Individual protective covers, or IPCs, have many benefits, and research has shown those benefits continue after removal.
Individual protective covers, or IPCs, are being used by Florida citrus growers to protect young citrus trees from the Asian citrus psyllid, or ACP, the insect vector that spreads citrus greening, also called HLB. According to a UF/IFAS blog, citrus growers remove the IPCs from citrus trees once the trees are two or three years old, making them susceptible to ACP and citrus greening infection. However, recent research has shown that the IPCs provide benefits even after they are removed. See the details below.
IPC Removal and Benefits
According to the blog, research led by Fernando Alferez, a UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences, shows that citrus trees retain benefits from the IPCs for a good amount of time after the bags are removed. “We followed the trees for three years after we removed the IPCs, and we saw a clear improvement in fruit yield and quality, even though the trees were getting infected,” Alferez said in the blog post. Since citrus greening is considered endemic in Florida, newly planted trees are all but guaranteed to become infected with citrus greening if unprotected.
The blog also shared that “Alferez and his colleagues also found that trees that were once protected by IPCs produce better quality fruit for 30 months after they’re planted. Because the fruit is of such high quality, growers can have an economic return as soon as two-and-a-half years after they plant the trees.”
Alferez added “It’s worth mentioning that fruit quality declines over time after the covers are removed as the trees get infected, but it’s still superior to the fruit quality in the trees that are not covered.”
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.