Explore how the Tree Defender protects young citrus trees from citrus greening.
In the past, when trees in a citrus grove test positive for citrus greening (also called HLB) it’s removed so it can’t be a source of infection for surrounding trees. Citrus grove owners have replanted those removed trees with young citrus trees, called resets, a stage when citrus trees are particularly susceptible to the destruction caused by citrus greening. The Tree Defender is one of the newest options for protecting young citrus trees from citrus greening. Explore the benefits of the product below, as explained in a Citrus Industry article.
Tree Defender to the Rescue of Young Citrus Trees
Citrus greening is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, a tiny insect that feeds on old and young citrus trees alike. As it feeds, it transmits the bacteria that cause citrus greening to the tree, infecting it. Many products have sought to trap the Asian citrus psyllid—and multiple insecticide sprays are a common undertaking in Florida citrus groves—but the Tree Defender works by keeping the Asian citrus psyllid away from young citrus trees completely.
Based out of Southern Citrus Nurseries in Dundee, Florida, the Tree Defender looks like a large mosquito tent draped over young orange trees. It keeps the psyllids away from young trees, and has proven effective in over two years of field trials. “If we start with a greening-free tree and can guarantee the Tree Defender is used exactly how it is intended, we could guarantee a greening-free tree at the end of the first two years of that tree’s life,” the product’s creators, Scott Thompson and Tommy Thayer from Winter Haven, are quoted as saying in the article.
Tree Defender is aimed at citrus trees that are in their first and second years, but another option for the third and fourth years has been developed as well. The Tree Defender website can be accessed here.
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.