The Citrus Flowering Monitor through UF/IFAS has resumed providing flower bud advisories for Florida citrus growers.
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has resumed its flower bud advisories to help Florida citrus growers to make citrus grove management decisions during the critical points in the citrus season. Flower bud advisories will be issued each week until the end of spring, based on information from the Citrus Flowering Monitor, according to a Citrus Industry article. Explore the details below.
Details on the Citrus Flowering Monitor
The advisories are based on the Citrus Flowering Monitor which “predicts date(s) when citrus trees will bloom based on observed and predicted weather patterns and other parameters (cultivar, expected yield, tree age and soil type),” according to the article. The advisories offer information on the timing and intensity of citrus blooms, allowing growers to use the information to decide when to spray for Asian citrus psyllids, to cease spraying in order to not disrupt pollinators like bees, and more.
Tripti Vashisth, the UF/IFAS assistant professor, horticulturalist, and Extension specialist in citrus production management who restarted the flower bud advisories, said in the article, “I am excited to continue this important service to Florida citrus growers. This information is something that growers need to make timely and value-added decisions to properly manage their groves.”
The weekly flower bud advisories can be found on the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center website, or growers can utilize the Monitor themselves, here, inputting the parameters of their groves.
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.