January 2023

All In For Citrus, Episode 52 December 2022

The December All In For Citrus podcast includes a discussion with Michael Rogers, director of the Citrus Research and Education Center, about ongoing efforts growers are making to rehabilitate citrus groves after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. 

Also featured in the December episode of the podcast is Tripti Vashisth, UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences. She provides insights on using the citrus flower bud advisory system.

Finally, Chris Oswalt, UF/IFAS citrus Extension agent, gives tips on getting groves ready for winter and potential freeze events.