All In For Citrus, Episode 9 May 2019

May's All In for Citrus podcast gives growers the latest updates on everything citrus research. First, Michael Rogers, Citrus Research and Education Center director, focuses on recent media coverage, mostly negative, about antibiotic use in citrus. He talks about the safety measures in use for antibiotics, commonly referred to as bactericides, which many have used as a tool against HLB. He tells why the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has no guidelines for antibiotic use. Finally, he reminds growers to plan on attending Citrus Expo August 14-15 in North Fort Myers.

Following that, listeners will hear from Scott Angle, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Angle took his seat as director in October 2018, and one of his first stops was to Florida. During the interview, conducted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences communications team, he discusses some of the things he saw and his hopes for the future.

Lastly, Arnold Schumann, professor of soil science at the Citrus Research and Education Center, reports on his 5 years of research into citrus under protective screen (CUPS) for fresh fruit. He says CUPS, used to exclude the psyllids that spread HLB, requires a different production system than conventional outdoor growing systems but offers excellent yield and fruit quality. Schumann discusses the startup and ongoing production costs for CUPS, and his optimism that growers can be profitable with CUPS.

A reminder that pre-registration for the 2019 Citrus Expo opens on June 1. All pre-registered growers will automatically be entered to win a John Deere gun safe courtesy of Everglades Equipment Group. Join AgNet Media on August 14-15 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida for another great gathering of citrus leaders.