LAKE ALFRED, Fla. – The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus researchers and Extension program staff will provide multiple educational programs at the 2023 Florida Citrus Expo, scheduled for Aug. 16-17. Faculty and staff will participate on both days of the Expo, sharing the latest research updates and engaging activities for commercial growers.
UF/IFAS Interim Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Dean of Research Rob Gilbert will share an update on how UF/IFAS is serving the citrus industry. Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, will update growers on what researchers are doing to accelerate the development of HLB-tolerant and resistant citrus varieties and other research projects currently underway across IFAS programs.
Researchers will present their latest findings on individual protective covers (IPC), irrigation and nutrition, plant growth regulators (PGR), therapeutic trunk injections and other grove management practices, including cover crops and soil health, weed management, integrated pest management, disease management and planting new varieties.
A new addition this year is a researcher panel, where growers may ask the scientists directly about current issues they are facing. Growers face challenges that need a comprehensive approach to solving them and not just an answer from a single discipline such as pest or disease management. The intention is to provide growers an integrated perspective on how to combat challenges that address the multiple methods on how to fight HLB and other problems that they face growing citrus in today’s environment.
Growers may also stop by the UF/IFAS Extension booth in the exhibit hall. In addition to updated literature and the 2023-24 Florida Citrus Production Guide, growers can learn about various tools available to help manage their groves such as the latest in nutrition and irrigation, trunk injections, IPC selection, new varieties and pest management solutions.
There will also be demonstrations for the new Lebbeck mealybug test kits and the new evaluation tool, Canopy Assist. Growers may also pick up an updated Citrus Research Summary booklet that contains over 70 summaries of projects that UF/IFAS citrus researchers from across the state are currently working on. Please visit the booth which will be located near the breakfast and lunch serving area.
CCA CEUs and RUP CEUs will be available for the educational sessions. Attending the Florida Citrus Expo is free to growers, grove owners and decision makers, but registration is required. To register, visit Registration | Citrus Expo.