Pre-registration is open through noon on August 12th for the 2022 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, August 17-18, in Ft. Myers, Florida.

Pre-registration is now open for the 2022 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, held August 17-18, in Ft. Myers, Florida. The event is free to “growers, grove owners, grove managers, professional crop advisers, association executives, association board members, and members of the government, legislative, and agricultural research communities.” It’s an opportunity for those in the citrus and specialty crop industry to attend educational seminars, earn CEU (Continuing Education Unit) credits, visit in the tradeshow, and network with peers. See details of the event’s schedule below.

Details of the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo

Attendees can expect two days of seminars, meals, receptions, and trade show exhibits during the event. The schedule of seminars is as follows:

Wednesday, August 17th

General Sessions

  • 9:15 -Citrus Box Tax Rate Recommendation Explained

Rick Dantzler, Citrus Research and Development Foundation

·           9:30 – The Supply Chain Strain: Challenges Today and in the Future

Alix Miller, Florida Trucking Association

·           10:00 – The Politics of Water and New Regulatory Developments

Ernie Barnett, Florida Land Council

·           10:30 – Sourcing Dollars From Aid, Grant and Disaster Programs

Kimberly and David Lott, Crop Disaster Relief Recovery

·           11:00 – Bamboo: An Affordable Alternative Drop-In Crop for Citrus While HLB Solutions Are Developed

Phillip Rucks, Florida Grown Specialties

·           11:30 – Potential for Payments of Ecosystem Services on Your Farm

Sanjay Shukla, UF/IFAS

Citrus Seminars

·            2:05 – UF/IFAS Citrus Update

Scott Angle, UF/IFAS

·           2:20 – Getting the Most Bang Out of Insecticides and Natural Enemies for Asian Citrus Psyllid Management Under Endemic Greening

Lukasz Stelinski, UF/IFAS

·           2:45 – Incorporating Newer Pest Challenges Into a Multi-Pest Management Approach to Citrus

Lauren Diepenbrock, UF/IFAS

·           3:10 – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly — How Different Planting Techniques Hold Up to HLB and Other Diseases

Megan Dewdney, UF/IFAS

·           3:35 – The Root Cause of HLB Initiation and Progression and Its Implications in Disease Management

Nian Wang, UF/IFAS

·           4:00 – Stop Weeds Before They Start — Pointers for Enhancing Pre-emergence Herbicide Performance in Citrus

Ramdas Kanissery, UF/IFAS

·           4:25 – Working to Provide Sustainable Yields of Higher Quality Fruit — New Scion and Rootstock Selections in the Citrus Research and Education Center Breeding Pipeline

Jude Grosser, UF/IFAS

Vegetable and Specialty Crop Seminars

·            2:05 – Florida Tomato Industry Update

Xiuri Cui, Zhengfei Guan and Kim Morgan, UF/IFAS

·           2:25 -New Viruses in Watermelon

Pam Roberts, UF/IFAS

·           2:45 – Pre-Emergent Herbicide Programs in Vegetables

Ramdas Kanissery, UF/IFAS

·           3:05 – Chemical Control of Whiteflies

Jawwad Qureshi, UF/IFAS

·           3:35 – Tomato Target Spot Management Update

Gary Vallad, UF/IFAS

Thursday, August 18th

Citrus Seminars

·           9:05 – BMP Regulations in Florida

TBD, FDACS

·           9:30 – Fertilizer Options and Alternatives for Improving Nutrient Uptake and Fruit Yield in Citrus Trees

Davie Kadyampakeni, UF/IFAS

·           9:55 – Water Management Technologies for Citrus Production

Sandra Guzman, UF/IFAS

·           10:20 – Cover Crops in Citrus Production: Grower Costs, Benefits and Willingness to Pay

Tara Wade, UF/IFAS

·           10:45- Combining IPCs and Brassinosteroids to Prolong Health in Young Citrus Trees: Updates and Future Research

Fernando Alferez, UF/IFAS

·           11:10 – PGRs Toolkit to Improve Canopy and Productivity of HLB-Affected Trees

Tripti Vashisth, UF/IFAS

·           11:35 – Double or Nothing: Shading Can Increase Yield and Growth and Reduce HLB Pressure

Christopher Vincent, UF/IFAS

Vegetable and Specialty Crop Seminars

·            9:05 – UF/IFAS Vegetable Update

Scott Angle, UF/IFAS

·           9:20 – Phosphorous BMP Research Update

Sanjay Shukla, UF/IFAS

·           9:40 – Olives – A Viable Alternative Option

Dana Vernick, Quality Green Specialists

·           10:00 -Passion Fruit Production in Florida

Jonathan Crane, UF/IFAS

·           10:20 – Turmeric and Ginger: Alternative Crop Options

Nathalia Tello, UF/IFAS

·           10:40 – The Potential of Artichoke as a New Winter Crop in Florida

Shinsuke Agehara, UF/IFAS

·           11:00 – Indigo: A Potential New Crop for South Florida

Terry Molnar

·           11:20 – Development of Smart Spray Technology for Weed Control in Vegetable Row Middles

Nathan Boyd, UF/IFAS

·           11:40 – Management of Diamondback Moth

Hugh Smith, UF/IFAS

·           12:00 – Results of Nematode Survey in Florida, With a Focus on Guava Root-Knot

Johan Desaeger, UF/IFAS

Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.