View this email in your browser

From the Director

Dear Friends,

I hope that you did not suffer serious crop damage over the recent high winds and cold temperatures Florida experienced recently. The UF/IFAS Extension citrus agents are always available to provide information to help you during these times. I also encourage you to use the FAWN weather service as you plan for any weather-related grove management plan.

FAWN stands for Florida Automated Weather Network and provides accurate and timely rural weather information from a number of locations throughout the state at 15-minute intervals. FAWN provides data on air and soil temperatures, rainfall, dewpoint, relative humidity, windspeed, wind direction, and radiation.

This month is also a critical time for UF/IFAS funding and the state budget. IFAS has a number of budget requests that, if supported, will help citrus growers. In addition to the annual support of IFAS research, teaching, and Extension operations, this year IFAS is requesting financial support for nutrient application rate research (BMPs). IFAS citrus programs will be at the state capital on Gator Day, February 15, sharing fresh fruit and juice along with updates on our research projects and the impacts that they have for Florida growers.

Thank you for your continued support of our state funding which we need to serve you better,
Regards,

Michael E. Rogers
Professor and Center Director
UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred

Statewide Coordinator
UF/IFAS Citrus Research & Extension Programs

Citrus Irrigation and Nutrient Management Workshop Planned for February 8

Register now!

Recent research has shown Integrated nutrient management and crop protection strategies appear to improve root health, canopy size, juice quality and fruit yield in bearing orange trees. In young orange and mandarin trees, elevated micronutrients improve biomass and nutrient accumulation. Other research has shown the optimal times for applying nutrients based on tree demand. Join us for this informative workshop to learn about optimal irrigation scheduling and fertilization timing strategies and irrigation/fertilizer application amounts for both young and mature trees. This program is designed for commercial citrus growers and irrigation/fertilizer companies/vendors.

Date, time and location

Tue, February 8, 2022

9:30 AM – 2:00 PM EST

UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center

700 Experiment Station Road

Lake Alfred, FL 33850

View Map

There is a $40 fee for this event.

2022 UF Flavor Summit: Industry Perspectives Feb 23-24

Click here to register!

The 2022 UF Flavor Summit: Industry Perspectives provides a great lineup of industry experts offering their insights into trends for the flavor industry. Summit attendees will have access to ten speakers from global business and leading universities over the two-day event.

The virtual summit is a great way to learn what is happening in the flavor “space”. Ample time for questions and conversation is built into the program, giving attendees that rare opportunity to exchange ideas. Check out the agenda, program descriptions and speaker bios at the 2022 Flavor Summit website.

The summit is just weeks away. Don’t hesitate – register today!

Upcoming Trainings

Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training

February 10^th- Homestead https://psa021022.eventbrite.com

Florida Citrus Production School February 10, 17, and 24

The Florida Citrus Production School is a program which provides growers with information on citrus production practices.

The Florida Citrus Production School will be offered in three separate sessions in February.

Please register for Session 1 Feb. 10 by clicking here.

Please register for Session 2 Feb 17 by clicking here

Please register for Session 3 Feb. 24 by clicking here

Session 1 - February 10, 2021: Weed Management and Increasing the Effectiveness of Residual Herbicides

Time: 7 pm - 9 pm

Location: UF/IFAS DeSoto County Extension Office, 2150 NE Roan St., Arcadia FL, 34266

Session 2 - February 17, 2021: Nematode Management in Citrus

Time: 7 pm - 9 pm

Location: UF/IFAS DeSoto County Extension Office, 2150 NE Roan St., Arcadia FL, 34266

Session 3 - February 24, 2021: Details About the Produce Safety Rule, Including Water Quality Requirements

Time: 7 pm - 9 pm

Location: UF/IFAS DeSoto County Extension Office, 2150 NE Roan St., Arcadia FL, 34266

Continuing Education Units Provided - There will be a maximum of 2 CEUs provided with this session for restricted use pesticide license holders in the following categories: Ag Tree, Ag Row, Private, Right of Way, and Natural Areas.

Certified Crop Advisor CEUs have been requested.

For more information please contact: Ajia Paolillo, UF/IFAS Extension DeSoto County ajiacunningham@ufl.edu 863-251-4763

2022 Citrus Health Forum Feb. 17 for Panhandle, Georgia and Alabama Citrus Growers

Citrus growers, employees and nursery owners from the tri-state region (FL, GA, AL) are invited to attend the 2022 Citrus Health Forum. This event will be held in person this year on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center located at 155 Research Road, Quincy, Florida.

Florida and Georgia Pesticide Applicator CEUs available.

In addition to the educational program, the conference will also feature a trade show of businesses and agencies that offer goods and services to citrus producers in the region as well as a field demonstration. There will be allotted time on the schedule to allow producers to visit with the company representatives.

For agenda and to register, visit here.

Fresh Citrus Fruit Trainings

Fresh Citrus Growers, Harvesters, and Packers:

We are again making our usual Fresh Citrus Fruit Training program available via Internet. Companies can pick and choose what they specifically need from the following narrated modules:

Food Safety
Personal Hygiene
CDC-Issued Guidance for COVID-19 in Agricultural Workplaces
Worker Protection Standard (WPS) – Field Crews and Harvesters
Chemical Hazards – Packinghouse Personnel
Citrus Fruit Disease Identification (esp. Citrus Canker & Citrus Black Spot)
Ladder Safety
Tractor Safety

Upon successful completion, each participant will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

The cost is only $3 per person total for as many modules as they wish to take, or a maximum of $100 per company.

Certificates and training kits (hand sanitizer, mask, educational materials, and more) will be sent via FedEx.

You can access the trainings at: https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/trainings/fresh-fruit/

TRAINING TEAM CONTACT INFORMATION

Amir Rezazadeh (Questions & In-Person Scheduling)
amir2558@ufl.edu
772-462-1660

Christine Kelly-Begazo (Training Payment)
ckellybe@ufl.edu
772-226-4330 x3

Mark Ritenour
ritenour@ufl.edu

Jamie Burrow (Certificates/Technical Support)
jdyates@ufl.edu
863-956-8648
772-577-7359

Upcoming Fruit Displays

The February display has been moved to 10:00 a.m. on

Tuesday, February 22^nd at the CREC.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.

Hosts: Dr. Fred Gmitter and Dr. Jude Grosser

Oranges, orange-like fruit, new grapefruit hybrids, tangerine types, and acid fruit.
Attendees will be channeled through the room in a singular direction, where they will be given an opportunity to sample fruit, peel fruit (when applicable), and score the general characteristics and traits of the displayed selections. Juice may be provided.

The Plant Improvement Team will be present for discussion and questions. Attendees are requested to refrain from socializing until they have completed the display. This typically takes around 45 minutes.

February 2022 Zoom Citrus Seminar

Date & Time: Thursday, February 24, 2022, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Title: Scouting and Management of Citrus Diseases II (PFD, citrus black spot and citrus canker)

Speaker: Dr. Megan Dewdney, Associate Professor, UF/IFAS Citrus Research & Education Center, Lake Alfred

Coordinator: Dr. Mongi Zekri, Multi-County Citrus Extension Agent, UF/IFAS

1 CEU for pesticide license renewal, 1 CEU for certified crop advisors

Register in advance for this meeting:

Meeting Registration - Zoom

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

CEUs for pesticide license renewal

Earn CEU Credits NOW online through Southeast AgNet & Citrus Industry Magazine http://citrusindustry.net/ceu/

The following series of articles and quizzes are available with their expiration dates noted:

2020 #4: Protecting People From Pesticide Exposure (10/31/22)
2021 #3: Before You Spray (7/31/22)
2021 #2: When a Pesticide Doesn’t Work (4/30/22)
2021 #1: The Goals of Pest Management (1/31/22)

Each article grants one General Standards (Core) CEU when submitted and approved toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license.

FYI, there are also CORE CEU available at Growing Produce
http://www.growingproduce.com/crop-protection/ceu-series/

Online Pesticide CEUs https://pested.ifas.ufl.edu/ceus-2/

It’s tough to be a citrus grower in Florida right now. In the January All In For Citrus podcast episode, Michael Rogers discusses the challenging environment for growers. Below-average prices and low yields are among the major obstacles.

However, the UF/IFAS citrus researchers and Extension agents continue to work hard on behalf of growers, looking for tools they can use now to stay afloat. Rogers, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center director, notes several events in February to get important information out to growers. He also discusses the search for two new positions on the team to further help producers.

UF/IFAS citrus horticulturist Fernando Alferez joins the podcast from the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) to provide an update on individual protective covers, which researchers are testing on young citrus. He and his team just concluded a multi-year trial on the system and saw both an increase in quality and yield. In addition, Alferez details results of some in-season treatments of relatively inexpensive products that are showing less fruit drop in Hamlin groves.

Reducing fruit drop is also something Ute Albrecht, a UF/IFAS plant physiologist at the SWFREC, is seeing in her trunk-injection research. Albrecht joins the podcast episode to share findings from a multi-year study in which a single injection reduced fruit drop dramatically. She talks about the challenges of the delivery system and new technology that may make it a practical option for growers. Albrecht reminds growers that trunk injection is still being studied and not a recommendation from advisors.

The All In For Citrus podcast is a joint project of UF/IFAS and AgNet Media. Listen to the January episode here.

Want to keep up with all the latest citrus research news?

Visit citrusresearch.ifas.fl.edu. It's your one-stop for all things citrus at UF/IFAS!

citrusresearch.ifas.ufl.edu

Subscribe to this newsletter or pass it on to others interested in Florida citrus news!

SUBSCRIBE HERE

Don't want to receive this newsletter? No problem!
Just email Ruth Borger at rborger@ufl.edu

From the Director Dear Friends,

Michael E. Rogers Professor and Center Director UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred Statewide Coordinator UF/IFAS Citrus Research & Extension Programs

Citrus Irrigation and Nutrient Management Workshop Planned for February 8

Date, time and location

From the Director

Dear Friends,

Michael E. Rogers
Professor and Center Director
UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred

Statewide Coordinator
UF/IFAS Citrus Research & Extension Programs