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In these reports, more comments from Dr. Calvin Arnold about some of the research going on into citrus greening disease, or HLB. In one of these reports Arnold discusses an interesting example involving acoustics and citrus psyllid mating. Report (1:30 mp3) Report (1:30 mp3)

In this report, some insight and information on Citrus Expo scheduled for August 20 & 21, 2008 at Lee Civic Center in Ft. Myers. There are reasons Citrus Expo attracts ten times the number of real citrus growers in comparison to any other industry event. It’s two days of intensive grower seminars, and a sold out trade show with more than 150 exhibiting companies, making it THE place to be for serious citrus growers, production managers and grove business decision-makers. Pre-register now to make your arrival easiest and to help us plan for the crowd. And please leave your farmworker crews at home. This event is free for growers, production managers and other decision-makers involved in citrus production and industry. If you are a vendor or company representative who chooses not to sponsor or exhibit at Citrus Expo, you’re still welcome but you need to purchase a one- or two-day attendance pass. Find pre-registration, seminar and total program information at www.CitrusExpo.net. And click on the Report to hear more about it. Report (1:30 mp3)
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According to comments in these three reports from Dr Harold Browning, Director of UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center at Lake Alfred, progress is being made in research into citrus psyllid control. Browning agrees with other scientists who says if a decent breakthrough is made in any one of three major areas of research, it could mean major progress toward finding answers to controlling citrus greening disease. Hear his comments in these two reports, and remember to pre-register for Citrus Expo August 20 and 21 in Ft Myers, where the latest citrus greening research progress reports will be front and center on the intensive two-day grower seminar program.
Report (1:30 mp3) Report (1:30 mp3) Report (1:30 mp3)
This news post brought to you by Find seminar details and pre-register at the website by clicking on this Citrus Expo logo NOW!

Stay tuned to this website in coming weeks as we will be posting numerous comments from leading scientists involved in citrus greening research. Listen to the series of reports posted below and hear comments from UF/CREC Director Dr Harold Browning, and USDA Hort Lab Director Dr Calvin Arnold, about updates expected later this summer from research projects now underway in the field.
Report Report Report Report (all reports 1:30 mp3)
This news post brought to you by Find seminar details and pre-register at the website by clicking on this Citrus Expo logo NOW!

August 20 & 21 Lee Civic Center Ft Myers is the date this year for the World’s Premier Citrus Expo, still free for citrus growers and unquestionably the best attended citrus grower seminar and trade show event anywhere. Citrus Expo planning is entering its home stretch and only a few exhibit spaces remain available. Exhibitors should visit the website and contact us with reservation information soon if they plan to attend. Commercial vendors wanting to attend but not exhibit are also welcome, either as a sponsor at any level, or by purchasing a one- or two-day admission pass. CLICK HERE to go directly to the admissions information section of the website.
PRE-REGISTRATION IS OPEN AND ACTIVE ON LINE! Pre-registered growers will be entered to win a drawing for the John Deere Gun Safe sponsored by Everglades Farm Equipment again this year. You must be present to win of course, and PRE-REGISTRATION will get you in the door quick and easy. Find the DETAILS OF THE SEMINAR PROGRAM and a lot more information about the TRADE SHOW and other Citrus Expo events can be found at www.CitrusExpo.net.

V P of Production for Orange-Co In Arcadia, Jerry Newlin is also very involved at the industry level in efforts to guide greening research. Jerry is a leader of the Florida Citrus Production Managers’ Association and more recently, chairman of the Citrus Research Greening Task Force and a member of the Citrus Expo Steering Committee. In these reports, Newlin discusses the state of citrus greening research both here in the Unites States and in Brazil, from his perspective as a grower, and with a positive outlook he talks about how many entities are joining forces to tackle the greening problem. Report (1:30 mp3)Report (1:30 mp3)

PRE-REGISTRATION IS OPEN AND ACTIVE ON LINE! Pre-registered growers will be entered to win a drawing for the John Deere Gun Safe sponsored by Everglades Farm Equipment again this year. You must be present to win of course, and PRE-REGISTRATION will get you in the door quick and easy. Find the DETAILS OF THE SEMINAR PROGRAM and a lot more information about the TRADE SHOW and other Citrus Expo events can be found at www.CitrusExpo.net.

Bruce Nearon is a citrus grower who has been following the HLB “greening” situation, studying new methods for greening control on his own. He occassionally does his own electronic newsletter about meetings he has attended and things he has tried in his own grove operations. Here is a short report from Bruce’s latest communique, fitting for the “Grower Trials” section of this website. Nearon writes:
Our grove is Coyote Grove in Lake Wales and is certified organic. We started our scouting program in October using a commercial scouting service and had planned to scout every two months though May. The December scouting identified two HLB positive (more…)

In these four reports, comments from Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council leader Peter McClure, from an interview about his remarks to citrus researchers gathered in Ft Pierce a couple weeks ago to discuss citrus greening. Report Report Report Report (all 1:30 mp3)

In this report, comments from citrus grower Peter McClure with Evans Properties, who also heads up the grower Box Tax Council that advises the citrus research community. In a recent interview with Southeast AgNet/Citrus Industry Magazine’s Ernie Neff, McClure talks about his ‘takeaway’ from the recent scientific gathering in Ft Pierce that focused on greening and canker research discussions. Report (1:30 mp3)

Grower observation - By Lee Jones, general manager of GFC

We’ve been battling the psyllid for two-and-a-half years now and HLB for who knows how long. The 6,000 acres that I manage include groves in all three growing regions (Martin, Hendry, Hardee and Manatee Counties). This disease has multiplied rapidly in parts of our groves. I’ve noticed some interesting things about this disease, and I believe my most recent findings will help us keep this disease at manageable levels. (more…)

In the first report, Dr Michael Rogers (photo left) from University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center at Lake Alfred has more comments about the effectiveness of neighboring citrus growers working together to best control citrus psyllid, which is the vector of citrus “greening” disease. In the second report, Director of USDA’s Horticulture Lab in Ft Pierce, Dr Calvin Arnold, discusses an interesting research project done for grapes that may have some helpful information in the search for answers about citrus “greening”. Report (1:00 mp3) Report (1:00 mp3)

In this report, some pointed advice about an areawide approach to citrus psyllid control from Dr Michael Rogers. Rogers is a researcher at University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center at Lake Alfred.
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I’ve continued to add segments to this series, so I’m updating this post to be sure our citrus visitors hear what is now this full eight-part series with Dr Robert Davis. Among the scientists gathered in Ft Pierce recently to discuss greening and canker research, Davis is a scientist with USDA at the Beltsville MD lab and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. These reports features his comments about the greening challenge from various angles as he shares his thoughts about the value of the efforts being made by the industry to solve the greening problem.
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In these reports, candid comments from Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Ben Albritton Jr about recent investments of Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) funds to help in citrus greening research efforts. Albritton also discusses the painful but real challenge of some growers not doing what is needed to deal with greening, thereby harming neighboring growers who are trying to control the spread of the disease. Report (Report 2:00 mp3) Report (Report 1:00 mp3)

In this report, comments from University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC)Director Dr Harold Browning (in photo), about citrus greening and canker research discussions going on in Ft Pierce involving scientists from UF, USDA and the National Academy of Sciences.
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Southeast AgNet/Citrus Industry Magazine Editor Ernie Neff files both these reports from this week’s emerging technologies field day in Immokallee FL. Stay tuned, we’ll have more features about these technologies in reports to come.
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In these reports, comments from University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC)Director Dr Harold Browning (in photo), about Citrus Expo grower seminar planning currently underway. Browning is a member of the Citrus Expo Steering Committee. The committee met today in Sebring to continue the Citrus Expo seminar plannning process.
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In these reports Dr Calvin Arnold, Director of USDA’s Horticulture Lab in Ft Pierce, FL, discusses this week’s gathering of scientists from all over the country to discuss greening and canker. Among those expected are teams from USDA’s SWAT Team and scientists from the National Academy of Sciences thanks to a recent investment by the Florida Department of Citrus.
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In these four reports, comments from Tim Gast of Southern Gardens Citrus in Clewiston about their operation’s grove scouting and greening management program. Scouting, tree removal, and replicated research plots to look into a suspected guava-greening connection are all discussed. Gast offered the comments in a recent interview with Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff at the recent ‘Greening Summit” in Avon Park, FL.

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In these features, comments from citrus grower Peter McClure of Evans Properties. McClure also presently heads up the Florida Citrus Production Advisory Council, a group of involved growers who advise the research community on the most pressing grower needs in terms of answers to production challenges. McClure discusses the seriousness of the greening challenge and how his group and others in citrus are working together to find answers as quickly as possible. Report (1:00 mp3) Report (1:00 mp3)

Don’t get this “Greening Summit” information confused with another state level event of the same name that took place in Avon Park FL this week. The news release below pertains to follow up information coming out of the big nationwide citrus “Greening Summit” that was organized and hosted near Washington D C a few months back by USDA.

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2008–The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the findings from the Dec. 2007 meeting between federal, state and industry leaders to improve America’s defense against citrus greening and its insect vector, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP).
“This summit provided 65 citrus health experts the opportunity to share their ideas about enhancing cooperative prevention, preparedness, response and recovery efforts for citrus greening and the Asian citrus psyllid,” said Bruce Knight, under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs. (more…)

Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff files these two quick voice reports overviewing some of the main points made at today’s “Greening Summit” in Avon Park. Ernie caught up with several of the presenters and other newsmakers who offered comments for our listeners too. We’ll be sharing much of that material as we can get to it for posting in the days ahead. Stay Tuned to this website, and be sure to look for our coverage in an upcoming issue of Citrus Industry Magazine too!
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In this series of reports, Dr Warren Muir (photo right) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) discusses a recent decision by Citrus Commissioners to enlist the Academy’s involvement in citrus greening and canker research. Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff caught up with Dr Muir to ask for details of how the Academy came about and how they are structured to be able to possibly help the Florida citrus industry. Of particular interest is how scientists who are involved with the Academy actually donate their professional time, while the citrus grower dollars allocated to NAS will be in support of out-of-pocket and NAS systems expenses for these scientific teams to become involved.
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This is our final feature in our series of reports with Dr Jim Graham following up on the recent Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR)seminar at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) at Lake Alfred. In this report Graham says he recognizes that growers clearly want to know when they can expect some definative answers about these kinds of concepts and he tries to offer some answers in this regard. Report (1:30 mp3)

Here is the latest citrus industry research update from UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. (pdf file)

Another follow up story in this report out of the recent Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) seminar held at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center at Lake Alfred. While growers all over Florida are hearing talk about private ‘grower trials’ of one type or another, as growers help in the search for answers against ‘greening’ in particular, a lot of pressure is on the citrus research community to chime in about some of these efforts. But as CREC’s Dr Jim Graham (in photo) and others discussed with growers attending the recent SAR session, grower efforts are encouraged but proper documentation is critical. And there are other, even more important considerations for growers who may be contemplating trying some trials of their own. Report (1:30 mp3)

In this report, comments from Bayer CropScience Regional Sales Manager Chris Payne, updating growers about several key products Bayer offers in the battle against citrus greening disease. We at Southeast AgNet very much appreciate Bayer CropScience as a key sponsor supporting our farm broadcast and magazine publishing efforts for agriculture producers throughout this “deep southeast” U. S. region. Without sponsors, information services like these for growers simply could not exist. Report (2:00 mp3)

In these reports, more comments from Dr Jim Graham at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center at Lake Alfred, about Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) as it pertains to citrus canker, and how the research community plans to study SAR’s potential for help with the greening challenge. Report (1:30 mp3) Report (1:30 mp3)

We at Southeast AgNet are doing all we can to facilitate information flow among growers and researchers. As most in citrus are very aware, times are tough and growers are hoping research will lead to better management controls or solutions for citrus greening and canker diseases….
We will keep doing what we do - interviewing the players and bringing you their comments, like these pointed comments from Dr Jim Graham (photo left) in the first report posted herein. There are, however, limits on what we can report. We must avoid the potential liability of putting out inaccurate information, or of announcing potential breakthroughs prematurely.
While growers want desperately to hear about certain experiments being discussed on the coffee shop circuit, we must maintain the journalistic integrity that got us here. We hope growers understand and appreciate our efforts, and in this spirit I’ll share a proverbial saying from our side of the industry…”don’t shoot the messenger…” Thanks to all for your listenership and readership. Sincerely, Gary Cooper, President, Southeast AgNet, Inc. Report (1:15 mp3) Report (1:05 mp3)

A crowd of about 200 gathered at University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center mid-week to hear what citrus researchers had to say about Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR). Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff was there, and you can hear more about what went on in this report he filed soon after the meeting’s conclusion. Report (1:00 mp3)