Florida citrus growers may soon be putting their groves to the acid test to fight off the effects of citrus greening, particularly preharvest fruit drop.
That's because high levels of acid-neutralizing bicarbonates in irrigation water appear to contribute to greening-related root damage in citrus trees, further inhibiting their absorption of soil nutrients, said Kelly Morgan, associate professor of soil and water science at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee.
The root damage could contribute to the high levels of preharvest fruit drop seen this season and last on Florida's commercial citrus trees.
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