Citrus growers will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops and learning experiences at the 2019 Citrus Expo. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will host the workshops at 2:00 p.m. on Aug. 15, the second day of Citrus Expo. The event takes place in the Davidson House at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers.
“These are true hands-on activities that growers can participate in. We will have different researchers from different UF/IFAS centers that will be demonstrating techniques that growers can immediately use and implement in their groves,” says Tripti Vashisth, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of horticultural sciences and Citrus Extension specialist.
UF/IFAS will have 10 different hands-on activities that growers can engage in. Some of the activities include checking for different types of soil and root nematodes and learning how to control them, identifying pests and fungal diseases, learning different methods for fungicide application, and how to measure soil pH.
“Recently, we have discovered that knowing how to properly measure your grove’s soil pH is very important in regard to HLB management. It’s extremely important that citrus growers continuously monitor their grove’s soil pH for optimal grove management,” Vashisth says.
UF/IFAS will also have a “Meet the Specialist” session taking place at the same time as the hands-on workshops. Researchers will be available to speak with growers one-on-one. This is the perfect opportunity for growers to ask researchers questions they may have about their groves, as well as interact with them on a personal level rather than in a large meeting-room setting. UF/IFAS faculty look forward to interacting with growers at these new additions to Citrus Expo.
Citrus Expo and VSC Expo will take place Aug. 14–15 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. Growers will not want to miss this year’s event, so don’t wait. To preregister, click here or call 352-671-1909.
Due to a staggering amount of support, Citrus Expo is currently sold out of indoor exhibitor space, but there are outdoor booths available. If you would like to exhibit outdoors or be added to the waiting list for indoor space, please fill out a registration form.
Information about the seminar sessions will be available soon. To learn more, visit CitrusExpo.net.