Citrus Growers Forum

Millet · Posted: Sat 09 May, 2009 1:00 am

The major problem with the Greening disease, even if a grower can some how learn to "live with it", is the fact that his crop's harvest will be diminished. I've seen it written, that by providing some sort of required care, a grower might still be able to harvest 50 percent of a normal harvest (personally I doubt it). However, if a grower only received 50 percent of his normal crop, he will not make enough profit to stay in business. I doubt many growers could stay in business with a harvest reduced by 25 percent. - Millet (1,352-)

David · Posted: Sat 09 May, 2009 11:01 am

Good info Ned. I too remember the nasty screwworm. I am confident that we will find a way to deal with citrus greening. We may not eradicate it but we will find a way to deal with it. It will take some time but as with other things we shall find a way. David

JoeReal · Posted: Sat 09 May, 2009 2:44 pm

Millet wrote:

The major problem with the Greening disease, even if a grower can some how learn to "live with it", is the fact that his crop's harvest will be diminished. I've seen it written, that by providing some sort of required care, a grower might still be able to harvest 50 percent of a normal harvest (personally I doubt it). However, if a grower only received 50 percent of his normal crop, he will not make enough profit to stay in business. I doubt many growers could stay in business with a harvest reduced by 25 percent. - Millet (1,352-)

This rule needs to be re-written for lack of actual experience by US people in dealing with the disease that they have just started to interact with. I've posted about a grower who yields 100% normal harvest in the middle of greening infestation by following a very aggressive regimen of plant nutrition, growth hormones and aspirin.

Also, there are places in Vietnam with joint collaborative project with the USDA that simply intercropping the citruses with ACP repellant crops will get close to normal yield of citruses and also prolong the productive life of citrus orchards by more than 3 times the normal longevity in the middle of greening infested areas. I have read about such semi-technical presentations and publications. But the US citrus industry has been biased against studies from abroad, even those funded in part by USDA, as if those studies don't even exist.

Of course all of these alternatives while they work will make a major dent in the bottom line profit. We can manage the disease, I have no doubt about that from the worldwide evidences that I have seen, but such management will cost the typical US citrus grower. Yes, you will achieve the same 100% of normal yield, with the same quality fruits, but the cost associated with it, would still feel like a reduction of income as if you were only yielding 50% or even far less of normal income, similar to what was written.

Millet · Posted: Sat 09 May, 2009 4:22 pm

Joe, what you write may be possible in Vietnam. Planting half of a citrus grove in white guava trees to retard the psyllid might by financially feasible in Vietnam, but I doubt that it is financial feasible in Florida, for a lot of factors, no white guava market, and land values being just two. "In other areas of the world where greening is a problem, it has never been successfully eradicated. We will just have to agree to disagree, about ever obtaining a 100 percent harvest efficiency (or even close) under Citrus Greening conditions. Below, is a link that shows welcome news, that can provide some help against Greening, until a final solution can be found. - Millet (1,351-)

http://news.ufl.edu/2006/01/19/citrus-greening/

Ned · Posted: Sat 09 May, 2009 6:36 pm

Thanks Millet, good read.

If this problem can be conquered, the greatest chance of that happening is in the good old USA. The Florida, California, Texas, Arizona, and Lousiana citrus industries are not going down without a fight. Until the problem is solved, it will be the main focus of the concerned companies, agricultural schools and govermental agencies, with a stake in the industry. I have no crystal ball, but I do have faith in the system we live under, and would put my money on a solution being found.

I am sure some large companies are working overtime behind the scenes now. If there is a patent involved, I wish I knew which company might end up with it, I might be in the market for a little stock!

Ned

David · Posted: Sat 09 May, 2009 7:47 pm

I am with you Ned and like you my money will be put on them that have the desire and the need to get things under control. USA is no slouch when they have an objective that they must persue...regardless of the hype, the banking crapola, the bailouts and the liberal posture of the parties in control right now this is still the best place to live and the best place to find a way to deal with greening...................David

Ned · Posted: Sat 09 May, 2009 11:19 pm

Thanks David. I am not pulling my trees at this point!

Ned

JoeReal · Posted: Sun 10 May, 2009 2:53 am

Millet wrote:

Joe, what you write may be possible in Vietnam. Planting half of a citrus grove in white guava trees to retard the psyllid might by financially feasible in Vietnam, but I doubt that it is financial feasible in Florida, for a lot of factors, no white guava market, and land values being just two. "In other areas of the world where greening is a problem, it has never been successfully eradicated. We will just have to agree to disagree, about ever obtaining a 100 percent harvest efficiency (or even close) under Citrus Greening conditions. Below, is a link that shows welcome news, that can provide some help against Greening, until a final solution can be found. - Millet (1,351-)

http://news.ufl.edu/2006/01/19/citrus-greening/

The article has noted the MANAGEMENT of the disease which I have been telling from my post. With Canker, they have resigned to managing the disease because it was proven impossible to eradicate.

Radoslav · Posted: Mon 11 May, 2009 7:36 am

In webpage:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/ad523e/ad523e03.htm

I found that :
"Pummelo tolerates greening disease, but yields are reduced somewhat and the fruit may apprear lop-sided rather than symetrical"
Is it true?

Ned · Posted: Sat 16 May, 2009 9:14 pm

This was in the Charleston Post and Courier today.

Ned

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/may/16/doomed_lemon_trees_leave_man_bit_bitter82564/

Millet · Posted: Sat 16 May, 2009 11:03 pm

"I have nothing against Clemson," Mellen said, "but I wish they could play football."

Mr. Mellen has a sense of humor. - Millet (1,344-)

Ned · Posted: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:04 am

He does, but he seems to misunderstand the implications of his tree having greening, and the threat it presents to his neighbor's trees, and to the industry in general. If he truly understood the problems his infected tree could cause, I think he would have a better attitude towards it's removal.

I also found the reader's comments interesting because many of them also seemed to fail to grasp the devastation that can be caused by the problem. This attitude many in the publc has at least partly contributed to the spread of canker and greening.

Ned

Skeeter · Posted: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:22 am

If he has had the tree for 16 years, that begs the question--How did his tree get infected? Did he or his neighbor bring in an infected tree? Or was he and his neighbor just the unlucky victim of one wayward ACP?

_________________
Skeet

Ned · Posted: Sun 17 May, 2009 1:25 pm

Good question Skeet, but I don't think anyone has a good handle on how this disease jumps such long distances. It could be a number of different ways. Live plant material such as a a potted citrus, budwood, a citrus relative used as an ornmental, or maybe even a infected psyllid.

Ned

Millet · Posted: Sun 17 May, 2009 3:38 pm

If the tree was infected by s psyllid, then where there is one psyllid, you can count on other psyllids. My money would be on the appearance of more infected SC trees in the future, and not to distant future. Thank God for Colorado freezing winters, a psyllid would never survive the cold. Colorado has zero (0) citrus diseases, therefore, Colorado growers have to be cautious where citrus trees, or tree parts come from, so that they don't ship in diseases. -Millet (1,343-)