Growers received welcomed news in June when trunk-injection therapy of oxytetracycline (OTC) was cleared for continued applications next season. Some growers have said the treatment has helped save groves from loss due to HLB.
Ute Albrecht, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor, has been one of the lead researchers on OTC applications and its effectiveness. Her research has shown consistently that the therapy has improved yields. Now, fruit quality is also improving.
GROWER PARTICIPATION
During the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, Albrecht will share observations on OTC best practices and what her latest data reveals in terms of OTC performance. She will be joined in a panel discussion with citrus growers Larry Black and Jim Snively. The growers will discuss what they’ve learned about optimizing OTC applications and how the treatment is performing in their groves.
“We are excited to present this panel discussion during the Expo,” said AgNet Media Editor-in-Chief Frank Giles. “This conversation will look beyond the data and cover how OTC is being practically applied in the grove from the grower perspective, along with Dr. Albrecht’s multi-year research into the use of OTC. Growers who have been applying OTC or are considering it will not want to miss this discussion.”
DON’T MISS THIS
Another not-to-be-missed presentation at the Expo centers around “A Land Remembered,” a treasured piece of historical fiction loved by many Florida growers. The novel chronicles the lives of three generations of the MacIvey family in Florida from the 1850s to the 1960s. There has been a lot of buzz about a new TV series that is being made based on the book. Todd Wiseman Jr., who is producing and directing the series, will be a featured speaker during this year’s Expo.
The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo takes place Aug. 12–13 at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center and adjoining Luminary Hotel in downtown Fort Myers.