Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience for this project included citrus growers, industry groups, food brands, consumers, undergraduate and graduate students from universities, colleges, and schools, research and extension specialists from multiple institutions and disciplines, and experts from state and federal departments such as FDACS and USDA. The research and extension specialists on this project have given presentations at statewide and national events such as the Citrus and Specialty Crops Expo, Science fair and exhibits, Florida Entomological Society Meeting, and the nation's largest natural food expositions Natural Products Expo West, in Anaheim where over 65,000 people attended in 2024. Additionally, virtual seminars, in-person open-house presentations, demonstrations, and field visits (>300 people) were organized for citrus producers. Other educational events included training attended by undergraduate and graduate students, growers, researchers, and extension specialists. Graduate students and postdoctoral research associates were also trained on specific research proposed for this project. The population groups that attended our events were from different racial and ethnic backgrounds including minorities. Changes/Problems:Low ACP populations and shoot production at certain times limited evaluation of the proposed spray programs and biological control. Field studies were also impacted by weather events, such as heavy rains, which influenced the effectiveness of spray programs. However, we were able to evaluate the populations of beneficial organisms and ACP and conduct experiments to evaluate the natural mortality contributed by biological control agents. Some delays or changes in spray applications resulted in accommodating grower preference, such as one participant declining the use of oil in his grove. Hence the program was modified in that location to test the effectiveness of insecticidal soap, kaolin, and diatomaceous earth versus the grower control. One challenge observed was that the psyllid-only focus as a pest control strategy was not a viable approach for growers producing citrus for the fresh fruit market. There is a suite of arthropod pests that growers need to target simultaneously, thus requiring the use of a multi-target management strategy. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?PD and Co-PDs trained their staff, postdocs, and students to provide a foundation for understanding the significance of the proposed research and methods of conducting the proposed experiments. They were also trained in disseminating information to stakeholders. Online seminars, open house demonstrationsthrough posters, movies, and hands-on training; presentations atstate and national exhibits and workshops provided several opportunities for the staff, postdocs,and students to learn and improve and expand their skills in preparing the materials for such events, writing and presenting to the stakeholders. The stakeholder groups that attended the events including growers, research and extension personnel, school and college students, and graduate students from multiple disciplines, were also trained in identifying harmful and beneficial organisms in citrus orchards and their management.Three PhD students, one PhD from Haiti (Romain Exilien) under the supervision of Dr. Martini and two PhD students one each from Ghana (Seth Tsatsu) and Egypt (Mohamed Ali) were trained under the supervision of Dr. Qureshi, Romain presented his research on repellents and ACP management from at the Entomological Society of America and Florida Entomological Society meetings. Mohamed also presented at the professional meetings and Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) open house attended by citrus producers and others. Seth shared knowledge from his research at the same open house. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Three workshops to disseminate the results of the findings to citrus homeowners, one each in Tallahassee, FL (Leon County), Milton, FL (Santa Rosa County), and Lake City, FL (Columbia County), were organized. These workshops aim to give homeowners tools to control ACP that do not rely exclusively on conventional insecticides. Romain Exilien delivered the information from his research to homeowners. Mohamed Ali work was presented at the International Congress of HLB. Seth Tsatsu and Mohamed Ali shared knowledge from their research at the open house organized at the SWFREC. In addition, a summary of the research findings of Romain and Mohamed has been published in the 2023 and 2024 research book "Keeping Florida Growers Informed" published by the Citrus Research and Education Center. A grower presentation was made on September 21, 2023, during the annual meeting of the Texas Citrus Mutual, attended by 103 growers. A summary of organic psyllid control strategies was discussed. Furthermore, informal meetings with each of the three collaborating growers in the project were held in January 2024 to refine the program and discuss its challenges. Faculty, postdocs, and students discussed research on ongoing tools for citrus pest management during their visits to the citrus orchards. Information on citrus pest management was also disseminated through UF's Electronic Delivery Source (EDIS) system, including a production guide and citrus industry magazine. Presentations and demonstrations at the open house, expos, workshops, and national and international meetings were attended by several segments of society. These include citrus growers, industry groups, food brands, consumers, undergraduate and graduate students from universities, colleges, and schools, research and extension specialists from multiple institutions and disciplines, and experts from state and federal departments such as FDACS and USDA. A website, Science for Citrus Health (http://ucanr.edu/sites/scienceforcitrushealth/), was co-maintained to educate growers on the research and methods being conducted and developed to protect citrus from the ACP-HLB complex. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: Development of a season-long management strategy for Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). We will conduct detailed investigations to evaluate the effects of beneficial organisms on ACP in the controlled and field conditions including their interactions with kaolin and thyme oil and insecticides. We also plan to investigate the effects of entomopathogenic fungi on ACP populations under controlled and field conditions. Large-scale field studies will evaluate the integrated effects of insecticides and biological control in season-long management programs implemented in Florida and Texas. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of different organic programs in suppressing ACP populations, including evaluations of different OMRI-approved biopesticides for suppressing ACP during winter months. We will monitor the populations of natural enemies in citrus orchards under different organic programs and employ exclusion techniques to determine natural mortality in the developing colonies of ACP immatures. We will evaluate the parasitism by Tamarixia radiata in the organic management programs for ACP by examining and rearing the field-collected nymphs of ACP. We plan to replicate the experiments in Valencia sweet orange using MeJA for its effects on ACP including understanding the mechanisms of action by which MeJA treatment affects ACP populations. Objective 2: Economic analysis of the production practices and proposed strategies for profitable organic citrus production. The economics team will meet with the other team members to incorporate new practices and lessons learned from experiments into the survey instrument. This is an interactive process that will be completed in 2025. The team already identified recent Florida and California production budgets that will be used in partial budget analysis. They will also levy work done on citrus trunk injection costs from another project to assess the cost of production if trunk injection is included as a new cultural practice. They will also meet with Co-PIs to collect and process information on management practices and related costs for budget analysis. Objective 3: Develop and disseminate outreach and extension materials on organic management of ACP and HLB. PI, Co-PIs, postdocs, and students will present research findings to the stakeholders through online seminars and in-person meetings with growers, research and extension specialists, students, extension agents, and industry brands. We will work with Florida Organic Growers (FOG) and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) to host informational events such as workshops and survey organic growers. Findings from different studies will be presented at the 'Citrus Health Forum' workshop Dr. Martini organized annually, attracting over 120 growers from FL, AL, and GA. Finally, we plan to present the results from this project at the meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Florida Entomological Society, and the International IPM seminar, as well as in the open house and citrus seminars offered online or in person. We plan to publish articles on the natural enemies and kaolin suppression of ACP and their interactions. We will continue communication efforts including maintaining the website, updating the website with progress reports provided by the project team, and publicizing farmer listening sessions, research phase announcements, and requests for stakeholder input. The Organic Center is currently redesigning its entire website, and in 2025, the entire website will be available in multiple languages, while all information products, like reports, will be slowly translated and offered in Spanish. This will expand the reach of the project website which will be updated with information from new research findings in Florida and Texas. As a part of this overhaul, the TOC communications team and Director have been working with its web designing company to increase the user-friendliness of all research project microsites, which will also help increase engagement with the outreach material from this project. While TOC added a Resources page to the project website, it is not very engaging and interactive. The team is currently brainstorming ways to use better graphic design to increase interaction with material from this page:https://www.organic-center.org/resources-2.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: Experiments were conducted to evaluate commercially available ladybeetle Cryptolaemus montrouzier, lacewing Chrysoperla rufilabris, minute pirate bug Orius laevigatus, and predatory mites Amblyseius swirskii for predation on ACP. The natural enemies were isolated on single shoots within a 2-inch vial at one individual per vial with 20 to 40 eggs of ACP. Eggs were counted before the experiment and at 48h and 96 h after the release of the natural enemies. Considering less efficacy of A. swirskii against it was excluded from the next experiment. A follow-up experiment with additional candidates was conducted on small citrus plants under laboratory conditions. Natural enemies were allowed to forage on the citrus plant infested with ACP eggs before 48h and 96h count. This experiment revealed that D. catalinae is more efficient than the other tested candidates in predating ACP eggs. A field experiment arranged as a randomized block design in a newly planted block of Star Ruby grapefruit was conducted to test the hypothesis that Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) phytostimulant could reduce ACP and citrus greening or huanglongbing (HLB). MeJA and its derivatives, collectively known as jasmonates, are fatty acid-derived cyclopentanones that regulate growth and development, responses to various environmental stresses, and gene expression, playing a key role in plant defense responses against pathogens and pests. Trees received either of two treatments of weekly applications: 1) control of Tween 80 aqueous solution, or 2) MeJA + Tween 80. ACP adults, nymphs, and eggs found on plants were counted weekly. Flush growth on six trees per replicate plot was monitored weekly by counting all flush within a 50 cm2cube randomly positioned within the canopy of the tree. PCR was performed on a subset of plants in each treatment replicate at the beginning and two months after initiation of the experiment (06/26/24) (6 samples per treatment replicate) to test for CLas pathogen of HLB. Significantly (P < 0.01) fewer ACP were observed in plots treated with MeJA (mean ± SD: 0.32 ± 1.07) than in control plots (mean ± SD: 2.53 ± 5.13. CLas remained undetectable in plots treated with MeJA by PCR at 2 months after applications. However, we found a 67% infection rate in control plots. Findings support the hypothesis that methyl jasmonate can potentially reduce ACP-HLB. In an ongoing study evaluating season-long control of ACP in Florida, OMRI-approved organic insecticides were evaluated in winter and growing seasons. In February 2024, Aza-Direct at 16 oz/ acre, Entrust at 2.0 oz/ acre, PyGanic at 10 oz/acre were applied in a block of citrus in a randomized complete block design. ACP populations were suppressed from all treatments, with the significant effects observed from Entrust, averaging 41% reduction in April and 56% in early May. JMS stylet oil, M-pede (soap), and Surround (Kaolin), respectively, were evaluated during the growing season in three spray programs i) oil-based, ii) oil plus soap-based, and iii) oil plus soap and kaolin-based, respectively. Although rains impacted the effectiveness of the sprays conducted in July a significant effect of all treatments was observed at 7 days after treatment application. An average ACP reduction of 79%, 63%, and 36% was observed from the treatments of M-pede (soap), JMS stylet oil, and Surround (Kaolin), respectively. Exclusion experiments conducted in May and July used cohorts of developing colonies of ACP nymphs protected or exposed to natural enemies. ACP suppression averaged 23-75%, suggesting the contribution of biotic mortality factors in reducing pest populations in all programs. Samples of ACP nymphs were collected and examined in the laboratory for evidence of parasitism by the parasitoid Tamarixia radiatareleased in the study grove. Programs 1, 2, and 3 contained 66%, 14%, and 61% colonies, respectively, with parasitized nymphs. The parasitism rate in the parasitized colonies averaged 64%, 83%, and 72%, respectively. Overall parasitism, including colonies without parasitism, averaged 42%, 12%, and 43%, respectively, in programs 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In Texas, four project goals were targeted: 1) compare the effectiveness of the season-long psyllid control program relative to the grower standard; 2) compare the efficacy of threshold-based spray vs monthly spray program; 3) determine the effectiveness of the implemented organic ACP control program on the incidence of HLB in the grove and 4) conduct outreach activities to disseminate best management practices for ACP control. The effectiveness of the season-long psyllid control program was tested as grower participatory trials in two groves. In this study, three ACP control programs, including i) oil-based, ii) oil plus soap-based, and iii) oil plus soap and kaolin-based, were compared to the standard grower control. In both locations, programs based on oil plus other organic pesticides were the most effective at reducing ACP compared to the grower standard or the oil-only program. A threshold-based spray program was compared to a calendar spray program in two groves. This study used the organic program combined withgrower standard and diatomaceous earth based on the preference of a collaborating grower. During this reporting period, nine calendar and 8 threshold-based sprays were performed at each site. Those two spray programs were comparable except in one grove in which the monthly calendar spray program resulted in lower psyllid densities. HLB incidence was evaluated in one of the groves in which the season-long efficacy of four treatments was compared. Since the study was being conducted for the second year in the same grove, the percentage of HLB-affected trees was evaluated on the total number of experimental trees per treatment (n = 35). No significant differences, andHLB incidence was 23% to 34% across treatments. Objective 2: The economics team met with the PI and Co-PIs in Florida and Texas and reached growers to collect information on the costs associated with implementing tools and tactics for managing ACP. The team also identified recent Florida and California production budgets to be used in partial budget analysis. Objective 3: The concept of the system approach to organic management ACP, including the role of key predators, parasitoids, and entomopathogenic fungus in its suppression, was demonstrated through posters and live demonstrations in the 1)2023 Fall open house at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (> 300 participants), and a collaborative 2024 Junior Achievement Inspire event held at the Florida Gulf Coast University (>5,000 participants). A presentation on effective psyllid control strategies in organic groves was given at the Texas Citrus Mutual annual meeting in September 2023. The Organic Center updated the project website disseminating the research team's progress in 2024 to TOC's vast consumer and industry networks (https://www.organic-center.org/news-and-updates). The combined reach of the organization's social media pages is over 156,000 individuals on Facebook, and there are over 41,000 followers on X (formerly known as Twitter). In 2024 TOC increased its social media network by amplifying updates on LinkedIn, a new platform for the organization.The project website was maintained and updated with project updates. Outreach materials were developed to educate a primarily industry audience at The Organic Center's annual benefit on March 13, 2024. This event showcased a science fair before the main "Organic Oscars" event, and an exhibit was dedicated to the ACP citrus greening research project. The poster described what it means to take whole systems approach in organic pest management and presented some preliminary results from the research team.A QR code was presented on the poster, which leads to the project website to generate more exposure to this work.? ?

Publications

Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:Our target audience for this project were from several segments of society. These include citrus growers, industry groups, food brands, consumers, undergraduate and graduate students from universities, colleges and schools, research and extension specialists from multiple institutions and disciplines, and experts from state and federal departments such as FDACS and USDA. The research and extension specialists on this project have given presentations at statewide and national events such as Citrus and Specialty Crops Expo, Science fair and exhibits, Florida Entomological Society Meeting, Entomological Society of America Meeting and the nation's two largest natural food expositions Expo West and Expo East. Similarly, virtual citrus seminars were given which were attended by a variety of audiences particularly growers, students, research, and extension faculty. Additional opportunities for reaching several of the above-listed target audiences were created through open house and workshops which were attended by lower-level students (freshman and sophomores), undergraduate and graduate students, growers, researchers, and extension specialists. Graduate students and postdoctoral research associates were also trained on specific research proposed for this project. The population groups that attended our events were from different racial and ethnic backgrounds including minorities. Changes/Problems:ACP populations were low at the study sites during the early part of the year, which limited evaluation of the proposed spray programs at start. However, we were able to evaluate the populations of beneficial organisms and ACP as well as conduct experiments to evaluate the natural mortality contributed by biological control agents. During the active phase of the program, one participant declined the use of oil in his grove; the program was modified in that location to test the effectiveness of insecticidal soap, kaolin, and diatomaceous earth versus the grower control. By working directly with growers, we will ensure rapid adoption of the most effective method of psyllid control as the data generated by the project came directly from their groves and work. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?PD and Co-PDs trained their staff, postdocs, and students to provide a foundation for their understanding of the significance of the proposed research and methods of conducting the proposed experiments. Online seminars, open house demonstrationsthrough posters, movies, and hands-on training; presentations atstate and national exhibits and workshops provided several opportunities for the staff, postdocs,and students to learn and improve and expand their skills in preparing the materials for such events, writing and presenting to the stakeholders. The stakeholder groups that attended the events, including research and extension personnel, school and college students, and graduate students from multiple disciplines, were also trained in the identification of harmful and beneficial organisms in citrus orchards and their management. Postdocsand students availed the opportunity to present their work at professional meetings such as national and branch meetings of the Entomological Society of America, Florida Entomological Society etc. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Faculty, postdocs, and students presented the work at several professional and grower meetings with extensive participation. Presentations and demonstrations at the open house, expos, workshops, and national and international meetings were attended by several segments of society. These include citrus growers, industry groups, food brands, consumers, students from universities, colleges, and schools, and research and extension specialists from multiple institutions and disciplines. Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Beneficials for management of Asian citrus psyllid (predators, parasitoids, entomopathogens). Citrus Insect, mite, and nematode workshop. 19 January. UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, FL. Stelinski, L.L. et al. 2023. Asian citrus psyllid research and management. Citrus Insect, mite, and nematode workshop. 19 January. UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, FL. This was a workshop included hands-on demonstrations in addition to a series of presentations during which time there was a longer period of stakeholder engagement. An 80-page educational binder was produced for all attendees that included copies of all presentations given. Stelinski, L.L. 2023. Managing psyllids and other citrus pests. Citrus Expo. 16-17 August. (Several hundred Attendees). Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, FL. A factsheet was developed as an education tool regarding our research and this project. This described our progress, challenges, and future applied opportunities. This was distributed as a hard-copy booklet at the meeting. Stelinski, L.L. et al. 2022. Getting the most bang out of Asian citrus psyllid management under endemic greening. Citrus Expo. 17-18 August. (Several hundred Attendees). Lee Civic Center, Fort Myers, FL. The seminar updated growers on our objective, discussed our progress to date, and challenges/opportunities for the future. Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Evolving management of Asian citrus psyllid and interactions with citrus pest complex. Citrus Seminar, 31 October, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee, FL. This seminar was attended by citrus growers and extension specialists and included information on the organic and conventional methods of ACP management. Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Citrus pests: Asian citrus psyllid and beneficial organisms (poster presentation). Open house, 8 November, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee, FL. Qureshi, J.A. et. al. 2023. Live demonstration of Asian citrus psyllid and beneficial organisms used for its biological control with audience from multiple segments of the society. Open house, 8 November, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee, FL. Ali, M., B. Kostyk, M. Triana, and J. A. Qureshi. 2023. Demonstration of the effectiveness of UV-metalized reflective mulch in reducing Asian citrus psyllid populations (poster presentation and demonstration). Open house, 8 November, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee, FL. These open house presentations and demonstration focusing on cultural and biological methods of ACP control were attended by more than 300 people including growers, extension and research staff, and several other segments of society including homeowners producing citrus in their backyards and included field tours. Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Reduce Pests with Natural Enemies. Citrus Industry Magazine, 104 (4), 16-18. This article discussed the role of beneficial organisms in managing ACP and other pests and was distributed electronically and in hard copies to stakeholdersin multiple states. Setamou, M. 2023. Approaches of psyllid management. Meeting with organic growers and master gardeners. TX. This presentation described the approaches for managing psyllids and focused on organic pest management. Several other channels of communication, including websites, newsletters, science fairs, exhibits etc. were used to reach and share knowledge and findings with several stakeholders, including citrus producers and consumers. The Organic Center made a press release and grower group announcements to a wide variety of venues publicizing the planned research, https://www.organic-center.org/usda-awards-major-organic-research-grant-fight-citrus-greening. An interview was organized with The Packer in advance of the press release, which was published the same day as the press release, https://www.thepacker.com/news/organic/organic-research-combat-citrus-greening-gets-2m-usda-funds. The press release was also picked up and reported on by AndNowUKnow Produce Industry News, https://www.thepacker.com/news/organic/organic-research-combat-citrus-greening-gets-2m-usda-funds. Additionally, a social media campaign surrounding the proposed research was launched by pushing the project launch through social media channels and through the Organic Trade Association's and The Organic Center's newsletters. The combined reach of the organization's social media pages is over 156,000 individuals on Facebook, and there are over 41,000 followers on Twitter. The project website was maintained and updated with project updates. Outreach materials were developed to educate a primarily industry audience at The Organic Center's annual benefit on March 8, 2023. This event was later transformed into the format of a science fair and an exhibit was dedicated to the citrus greening research project. The timeline of the funding acquisition process and the importance of the research topic was highlighted. The timeline was printed on a trifold poster board accompanied by a digital sign that showcases the research goals. A QR code will be presented on the digital sign, which leads to the project website to generate more exposure of this work. Two specialty cocktails were developed for the event to highlight citrus and the importance of finding organic solutions to citrus greening (imagine if you didn't have your lemons/limes/grapefruits for these drinks!). Some updates from the project research were publicized via social media and The Organic Center's June newsletter that reaches over 25,000 subscribers. We also used the Science for Citrus Health website (https://ucanr.edu/sites/scienceforcitrushealth/) as a web-based medium for disseminating new information related to HLB. The SCH team continues to meet bi-monthly to discuss the next tasks relevant to the goals of the group. The Science for Citrus Health (SCH) team (current lead members: P. Lemaux and L.L. Stelinski) is comprised of outreach specialists, postdocs, and graduate students. The group produces outreach/extension documents and organizes/delivers events. An information flier about the Science for Citrus health website was published in the California Research Board E-News mailer and the Florida Citrus Industry magazine newsletter to increase grower traffic to the site. We also published several new snapshots on the website site. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Objective 1: Development of a season-long management strategy for Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). During the next period we plan to conduct experiments to study the oviposition and development of ACP on citrus treated with kaolin and thyme oil. This would help us to determine if the residual number of ACP that laid eggs on citrus treated with kaolin and thymol is impacted by the treatment. We will also start experimenting with natural enemies to determine the best predator(s) against ACP eggs and nymphs. We plan to have the new olfactometer working and test the effect of volatile pulse on the response of ACP to volatiles. Samples of natural enemies from experiments that evaluated ant baits and Predalure dispensers will be examined to collect data on the predators and ACP abundance under different treatments. Field experiments with Antixx Ant Bait and Predalure dispensers will be replicated at least one more time temporally during the next season. We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of different organic programs in suppressing ACP populations including evaluations of different OMRI approved biopesticides for suppressing ACP during winter months. We will monitor the populations of natural enemies in citrus orchards under different organic programs and employ exclusion techniques to determine natural mortality in the developing colonies of ACP immatures. Parasitoid Tamarixia radiata will be released in the organic management programs for ACP and rates of parasitism will be determined through examination of the nymphs. We will evaluate the effects of UV-metalized reflective mulch on ACP and citrus trees. Objective 2: Economic analysis of the production practices and proposed strategies for profitable organic citrus production. In early 2024, economics team will meet with the other team members to incorporate new practices and lessons learned from experiments into the survey instrument. This is an interactive process that will be completed in 2025. The team already identified recent Florida and California production budgets that will be used in partial budget analysis. They will also levy work done on citrus trunk injection costs from another project to assess cost of production if trunk injection is included as new cultural practice. In January 2024, they will meet with Co-PIs to begin work on collecting information on management practices and related costs for partial budgets analysis. Objective 3: Develop and disseminate outreach and extension materials on organic management of ACP and HLB. PI, Co-PIs, postdocs, and students will present findings of research to the stakeholders through online seminars, and in-person meetings with growers, research and extension specialists, and industry brands. Findings will continue to be shared with target audiences through the project website hosted by The Organic Center (https://www.organic-center.org/news-and-updates) and websites of the FL and TX participating research and education centers. Event and exhibit reporting will continue through The Organic Center and Organic Trade Association newsletters (The Organic Scoop; OTA Newsflash) and social media channels. We will continue communication efforts including maintaining the website, updating the website with progress reports provided by the project team, and publicizing farmer listening sessions, research phase announcements, and requests for stakeholder input.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: We were able to initiate several experiments between laboratory and field in Florida and Texas toward developing tools and tactics useful for suppressing the populations of ACP. Experiments were conducted to use kaolin clay as a nanocarrier for essential oils to repel ACP so that their colonization of citrus trees is reduced. Four different oils (fir, coriander, lavender, thyme) were tested in combination with kaolin clay. We found that kaolin increased the repellent activity of the four oils. However, out of the four treatments, the combination of thymol and kaolin offered the best protection to citrus. In a subsequent experiment mixing kaolin with blue and red colorant, later combination significantly increased the repellent effect of kaolin clay and reduced the number of ACP eggs laid on citrus. Finally, we tested a treatment of kaolin + red colorant + thymol and found that in a choice test red kaolin + thymol reduced the number of ACP by 90% as compared to the control plant. Oviposition of ACP was also significantly reduced with this treatment. These findings suggest that red kaolin is an effective visual repellent against ACP useful for reducing its populations in citrus trees, however, red kaolin had no greater effect than kaolin when combined with thymol. In Florida, a large-scale field study was initiated with the state's largest organic citrus producer. This study is intended to evaluate the effects of three organic programs and a grower standard program as well as of biological control on the populations of ACP. Populations of ACP and natural enemies were monitored in the study block using tap and suction sampling methods during 2023. The three organic programs to be evaluated against the grower standard are oil based and with soap or soap plus kaolin combinations. Initially, ACP populations were low which did not warrant need for spray applications. Additionally, grower needed information on the products to be used in the proposed programs including labels and time to get approval for his organic farm plan. TriTek (80% mineral oil) at 1% of the application volume was sprayed across all programs in the first week of August. ACP populations averaged at 0.45 adults per tap sample at the end of August which was 37% less than the numbers observed in early August. We also employed exclusion experiments to evaluate the natural mortality in the nymphal populations of ACP in this block. The developing colonies of ACP immatures on citrus shoots were protected with sleeve cages or left exposed to the natural enemies for a period of about two to three weeks to assess the impact of natural mortality factor on ACP populations. An average of 36% reduction in the nymphal populations of ACP in the colonies developing on citrus shoots exposed to natural enemies compared to the ones protected was observed. Releases of the parasitoid Tamarixia radiata which attack ACP nymphs preferably instars 4-5 were also made and parasitism rates were evaluated in the block. We observed evidence of parasitism in 43% of nymphal colonies with parasitism averaging 29% from 13-50% per colony. To improve the role of biological control in the citrus groves by excluding ants, two experiments were conducted in an organic grove in Lake Wales, FL. We tested commonly used ant baits and OMRI listed ant bait formulation approved for organic pest management. We also evaluated MeSA dispensers (Predalure) attractive to natural enemies and useful to enhance biological control in citrus groves. In a proof-of-concept study we showed that an ant bait treatment of groves could substitute the need for application of the labor intensive Tanglefoot sticky barrier used at the base of trees to reduce ant populations in citrus orchards. We therefore evaluated the OMRI listed ant bait treatment Antixx Ant Bait (Spinosad). We also evaluated Predalure dispensers which release a kairomone that attracts beneficial insects as a method of augmenting and/or conserving biological control agents of ACP. Our results indicate that a similar, albeit somewhat less effective, reduction of fire ants can be achieved by application of the OMRI listed Antixx Ant Bait. This treatment may be a useful tool for citrus growers in FL to increase the effectiveness of biological control of ACP via fire ant removal. Our initial evaluation of Predalure dispensers as a method for enhancing biological control of ACP suggests that these dispensers may also be a viable method for enhancing biological control of ACP by attracting natural enemies to treated plots. In Texas, field trials to meet the main project goal consisting in the development of a year-long psyllid control program were conducted as grower participatory trials with three growers. Three programs (Program 1 = oil based only; Program 2 = Oil based plus insecticidal soap in rotation, and Program 3 = oils, insecticidal soaps, and kaolin in rotation) were tested in a replicated design along with the traditional grower program as control. Similar trends were observed in ACP population in the two locations where all four programs were tested. ACP populations were very low at the onset of the trial in both locations in May 2023 and remain low for the early part of summer. Program 3 that combined the three types of biopesticides (oil, insecticidal soap and kaolin in rotation) was the most effective in reducing psyllid densities. The present study shed light on the benefits of using different types of biopesticides for managing ACP. Objective 2: The economics team drafted the grower adoption survey. This is an interactive process that will be completed in 2025. The team identified recent Florida and California production budgets that will be used in partial budget analysis. Objective 3: The Organic Center made a press release and grower group announcements to a wide variety of venues publicizing the planned research, https://www.organic-center.org/usda-awards-major-organic-research-grant-fight-citrus-greening. An interview was organized with The Packer in advance of the press release, which was also published, https://www.thepacker.com/news/organic/organic-research-combat-citrus-greening-gets-2m-usda-funds. The press release was also reported on by AndNowUKnow Produce Industry News, https://www.thepacker.com/news/organic/organic-research-combat-citrus-greening-gets-2m-usda-funds. Additionally, a social media campaign surrounding the proposed research was launched by pushing the project launch through social media channels and through the Organic Trade Association's and The Organic Center's newsletters. The combined reach of the organization's social media pages is over 156,000 individuals on Facebook, and there are over 41,000 followers on Twitter. The project website was maintained and updated with project updates. Outreach materials were developed to educate a primarily industry audience at The Organic Center's annual benefit on March 8, 2023. This event was later transformed into the format of a science fair and an exhibit was dedicated to the citrus greening research project. Some updates from the project research were publicized via social media and The Organic Center's June newsletter that reaches over 25,000 subscribers. We also used the Science for Citrus Health website (https://ucanr.edu/sites/scienceforcitrushealth/) as a web-based medium for disseminating new information related to HLB. An information flier about the Science for Citrus health website was published in the California Research Board E-News mailer and the Florida Citrus Industry magazine newsletter. Two grower meetings were organized in Texas, one in December 2022 and the second one in September 2023 to explain the goal of the program and provide the preliminary results of this project. Another educational meeting was organized in September 2023 for master gardeners, during which different organic psyllid control approaches were presented.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Evolving management of Asian citrus psyllid and interactions with citrus pest complex. Citrus Seminar, 31 October, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee, FL.
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Citrus pests: Asian citrus psyllid and beneficial organisms (poster presentation). Open house, 8 November, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee, FL.
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Qureshi, J.A. et. al. 2023. Live demonstration of Asian citrus psyllid and beneficial organisms used for its biological control with audience from multiple segments of the society. Open house, 8 November, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee, FL.
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Ali, M., B. Kostyk, M. Triana, and J. A. Qureshi. 2023. Demonstration of the effectiveness of UV-metalized reflective mulch in reducing Asian citrus psyllid populations (poster presentation and demonstration). Open house, 8 November, Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee, FL.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Reduce Pests with Natural Enemies. Citrus Industry Magazine, 104 (4), 16-18.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Qureshi, J. A. 2022. Biological control of invasive Asian citrus psyllid in commercial citrus orchards. Symposium Biological Control of Major Invasive Pests: Achievements and Current Development. 12-17 November. Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America and Entomological Society of Canada, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Stelinski, L.L. 2023. Managing psyllids and other citrus pests. Citrus Expo. 16-17 August. (Several hundred Attendees). Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, FL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Stelinski, L.L. et al. 2023. Asian citrus psyllid research and management. Citrus Insect, mite, and nematode workshop. 19 January. UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, FL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Beneficials for management of Asian citrus psyllid (predators, parasitoids, entomopathogens). Citrus Insect, mite, and nematode workshop. 19 January. UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, FL.
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Biologically-based management of citrus pests. August 1. Tip of the week for citrus industry. Citrus Industry. AgNet Media.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Qureshi, J.A. 2023. A decade of psyllid suppression and strategies with newly developed and conventional chemicals. 4 April. Citrus Growers Institute. Avon Park, FL
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Stelinski, L.L. et al. 2022. Getting the most bang out of Asian citrus psyllid management under endemic greening. Citrus Expo. 17-18 August. Lee Civic Center, Fort Myers, FL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Exilien R and Martini X. 2023. Symposium. Plant-based essential oils and kaolin to control Asian citrus psyllid. November 5-8. 2023. Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting. National Harbor MD.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Martini X. 2023. Keynote address. Use of nanoclay and essential oil for whitefly and Asian citrus psyllid control. November 10  November 12. 12th Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization Meeting. Marina Del Rey CA.
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Setamou, M. 2023. Approaches of psyllid management. Meeting with organic growers and master gardeners. TX.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Cardozo,I., A. Sciligo, J. Qureshi, and X. Martini. 2023. Organic Management of Citrus Greening Disease (HLB) requires the control of its vector, the Asian Citrus Psyllid. Natural Products Exposition East, Philadelphia, PA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Cardozo, I., A. Sciligo, and X. Martini. 2023. Organic Management of Citrus Greening Disease: Example of how diligent fundraising and non-stop research collaboration has finally resulted in a win for organic research. Irene Cardozo, Amber Sciligo, Violet Batcha. 2023 Natural Products Exposition West, Anaheim, CA.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Qureshi, J.A. 2023. Approaches to Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) management in young citrus plantings. Florida Entomology Society Annual Meeting, 30 October to August 2, Jupiter Beach Resort and Spa, Jupiter FL.