See the options available for organic citrus growers to use to control citrus greening in organic citrus groves. 

Citrus greening, also called HLB, has had a devastating impact on Florida citrus groves and others around the country and the world. Research is on-going to find a treatment or a cure, but the bulk of this research is not applicable for organic citrus operations due to chemical use and more. According to a Citrus Industry article,  The Organic Center  has reviewed all of the past and on-going research being done to combat citrus greening in order to identify treatment options for organic citrus operations. See the details below.

Treatment Options for Organic Citrus Growers

The main problem with current treatment options and those being researched is that many of them cannot be utilized by organic producers. “Organic citrus producers have suffered terrible losses from citrus greening, and they need to be aware of organic solutions to ward off this disease,” said Jessica Shade in the article; Shade is the director of the science programs for The Organic Center. “Our goal in releasing this paper is to help organic citrus growers fight this deadly disease without resorting to dangerous chemicals, genetic engineering or other methods not in compliance with organic standards,” she added.

Strategies for organic growers include:

  • strict disease prevention
  • “diligent scouting”
  • Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) control, as ACP spreads citrus greening
  • nutritional support through macro and micronutrients of healthy and infected trees
  • implementation of biological controls
  • the planting of cultivars considered tolerant or resistant to citrus greening

The research has been published as a paper in the Jan. 20 issue of the scientific journal International Journal of Horticulture, Agriculture and Food Science.

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.