The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) asked growers to list their most important citrus nutrition questions.

Nutrition is evidently important for citrus in the fight against citrus greening. It’s so important the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) created a Nutrition Working Group to identify specific citrus nutrition questions that growers have. They then presented those questions at a CRDF board meeting in Fort Pierce, according to a Citrus Industry article. The aim is to generate research to answer those questions. See the details below.

Citrus Nutrition Questions

Rick Dantzler, CRDF chief operating officer, maintained that the Nutrition Working Group has been meeting for a few months, “to find out what the specific nutritional questions are that need to be answered.” He explained that nutrition is extremely important to help the Florida citrus industry maintain production. “Nutrition is the bridge to the HLB-tolerant or -resistant tree,” he said in the article. “This nutritional work … is how the industry hangs on until we get to that greening-resistant or greening-tolerant tree.”

Questions shared in the article include:

  • Is application of nutrients to foliage or soil more effective for uptake and utilization of nutrients?
  • What are the most effective nutrient formulations (e.g., citrates, nitrates, etc.)?
  • Are fertigation, controlled-release or conventional dry fertilization most effective for applying nutrients to the reduced root system of HLB trees?
  • Which nutrients have the greatest effect on improving fruit size, juice quality and quantity?

The article points out that CRDF is likely to announce that nutrition researchers with studies that answer these questions are more likely to receive CRDF funding. Similarly, CRDF plans similar committees for plant improvement and breeding.

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.