Connecting Producers in North Florida to Citrus Programming
Horticulture & Turfgrass
Danielle Sprague Williams
Commercial Horticulture Agent
UF/IFAS Extension Gadsden County
Quincy
Abstract
In North Florida, there has been significant growth in citrus production due to the relatively mild winters, advances in freeze protection, and cold hardy citrus varieties. This region is one of the only regions in Florida where commercial citrus planting is increasing, due to the relatively low incidence of the citrus greening pathogen and its vector. Despite the growth in citrus production, there is still a huge lack of knowledge for growers regarding production practices. In response to this need, state and county faculty members developed the Citrus Health Forum workshop to address the needs of citrus growers in North Florida. The purpose of this educational program was to provide research-based information to growers to improve production practices. The program first began in 2017 and is now held annually at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center. It consists of classroom presentations from state specialists followed by a grower panel discussion and a field demonstration. In addition to the educational program, the program features a trade show of businesses and agencies that offer goods and services to growers in the region. Each year, we work in collaboration with the Cold Hardy Citrus Association to help plan the topics addressed at the program. The number of participants have increased significantly, from just 65 in 2017 to 125 in 2022 and include growers from Georgia and Alabama. Since 2019, program evaluations have indicated a 96% (173/180) increase in knowledge of participants. Of those participants surveyed, 60% (101/167) indicated that they planned to make a change to their operation as a result of the information presented and 41% (57/138) indicated that they have already made a change. The Citrus Health Forum is now an established event that has been successful in offering educational content and continues to see positive feedback from growers.
Authors: Xavier Martini, Danielle Sprague
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Xavier Martini Assistant Professor, Entomology, UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, Florida, 32351
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Danielle Sprague Agriculture and Natural Resource Agent, UF/IFAS Extension Jefferson County, Florida, 32344