See what information the 2018 Florida Citrus show had to offer Florida citrus growers.

 

The 2018 Florida Citrus Show was January 24th and 25th in Ft. Pierce. It featured educational programs, exhibits, and networking options for Florida citrus growers. It’s the first time Florida citrus growers have had to get together since Hurricane Irma. If you missed the Florida citrus show, the important takeaways from the show were in a Growing Produce article. See a summary of each important piece of information below.

Takeaways From the Florida Citrus Show

 

  1. Lemons are Hot. The University of Arizona’s Glenn Wright shared the advantages and challenges of growing lemons, including oils spot. “Oil spot is going to be a big problem. It’s a cosmetic problem for fresh fruit. You need to handle the fruit gently, or it will mark up. You might even need to run the packing line slower so they don’t get bruised,” Wright shared.
  2. The Effects of Irma Will be On-Going. Research Assistant Scientist with UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center,Evan Johnson, shared his take-away on rehabilitating water-damaged citrus root systems, maintaining the trees need to be babied. “You wouldn’t ask a tree with the flu to run a marathon. It needs to recover,” he said. Expect stunted leaf and root growth.
  3. HLB + Irma= Unchartered Waters. Basically, there are no easy answers for how the damages caused by both citrus greening (HLB) and Hurricane Irma will play out. For comparison, Jim Snively from Southern Gardens Citrus shared, “After Hurricane Wilma (in 2005), it took us two crops to recover – and those trees were healthy (pre-HLB).” The panel of growers agreed that crop protection protocols and enhanced fertilizer programs needed to be top priorities for 2018 and beyond.

 

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.