This project is a continuation of CRDF 447 to evaluate effects of Metalized Reflective Mulch (MRM) and insecticides to protect newly planted trees from the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP). While the previous project demonstrated that trees planted over the MRM treatment exhibited less ACP populations, less HLB symptoms and greater growth, it did not include crop yield and fruit quality differences which is the focus of this project. Specifically the objectives of this project are: 1) To determine if grapefruit trees planted into beds covered with Metalized Reflective Mulch (MRM) come into viable crop production at a younger age than in conventional plantings based on yield differences. 2) To continue to document tree growth differences between the three treatments: bare ground (convention grower standard), compost applications, and MRM and to monitor (weekly) insect pest populations to determine the insect control benefits of the MRM. 3) To determine the HLB incidence with PCR analysis for each treatment to verify the effectiveness of MRM to bring young trees into production without HLB symptoms. 4) To determine tree condition by improvements of tree health attributable to MRM will be made by visual assessments and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) determined by aerial (UAV) imagery of the canopy to determine the tree condition for each treatment. 5) To record and document production costs and economic returns for each treatment. To accomplish these goals we have continued to make growth measurements for the following parameters: tree caliper, tree height, canopy diameter and canopy volume. In all these four growth measurement the MRM treatments were significantly greater than both the bare ground and compost treatments and in almost all case the increase of the MRM treatment was double that attributed to the compost treatment when bare ground was the control treatment. For example the increase in canopy volume for MRM was 137% greater than bare ground while compost was 72% greater. The Volumetric Water Content (VWC) for the three treatments was sampled monthly and the MRM consistently remained the highest for the three treatments. Tree health was evaluated visually as tree condition and the MRM treatment trees has the lowest percentage of weak trees (1.6%), Compost (3.8%) and Bare Ground (18.8%). Similar trends were observed for symptomatic conditions attributable to HLB. The MRM treatment continued to offer lower ACP counts for all life stages (eggs, nymphs and adults) based on weekly scouting. Two other insect pest populations were also observed to be lower in the MRM treatment were Diaprepes Root Weevil and Orange Dog larvae. A detailed spreadsheet has been created to track all the caretaking expenses for the trial block including all spray foliar spray applications, herbicide treatments, fertilizer applications, soil drenches as well as the associated materials. These caretaking events are entered as they are accomplished and are combined to yield the total production cost for each treatment. Pertaining to yield component of the trial we have met with Dr. Alan Wright and Mr. Jerry Britt (IRREC) to coordinate the upcoming harvest event to determine the average fruit yield and fruit size for each treatment by means of a portable scale and fruit sizer. The average fruit drop per tree was assessed for each treatment and yielded the following data: Bare Ground 3.6, Compost (UPD) 3.2 and MRM 2.3. Currently the overall tree condition trial is deemed to be excellent with very minor damage associated with Hurricane Matthew.