Grant Information

PLANT NUTRITION MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS APPLICATION TO ENHANCE CITRUS PRODUCTION IN FLORIDA DURING CITRUS GREENING ERA

Sponsoring Institution National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Status COMPLETE
Funding Source HATCH
Division NIFA Formula
Reporting Frequency Annual
Project Director Vashisth, Tripti
Accession Number 1005823
Project Number FLA-LAL-005428
Dates 2015-05-11 - 2020-01-12
Animal Health Component 80%
Performing Department Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred
Recipient Organization UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611
Keywords citrus
citrus production
greening
nutrients
plant growth regulator
Research Effort Applied (80%)
Basic (20%)
Developmental (0%)
Classification Parameters
Knowledge AreaSubject of InvestigationField of SciencePercent
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships 999 - Citrus, general/other 1020 - Physiology 100%
Non-technical Summary

Currently, Florida citrus industry is facing a big challlenge due to widespred of citrus greening disease, Huanglongbing (HLB). The citrus production is greatly threatened by this disease. This disease results phloem plugging of the citrus tree and eventually root growth stunts making tree unproductive. Foliar and ground application of macro/micro nutrients have shown to be promising but there is limited literature present. Large number of citrus growers have already switched to uncoventional fertilization methods.The proposed research will help in quantifying the effect of butrients in HLB effected tree and citrus production. Moreover such reserach will help in optimizing the concentration of nutrients required by the tree under HLB pressure.Another big problem that has arised by HLB is reseting of young trees in groves. Young trees take about 3-5 years to become commercially produxctive. With the use of plant growth regulators we aim to enhance tree growth to make trees bearing early in the trees. Such use of plant growth regulators will help the citrus production.

Goals / Objectives
  1. To understand the role of plant nutrition in combatting HLB and to optimize the concentration of nutrients that are currently applied in citrus groves
  2. To enhance citrus production and to boost tree growth with use of plant growth regulators under HLB disease pressure and to find effective plant growth regulator treatments for young tree to become bearing
Methods (unparsed)

Methoda for this project will include conducting greenhouse and grove research. Latest tecnologies will be used to collect and analyze samples. During the project efforts will be made to set up demonstration plots and workshops will be orgained for the citrus growers and scientific community. To evaluate the project various scientific and statistical techniques will be used.

Methods
Methoda for this project will include conducting greenhouse and grove research. Latest tecnologies will be used to collect and analyze samples. During the project efforts will be made to set up demonstration plots and workshops will be orgained for the citrus growers and scientific community. To evaluate the project various scientific and statistical techniques will be used.