For citrus growers in Florida, the future is uncertain. Two bacterial diseases, named citrus canker and citrus greening disease, have devastated countless acres of trees across the state. For an industry that “generates about $8.9 billion a year,” this is no small issue (“Citrus Greening”). The Florida Citrus Grower’s Association would like to import a landrace of orange discovered in China that is resistant to citrus greening disease and test it in Florida to discover its effects on both citrus canker and greening. Although there are advantages to importing a resistant form of citrus, the risks greatly outweigh the potential benefits, and for this reason, the Association should begin to place its efforts towards the many alternative methods of control that are available.
Citrus canker disease has been causing Florida growers issues for almost one hundred years. The bacterium, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, came to the United States from Southeast Asia in the early 1900’s. In 1933, after much effort and the destruction of thousands of infected trees, citrus canker was eradicated. However, another strain of canker appeared in 1995. Although the state put forth exhaustive efforts, a heavy hurricane season in 2004 spread the disease even further, and as a result citrus canker was declared unable to be eradicated in 2006 and is now considered endemic to Florida (Schumann and D’Arcy 88). Citrus canker is primarily spread by wind and rain, but can also be spread by contaminated humans or equipment and the transport of infected trees. Infected trees can be identified from the raised cankers on their leaves, stems, and fruit. Although the cankers do not generally penetrate the rind of the orange, the disease makes th...
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...y. "Integrated Approaches for Managing the Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri (Homoptera: Psyllidae) in Florida." University of Florida: IFAS. N.p., 2007. Web. 5 Dec 2013. .
Santa Ana, Rod. "Spinach Genes May Stop Deadly Citrus Disease." AgriLife Today. Texas A&M AgriLife, 26 Mar 2012. Web. 5 Dec 2013. .
Schumann, Gail L., and Cleora J. D'Arcy. Hungry Planet: Stories of Plant Diseases. St. Paul: American Phytopathological Society, 2012. Print.
Stover, Ed, William S. Castle, and Peter Spyke. "The Citrus Grove of the Future and Its Implications for Huanglongbing Management." University of Florida: IFAS. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Dec 2013. .
The use of dangerous and also deadly chemicals by Florida’s tomato industry is due to the insufficient regulations made by the Department of Agriculture. Florida’s soil is pure sand, making it impossible to grow tomatoes. The plant also faces completion with other plants as well as being attacked by diseases and insects. The only reason then that Florida’s farmers grow is because it’s summer in Florida, while the rest of the United States is experiencing winter. Greed, the want for larger profit, is the reason why the fresh market tomato industry is located in Florida. ...
Lauffer, H. B., Williams, P., & Lauffer, D. (2012). Wisconsin Fast Plants® Program. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from http://www.fastplants.org
When the outbreak of the Panama disease began the United Fruit ordered their field workers to put disinfectant on their tools and clothing in order to decrease the spread of disease. They burned the diseased plants, which took care of the infected bananas, but companies still had problems with workers transferring diseases. Spreading the disease was not intentional but it happened. This lead the United Fruit to begin research programs to fight the disease in 1923 so that it did not worsen. The US department of agriculture had argued the cultivation a disease resistan species would have a higher success rate, for example, the “Chinese banana.” This fruit has a short shelf life though and was not very marketable to be purchased. So the US and British research program both began breeding programs to develop disease resistant varieties, but sadly this was not successful either. It was difficult to find a product that would work, biology did not work, farms kept moving to healthier land, and this created schisms among companies and the government. The diseases were driving the production costs and soil exploitation up, fruit companies were already under public scrutiny for their land grabs and extensive holdings. They all needed a solution; the solution was when the Cavendish bananas began to be boxed in production, which then opened jobs for women. All of the bananas traveling to the
Amalin, D.M., Peña, J.E., Duncan, R., Leavengood, J., Koptur, S. (2009): Effects of Pesticides on the Arthropod Community in the Agricultural Areas near the Everglades
Sheshadri, T. (2001, December 26). Student recognized for agricultural acumen. The San Diego Union Tribune, N1-4. Retrieved on March 20, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe (Newspapers) on the World Wide Web: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe.htm.
Nature designed Florida to be one large marine ecosystem. Florida is one big sand peninsula located below the 40th longitudinal North American line. Three bodies of salt water (Gulf of Mexico, Strait of Florida and Atlantic Ocean) surround three out of four directions of Florida. Man-made canals, natural lakes, rivers and estuaries are confined within the State of Florida’s physical boundaries. All of these form an interlocking system of waterways that impact the interconnected marine environment (marine ecosystem). All of Florida’s waterways are connected back to the surrounding bodies of water while passing through Florida’s sub-tropical and temperate zones and impact the delicate marine ecosystem balance. Man and nature are causing a negative impact to this region like never before. Hurricanes, lack of green initiatives, garbage, pollution and the stripping of natural resources for population growth are decimating Florida’s natural ecosystems.
Dollar spot (Sclerotinia Homoecarpa) is considered the most prevalent turfgrass disease in North America, particularly on golf course greens and fairways (Charbonneau, 2010). Dollar spot produces round patches the color of straw ranging from 2-6 inches on closely mowed turf. In the early morning, when the grass is covered with dew, there might be a cob-web like growth seen on the leaves of the turf. In the early stages of the disease, leaves develop tan spots and bands which are in the shape of an hour glass in the middle of the leaf (Duble, 2006). The spots can grow to form large, irregular areas on the turf that can eventually blanket a green. The fungus survives as masses of mycelia called sclerotia or stromata on plants or in the thatch during unfavorable weather conditions (Bonos, 2011). The mycelium starts growing from the thatch onto wet leaf surfaces to cause the initial infections (Charbonneau, 2010). Plant tissue infected with dollar spot can be carried by numerous objects such as golf cars, mowers, golf shoes. The disease attacks the foliage and crown of the plant, but the rhizomes and stolons remain uninfected (Krause, 2005).
The Everglades is a diverse ecosystem located in southern Florida, yet urbanization has created a considerable amount of impact that has altered the physical landscape of the region, resulting in a symbiotic environment between humans and nature. Based on geographical research, the original Everglades spanned an area of approximately 12,000km2, and now because of urbanization and agricultural growth in this sub-region the area of the Everglades has been condensed to half of its original size (Willard et al 1-2). The Everglades is actually a sub-region of the Southern Coastlands region of the United States. It is comprised of a unique climate, divided into sub-provinces that create a diverse pallet of environments for wildlife to thrive, yet the impact of human modifications over a period of decades has drastically effected animal populations, and changed the functionality and physical landscape of its expanse. Despite the differences of urbanization and wildlife, major cities and the ecosystem of the Everglades thrive and fuse together to form the diversely changing landscape of the modern Everglades.
Anderson, P.C., and T.E. Crocker. "The Pecan Tree." Solutions for Your Life: University of Florida IFAS Extension (2004). Web. 18 Apr. 2012.
SA which has been shown to have an important role ina plant’s defense responses also had an increased amount of production, which helped increase the plants immune response.
In early 2008, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Everglades National Park joined together to initiate a Florida Invaders, a program used to raise awareness about what’s being done and what we should do to help stop invasive flora and fauna from spreading. “The program was a good start but they should further raise awareness of the seriousness of the problem,” said Christine Beck, Ecology teaching assistant and FIU.
The potato famine of 1846 was one of the biggest natural disasters in Irish history. The “explosive disease” said William Fry, Ph.D., caused by Phytophtera infestans, is a condition that prevents growth and destroys the plant by disease. P. infestans is a fungus-like pathogen that infects and destroys the leaves, stems, potato seed and the potato itself, turning it black and slimy (Craig, 1998). The first signs of blight are when leaves get brown specks on them that start to get white, hairy growth around them (Damsker, n.d.). In addition, leaves and stems withered very quickly. This if followed by a terrible smell. It spreads as a spore and grows rapidly in moist, warm and humid conditions. Today, the blight disease still affects potato crops. However, an application of the plant fungicide, metalaxyl, or copper sulfate mixtures and pesticide will prevent and eliminate or, at least, decrease the possibility of its appearance (Daly, 1996). In fact, according to Gibbon’s article in 2013, the pathogen and its host of dried leaves ar...
Janick. J. (2011). Center for New Crops & Plant Products - Department of Horticulture and
The past twenty years have seen rise to a new burgeoning scientific field: genetically modified foods. During the plant breeding process, geneticists interfere with the reproduction and modify the genes of the new seedling by introducing a fragment of DNA from another organism that possesses the desired trait. With genetic modification, scientists can increase the pest, herbicide, cold, and drought tolerance so that the crop can survive in harsher climates. In some cases, the nutritional value can even be increased (Ulrich 9). Despite the obvious benefits of more nutritious foods and crops that are hardier and more resistant to harsher climates, there are some concerns surrounding GM foods. Each new alteration can cause an unforeseen allergic reaction, negate the effects of antibiotics, or potentially cause some adverse effects to the environment (Falkner 101). Every newly developed GM food must be tested on a case by case basis as there is no universal method that determines the safety of all modified components. As a result, long term effects of ingesting food with altered material are unknown.
Farm Forestry, along with Plantations, is very effective in preserving old-growth forests. The Combined Standing Forest Resource in Australia was 1.5 million hectares of planted trees. . In China, the law states that each and every citizen must plant at least 11 trees a year, every year. Raising awareness and education are other... ...