by SCOTT THOMPSON
There is no magic bullet.
That’s one of the messages UF/IFAS Professor Ozgur Batuman told an audience at a recent seminar in mid-May. He also said that the development of an HLB-resistant, genetically modified citrus tree is progressing, but it’s still at least eight years away — and even then, HLB will still be a threat.
We can conclude, therefore, that developing a combination of proven management practices will always be a priority to keep citrus trees protected, productive, and prosperous.
When it comes to well-researched and proven management practices for citrus, IPCs like the Tree Defender should always play a vital role.
At the recent Florida Citrus Show in March, UF/IAS Professor Fernando Alferez shared some recent results from a multi-year project that showed how IPCs not only keep trees protected from HLB longer, but that IPCs can help keep young trees that have been infected actually recover.
Here’s how the experiment went: 90 trees were planted in February 2023 and left uncovered. In February 2024, all 90 trees were infected and declining. The trees were then placed into three groups: 30 were left unprotected, 30 were covered with IPCs to avoid reinfection and 30 were covered with IPCs and treated once a month with a brassinosteroids treatment.
After 12 months, both the IPC- covered trees and the IPC-covered trees that also received the monthly brassinosteroid treatment were significantly healthier than the group of trees that were left uncovered. This led Alferez and his team to conclude the following:
- IPCs like the patented Tree Defender are the best management practice for keeping trees from HLB.
- IPCs improve tree growth, most likely due to the direct effect of better environmental conditions inside the bag.
- Brassinosteroids may help trees already affected by HLB recover as long as IPCs like the Tree Defender are used to prevent reinfection.
So, apparently there’s no magic bullet. Maybe there never was.
But that doesn’t mean magic isn’t happening. Maybe the real magic happens with the everyday, consistent practices that researchers and growers with foresight and a little bit of grit, stubbornness and faith implement to make sure that Florida citrus not only survives but thrives.
Bio: Scott Thompson is co-founder of Tree Defender, Radical Ag-Tech, and Care Planet Technologies. He is a Central Florida native with a background in agribusiness, food manufacturing, and bioscience.
This column is sponsored by Tree Defender, and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.