Preventing young trees from psyllids and infection with CLas through use of protective netting

Preventing young trees from psyllids and infection with CLas through use of protective netting

Report Date: 03/13/2020
Project: 18-032C   Year: 2020
Category: Horticultural & Management
Author: Fernando Alferez
Sponsor: Citrus Research and Development Foundation

During this 5th quarter of the Project our work continued without problems. Objective 1: We continued monitoring  parameters including tree trunk diameter (rootstock and scion) and canopy areas. Some differences are starting to emerge in trunk diameter, although not statistically significant yet: Covered trees are starting to show bigger diameters in both rootstock and scion. All IPC-covered trees are still HLB-negative. We are continuing documenting canopy area expansion by photography and also by leaf are index measurements after replacing the old 4-ft IPCs with new 8-ft covers, donated by The Tree Defender, Inc.  Objective 2. We have finished planting  the 700 trees of SugarBelle, Tango and Early Pride mandarins, and we started to monitor regularly tree parameters (trunk diameter, and leaf sampling, for CLas, chlorophyll and sugar analysis).  Objectives 3 and 4. We set up blooming and  fruit development experiments this season inside the IPCs and in our CUPS facility, which is now fully operative. We have performed deficit irrigation to induce blooming in both IPC and CUPS this season. We are currently collecting data on these experiments.  Outreach, Professional Presentations and Extension Activities for this quarter :  – A CUPS Day.“CUPS, mini-CUPS and other strategies to manage HLB”. Talk on “Individual Protective Covers” . SWFREC, was delivered on Dec 17. 45 people registered, 44 attended. Impact: 100% of the attendants found the presentation useful and manifested a gain in knowledge. Half of the attendants will improve their management practices, which, in this case, may mean to adopt IPCs. In addition, 32 CEUs and 10 CCAs were certified. -As a follow up of the International invited seminar at IVIA, Valencia, Spain entitled “Living with HLB. The new reality of Florida Citriculture” that was presented by Fernando Alferez last December 4, 2019, the spanish professional magazine Phytoma published an article showcasing, among others, our IPC work. It can be seen here:https://www.phytoma.com/noticias/noticias-de-actualidad/florida-conviviendo-con-el-hlb-y-los-huracanes -Citrus Extension Agents presentation on “The Citrus Horticulture Program at SWFREC”. Immokalee, January 28, 2020. As a result of this presentation, I have been invited to deliver these presentations in the next months:                             -“Individual Protective Covers”. O.J Break Series, Highlands Co. Extension Office. March 20, 2020.                             -“Individual Protective Covers” In Service Training invited speaker. CREC, Lake Alfred, April 8-9, 2020.    


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