Mesh Bags Protect Citrus Against Greening, May Improve Tree Health and Fruit Quality Later

You may have seen small trees in white shrouds on hills along the highways. They protect citrus trees from the Asian citrus psyllid and therefore, citrus greening disease.

New University of Florida research shows the trees grown under the individual protective covers (IPCs) also grow well for a few years after growers remove the bags.

Typically, after two to three years, growers remove the IPCs from trees. They then become exposed to the psyllid, which can transmit the deadly citrus greening disease. But this study showed the fruit continues to be healthy.

“We followed the trees for three years after we removed the IPCs, and we saw a clear improvement in fruit yield and quality, even though the trees were getting infected,” said Fernando Alferez, a UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences. “It’s worth mentioning that fruit quality declines over time after the covers are removed as the trees get infected, but it’s still superior to the fruit quality in the trees that are not covered.”

Read more about Mesh Bags Protect Citrus Against Greening, May Improve Tree Health and Fruit Quality Later.