How Scientists Save Florida Oranges From Insects That Infect 90% Of Orchards | Big Business

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It's been heartbreaking watching this happen in Florida. One glimmer of hope has been that feral citrus growing in the woods has been largely unaffected. Over the years, bird droppings has deposited citrus all over the state, so there are lots of feral citrus stands growing in forests, and it seems to be HLB-free. A theory is that the psyllid cannot "locate" citrus growing in the forest understory. Yes, citrus *does* fruit better in full sun, but citrus is *not* a pioneer species. It is a native understory tree. I would like to see citrus farmers try a different approach. Instead of clearing land and growing citrus out in the open, buy wooded land, clear out the underbrush and grow all citrus under a protected forest canopy far away from any cleared fields. The citrus may have lower fruit yields in dappled forest light, but if the psyllids can't find it, it'll still outproduce an open field with current conditions. I wish someone would try growing their citrus the way citrus is supposed to grow - as understory trees in dense forests.

[@ogtripleg9237]

You beat me to this comment LOL. Heard about that phenomenon and it's quite interesting how that works. The thing is, a lot of wooded areas around South Florida are very protected, and rightfully so. Forested areas like Pine Rocklands, are habitat to tons of unique plant and animal species so maybe growing under these areas should be avoided. Although the less endangered hardwood hammocks could be adapted on a larger scale and benefit everyone. I also wonder if it would work on a smaller backyard scale, by planting trees in a more shaded area under other types of trees. Maybe with some resistant varieties like the sugar belle.

[@myice-creamdreams3421]

hello I just saw something about this on either tv or another video and wanted to give my two cents not sure if it will help any but here we go -keep trees small. -keep foliage to a minimum -keep trees under net until harvest. -as soon as harvested cut all foliage from the tree hindering the insect from having food to eat thus spreading bacteria -use the same wax used on the fruit to help preserve the fruit longer use that to cover the leaves. -maybe throw a few oranges in a bug trap to rot so the bugs think its what they want and seek it out and get trapped -grind up and spray the trees with jalapeno water nothing seems to eat on jalapenos well other than humans lol hope this helps...

[@Cooscoop]

You know nothing about citrus

[@myice-creamdreams3421]

@@Cooscoop facts!! but hopefully, someone who does can use my ideas to their experience and thrive

[@Cooscoop]

Ok but the suggestion of jalapeño water....I mean c'mon. Citrus groves are normally 10 acres+ lol

[@angellisa2614]

​@@Cooscoop It's doable if a group of people sprayed all day every day with some professional equipment; and keeping organic by not using poison for pest control makes the effort worthwhile 😊

[@Cooscoop]

@myice-creamdreams3421 it's not financially feasible! My family was once up to 1000 acres here in Central FL. Please just shut up because you have no idea what you're talking about.

[@ByronScottJones]

Florida just had it's worst crop in 90 years. This video has not aged well.

[@tvviewer4500]

Yeah it’s almost like putting too much science in is making our crops shit.

[@tvviewer4500]

Also Florida didn’t have its worst harvest - they are projecting it will be the worst

[@ByronScottJones]

@@tvviewer4500 uhm, no. The reason citrus greening spread everywhere is because they refused to follow the recommendations of agricultural scientists.

[@tvviewer4500]

@@ByronScottJones I disagree.

[@dmacpher]

@@tvviewer4500monocrops we’re always advised against

[@myice-creamdreams3421]

are there any greenhouse orange groves? so that we can make sure to protect the tree in its natural disease-free state at least until a cure is found?

[@evilxzeno]

They start most of them in greenhouses. Orange groves are massive. It's not just Florida, its world wide.

[@theobserver9131]

Natural...commercial groves....greenhouses.....you need to make up your mind. None of these three things go together.

[@tmlawson751]

yes but almost none of them are small businesses because it costs so much.... big agro is cleaning up from this by holding almost all the varieties (not all on the market, just types of citrus) in big corporate run greenhouses... I just came back from a local citrus nursery in vista, ca --- been in business for years and they are throwing in the towel finally and transitioning their nursery to non citrus. this disease affects all citrus but also surprisingly the curry leaf tree and i think one more... the dude at the nursery was upset because it was his family business. the citrus i picked up averaged 200$ each, for like 5 gallon sized trees. i spent almost 1k for 5 trees (bearss lime, two types of blood orange, mayer lemon dwarf, and golden navel orange) because this guy told me that the quarantine for citrus trees will at least be 2 years and that a chance to buy a citrus plant reliably from a nursery (since we aren't allowed in california to import or export citrus trees due to quarantine) will be somewhere between 3 to 5 years. It was an eye opener - that the demand for citrus was that much. By the time I got there around 4 days ago, the stock for citrus was low. I got lucky, but still didn't walk away with any of my favorite blood orange types (moro and sanguino)... I ordered some seeds for blood orange, didn't specify what, but i am just preparing for the next few years to be like a slow drift into apocalypse where we are all just lying to ourselves about how bad the state of things is... fyi i live in an apartment and did not plan for 5 small trees in our home... i'd keep them outside in the gated common area if i wasn't positive someone would swipe them.

[@myice-creamdreams3421]

@@tmlawson751 thank you for being human and talking to me as such most on here beat their chest with brilliants and know it all instead of adding anything useful like ideas or brain storming on their own they just belittle and attack me and or my ideas so thank you for your reply and that is actually even more frightening i personally love the lumpy bumpy orange super yummy i live in Tulsa OK so i tried to grow one and it did amazing for like 3 months but then died on me not sure why i had bought the right citrus food etc... anyways you might try "Fast Growing Trees" you might not be able, i did see you mention you cant import or export due to cali law freaking cali so weird sometimes i hope their odd way of doing things pays off here at least unlike the black plastic balls over lakes to protect water levels but then the sun cooking black plastic all day every day makes the water toxic HELLO my mom said i called that one the moment i heard about it i said something to her about how that was the dummest idea and to be going on in cali where they are soooo health conscious they dropped the ball on that idea literally and metaphorically lol anyways that is scary hopefully citrus will overcome this disease i sure love me a good lumpy bumpy from time to time or a big glass of OJ glad you got you some trees hopefully they will stay clean healthy and prosper and produce in abundance the most amazing fruit ever always!

[@jesusisdead]

Yeah but they have holes and hurricanes happen.

[@farfaraway7066]

wonder if a colder climate would affect the bugs?

[@billdavis687]

At the university of Florida they now have a tree that is resistant to greening now how to mass produce it

[@kerrypitt9789]

Could they develop a safe treatment for the actual insect, that would kill the bacteria it carries? Make the bug almost harmless?

[@jesusisdead]

No because the bacteria naturally occurs in its gutt. Everytime a psyllid is born it will have the bacteria. They already treat the trees with antibiotics so that would naturally help but does ever remove all bacteria

[@glennquagmire1747]

Over use of pesticides n other chemicals ends up in canals and Okeechobee water systems are highly polluted , nowadays the occurrence n intensity of red tide has more then tripled since the 60s !!!!

[@nonegone7170]

Giant rows of monoculture crop are susceptible to a plethora of diseases and pests...

[@gcc2313]

If you researched you'd understand that in this case it makes literally no difference. This disease affects all types and varieties of citrus. While biodiversity is good and important. This disease doesn't care much about that it will infect and kill them all.

[@jesusisdead]

​@@gcc2313all of citrus then would be considered monoculture as a group. If you plant lemons and tangerines together its still a monocrop. You need to go outside of citrus

[@gregorymalchuk272]

We need a gene drive to eliminate the bugs.

[@luclachapelle3499]

It's a very good thing to understand the mineral deficiency ! Try seaweed compost

[@agro-valleyfarm7217]

Why is it that i have not heard about the use of an insect that is a natural prey of this insect as well as using phermone traps to prevent the insects from reproducing.

[@TheBlackManMythLegend]

because that solution must really scale one bite and its over

[@patidarchat]

I am from india, my area suffer from the less/no flowering problem while the tree are in good shape If you can make video on that 🙏

[@rajeevkumar6031]

Which area in India?

[@patidarchat]

@@rajeevkumar6031 jhalawar(rajasthan), mandsaur(m.p)

[@TheBlackManMythLegend]

@@patidarchat thnks

[@unknownpker2]

What about adding mycorrhiza it attaches to the roots and helps feed it My citrus is thriving big time i add it every 2-3 weeks 🤷‍♂️ i also don’t live in florida but if roots are affected that may help it out.

[@sativaburns6705]

How's that working out. It's almost like keeping monocultures hasn't boned us throughout history.

[@redshedllc9054]

Just foliar feed instead . While you figure out how to stop the disease. Or be very heavy with monosilicic acid. Go natural farming if your not already. Synthetic grown is horrible tbh. Try compost tea foliar sprays . I've seen it help almond trees in California produce after last resort before chopping all the trees down.15 years since last harvest . But I'm sure someone will figure it out .

[@dbs555]

One year later, 100% of Florida orange trees are infected and the expected crop yield is down to 19 million boxes from 220 million some years ago. Whoops.

[@kc4cvh]

Unlike the gentleman in the video, we are relatively new to the citrus business, having started in the mid-1880s. We prospered until the Terrible Christmas Freeze of 1989, this would be the last year of profitability. We mostly saved and invested rather than spend during the good years so we've been able to hang on, but Clay Hill Grove is now down to its last strike. If the new allegedly disease-resistant trees resets fare poorly in the next year, we're done.

[@timgrenski4781]

As a fellow 5th gen floridian, I am sorry.

[@sherriianiro747]

Too many pesticides - the insects become resistant. If they could do what they did with the elm tree and create a resistant variety that would be great.

[@vivalaleta]

Healthy trees in the woods have an understory of bushes and grasses. These plants provide crucial connections under the soil. Regenerative ag - look into it.

[@squarecracker]

Nice thought but really hard to do on a commercial scale. Gonna need to pay millions up front to try something that may or may not be successful and much more difficult to mechanize.

[@YourDadsBoyfriend]

Biodiversity I key to thriving plants. But not really possible on the scale we need to produce.

[@vivalaleta]

@@YourDadsBoyfriend There's no soil conditions where regenerative ag won't work.

[@shinrapresident7010]

@@vivalaleta Do you have any scientific studies where it's shown to mitigate citrus greening?

[@cherylm2C6671]

brassicas to help inoculate soil

[@jamescole3152]

Florida Natural orange juice is the best there is. ...

[@hhwippedcream]

Rooting for a rootstock.🙏

[@MistressOP]

they should use vermi compost and casting from black solider fly.

[@geraldjohnson8871]

If you haven't figured it out? It is the hand of God as told in the Word(Bible) of God. Famine and pestilence Are what we are faced with as long as we turned from Almighty God. Salvation is of Yesua Jesus. Amen.

[@thecaribbean8615]

Have they tried grafting?

[@Suburp212]

Well, if you over spray all orchards, then plant mono cultures , you open yourself to this superbug infection.

[@DoralDude]

By invading people's homes and destroying their plants? How did that work out for Jeb?

[@kx4532]

Graft oranges onto a resistant tree

[@erichall7068]

How are scientists actually saving oranges from insects to date? Clickbait

[@jellojoe00]

Clay sprays, reflective mulches and isolation. It's right there in the video.

[@darwinwins]

unfortunately, scientists were unable to save the oranges from florida man this year.

[@tvviewer4500]

You got to put more magnesium and spectrum of calcium types back into the soil…

[@arfaabbas]

beAuTiFuL

[@sfoxxxx530]

Maybe its just nature trying to reset it self

[@JMR72286]

Hm, then sell the green oranges

[@jamescole3152]

The narrator needs to keep her voice tone lower. A high pitch is hard to hear.

[@kingokafor6215]

So we're done

[@Johndnguyen1982]

Sell the green orange as lime or new fruit name.

[@boombot934]

B - for biodiversity! ❤

[@animalpower7315]

I thought you was supposed to pick the oranges when they turn orange...anyone who pays that price for oranges when they all taste like chemicals and not sweet fruit. For the past 5 years...fruit has been more than horrible

[@mrThoreKarlsson]

I see the problem and a solution.. Monoculture

[@l.a.glover9172]

Results of monoculture.

[@shinrapresident7010]

Polyculture doesn't stop citrus greening.

[@kenshinhimura9387]

​@@shinrapresident7010 yes it does.

[@shinrapresident7010]

@@kenshinhimura9387 No, no it does not. Signed, someone with a bachelors degree in plant sciences. Don't spread anti science misinformation.

[@kenshinhimura9387]

@@shinrapresident7010 lmfao you act as if your degree means something. Come back when you become a farmer and actually know what you're talking about. When is the last time you even grew a citrus tree? Lmfao clown 🤡

[@rubydragon1034]

@@kenshinhimura9387 🤡

[@maggie4n6]

I just see a bunch of old white men saying we can’t breed new orange trees because it’s hard. That’s absurd. I save every single seed and hand pollinate whatever I can, and I’m positive the solution is out there. The only thing hard about it is waiting for the tree to grow. It’s like watching a pot waiting for the boil. But it’s worth it. Yes, it can take 5-6 years before you know for sure if that seed was good, but it’s still worth it.

[@ivanpadilla1936]

Too bad no one is going to pick them now lol.

[@utsandstone]

Navel oranges are a poor excuse for an orange. I recently bought a bag of about 8of them for $8. I normally buy miniola tangerines which have a lot of juice but the store had none then. I cut the navels in half and began juicing them on one of those cups you press down on to extract the juice. I kept doing that to all the oranges in the bag and got about 6oz of juice! ENJOY YOUR $8 GLASS OF JUICE.

[@rawlsrules]

I much prefer navel oranges: at least those that are organically grown. Better juice and flavor than I find in valencias.

[@trees3038]

Oh man, video didn't age well at all. Citrus industry in Florida is the worst since the great depression.

[@ogxs1433]

Oranges growing in Arizona are superior in every way...

[@xer0]

With what water?

[@kenshinhimura9387]

Lmfao nope

[@Darknimbus3]

Definitely not. Arizona and California oranges don’t have the juiciness and sweetness of Florida oranges because the former is grown in arid climates

[@Klejnotnilu666]

you call this science ??? .... nets and clay??... this must be a joke. Imagine heart transplant with knife and bandage only xD this is what they are doing with these trees

[@Klejnotnilu666]

here is your solution Brachygastra mellifica

[@jellojoe00]

It's about not doing even more damage to nature.

[@jhs55]

I believe it's the democrats, leftist and China to bring Communist into our country, to make sure that we don't have fruits, vegetables, grains and meat.

[@Do_not_assume]

Has anyone tried to work with the Chinese since the problem originated there?

[@leninlover2853]

Use transgenics!

[@Nottherebutthere]

The fruit may be edible and the juice drinkable, but they are bitter as hell and not even remotely as good as they were.

[@realvipul]

5:05 while farmers loosing teir livelihood, tat woman scientists having too much fun.

[@TheBlackManMythLegend]

exactly.. its a very big problem.. less vitamin c for humans less immunity for humans, hence more diseases more death. not fun

[@1Corinthians151-4]

all of this could be solved so simply if the world would just Preach the Gospel of Christ 1 Corinthians 15 1-4. and Trust Jesus Christ as their saviour.

[@theobserver9131]

Monocropping. Duh. Greed kills.

[@xxredhoodxx5738]

2024 it’s almost over

[@1m2rich]

We srectoonlax in shipping

[@UQRXD]

The oranges still have this problem, lies.

[@GSXSF1k]

Smoke them out.

[@Thaatgirrrrlllll234]

All they have to do is plant it under oak trees... .

[@Darknimbus3]

What would that do? Citrus require full sun

[@moosestubbings1853]

I blame the petroleum industry Think about it #ClimateChange #Globalization #GreenhouseGas

[@noeraldinkabam]

It’s as if mono culture is abad idea.

[@milfordcivic6755]

But hey Florida, at least you're safe from books and drag queens! You know, your priorities......

[@boristheamerican2938]

@@MrHurricaneFloyd No whats governor doing besides running around inflating himself?

[@EconomicWarfare]

UNFORTUNATELY, I saw the latter one last night. We are NOT SAFE. 😂

[@kenshinhimura9387]

Literally had nothing to do with this but you can cry all you want because we protect our children here in Florida.

[@Darknimbus3]

Cope

[@kenshinhimura9387]

@@Darknimbus3 ok Jeff

[@happyrootsfamily1276]

The governor is responsible for Florida's decline you get what you vote for hopefully Florida loses all of its economic value

[@kenshinhimura9387]

You're a clown. The governor has nothing to do with these ignorant farmers who grow monocrops and invite the bad bugs in

[@Darknimbus3]

The governor has nothing to do with this citrus greening issue…. Sounds like you need to cope 😂

[@rudysal1429]

Boycott Florida

[@kenshinhimura9387]

Boycott democrats

[@Darknimbus3]

Why? Because of our governor? Cope 🤡

[@bamboostick2913]

The price of orange juice is over the roof ! I don't buy orange juice anymore I'm not gonna pay nearly $10 for a gallon forget about it

[@jellojoe00]

Nature is fighting back against monocrops.