2026 Citrus Health Forum Highlights and Presentation Links

The 2026 Citrus Health Forum was held on Thursday, February 19, at the North Florida Research & Education Center in Quincy, Florida. There were 5 educational presentations, a grower’s association update, 9 event sponsors, and 8 trade-show booths. Speakers included faculty from UF/IFAS and the University of Georgia discussing topics on citrus nutrient management, variety research, and insect and disease management. The event also offered Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for pesticide applicators in Florida and Georgia, as well as Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs). This article provides links to the speaker presentations for viewing or printing.

 

The first presentation of the morning was given by Dr. Muhammad Shahid. Dr. Shahid is a Fruit Physiology Extension Specialist based at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research & Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy. Dr. Shahid spoke on the topic of utilizing Silicon for better citrus variety performance and freeze protection purposes. Dr. Shahid’s presentation spoke on the benefits of utilizing silicon for freeze protection due to its ability to strengthen the plant cell walls to reduce freeze injury, the improved water regulation it provides, and support it gives for faster tree recovery post-freeze event. He also presented how silicon can reduce leaf miner infestations, which are a common citrus pest. Dr. Shahid also elaborated on specific cold hardy citrus scions and rootstocks he has been researching. To view more information on Dr. Shahid’s presentation, use the following link:

1 Shahid Silicon

–

 

–

–The second presentation was given by Dr. Shankar Shrestha on behalf of Dr. Davie Kadyampakeni. Dr. Shrestha is a post-doctoral student under Dr. Kadyampakeni at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research & Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred, FL. His topic of discussion was precision micronutrient management in cold hardy citrus production. Dr. Shrestha elaborated on the key Rs in nutrient management: right rate, right fertilizer placement, right fertilizer source, and right timing. He also explained the importance of quarterly leaf sampling for nutritional analysis. Dr. Shrestha also explained the importance of aligning a citrus fertilization program with the Citrus Nutrition Guide which can be found in the 2025-2026 Florida Citrus Production Guide. For more information on Dr. Shrestha’s presentation, use the following link:

2 Nutrient Management Shrestha

 

–

–Dr. John Chater gave the third informational presentation on citrus variety updates for North Florida. Dr. Chater is an Assistant Professor of Citrus Genetic Improvement based at the UF/IFAS CREC. The focus of his research is the development of early sweet orange and mandarin varieties that can adapt to Florida climates but also have the right combination of genes to be profitable in resistant to Huanglongbing (HLB) or what we know as citrus greening. He explained in great detail about his many variety trials based in south Florida and their performance. To read more about the recent citrus variety research, you can access Dr. Chater’s presentation by using the following link:

3 Chater Variety Update

–

–

The fourth presentation given at the Citrus Health Forum was presented by Dr. Ozgur Batuman, an Associate Professor based at the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC). Dr. Batuman presented on the topic of alternative of copper spray use to control citrus canker in commercial groves. Historically, copper sprays have been the main preventative control against citrus canker in groves. But there is a potential for phytotoxicity through routine application. To combat this, Dr. Batuman has been conducting research on copper-resistant and copper-tolerate canker outbreaks in different cultivars of citrus. With this data, his hope is to screen for possible copper alternatives to fight the copper-resistant strains of canker bacterium that have developed and the over-accumulation of copper in grove soils. To read more information on Dr. Batuman’s research, by using the following link:

4 Copper Alternatives Batuman

 

 

 

The fifth educational presentation given was presented by Dr. Apurba Barman. Dr. Barman is an Assistant Professor of Entomology with the University of Georgia based at the Tifton Campus. Dr. Barman gave an update on the current status of citrus pests established in South Georgia and what methods are being utilized for management. Georgia has seen an increase in HLB over the past few years and with this also comes more confirmed cases of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) detections. As of 2025, there are four confirmed finds of ACP finds in commercial groves in South Georgia. Due to the increase, a collaborative team of 60+ Extension agents, graduate students, and UGA’s citrus team are all putting forth efforts in monitoring for ACP by placing sticky cards in groves and examining findings every two weeks. To read Dr. Barman’s presentation, please visit:

5 UGA Update Barman

–

Before the event broke for lunch, Mack Glass, the current Cold Hardy Citrus Association President spoke a few words to the association. After his talk, a catered lunch was had by all. Following lunch, attendees had the opportunity to participate in a research grove tour at the NFREC, where Dr. Xavier Martini and Dr. Shahid gave hands-on demonstrations and showcased more of the citrus variety updates. Dr. Martini and his students gave a hands-on demonstration on trapping for citrus leaf miners and Asian citrus psyllids in commercial citrus groves. He also utilized yellow-sticky card traps to showcase what specifically to look for when monitoring for these pests.

–

Thank you to our sponsors who contributed to this event. Without them, the Citrus Health Forum or our luncheon would not have been possible.