Pongamia to replace citrus industry?

[bovine421]

Saw this article this morning before going to work thought I would share

https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2023/0302/Citrus-crisis-As-an-iconic-Florida-crop-fades-another-tree-rises?cmpid=kwcpc&kwp_0=2247195&kwp_4=6384753&kwp_1=2742097&fbclid=IwAR2tDoVc9Pu_41tGSojNCwyaqtbgHeClmyITADi-h_rPPDIF2q4sKR9mvDk_aem_AWr59VKbE76Z38Qt6djc9d01u9OPM6yDqiI82-fhC-g5zZwNwSwSQUFP7aE220rU6h1dleiYri_W-QdjDJzy7_jAGoU1BcQNnXa0-QWhQF13WFzEaplmj29yoZXhS7WLzd8

https://www.thepacker.com/news/produce-crops/pongamia-may-have-future-florida

[Galatians522]

There is a pongamia grove here in Highlands County. The trees seem to grow fine. They don't seem to be harvested regularly, though. I wonder if that has anything to do with the different bearing time mentioned in the bottom article? It will be interesting to see if they can turn a profit.

[Epicatt2]

They need to find varieties of pomegranates which are bred for our humid and wet Florida summers, and which will set and hold fruit to maturity without getting fruit rot.

There are a several cultivars out there which are said to be productive in central Florida,  But I'm guessing that none of those are the ones you saw in the grove you mentioned, Bovine.

Meanwhile, as to citrus as mentioned, I contacted Gainesville about some parasitic wasps that are predatory exclusively on the Asian Citrus Psyllid [ACP].  They sent vials  for free to release at my house as part of their project.  The wasps seek out various members of the Rutaceæ like citrus which the ACP feeds on.  The wasp genus is Tamarixia.  Once established in an area these aggressive miniature wasps will range up to about five miles looking to the psyllids!  The wasp/ACP project was mentioned somewhere on these Forums but I cannot locate it at this writing.

Fingers X-ed  (for both poms and ACP wasp control)

Paul M.
==

[johnb51]

Aren't their growers experimenting with olives trees also?  Anything going on with hemp production?

[Galatians522]

They need to find varieties of pomegranates which are bred for our humid and wet Florida summers, and which will set and hold fruit to maturity without getting fruit rot.

I think the op was talking about pongamia pinnata--oiltree. While we are talking about pomegranate, though, I was interested to see that a fungicide has finally been approved for pomegranate. This may enable us to grow pomegranate here!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.ir4project.org/news/new-tool-identified-in-fight-against-fungal-disease-on-pomegranates/%23:~:text%3DThanks%2520to%2520research%2520funded%2520by,disease%2520on%2520this%2520popular%2520fruit.&ved=2ahUKEwjilPb0xtD-AhUlQjABHT33AM8QFnoECA4QBQ&usg=AOvVaw2wqsKrjF_g0xpV-1FG7ShZ

[Galatians522]

Aren't their growers experimenting with olives trees also?  Anything going on with hemp production?

The info I have seen on olives from Hardee County is not very promising. It sounded like the supposedly low chill varieties have only partially bloomed here. I don't think production will end up being high enough to justify commercial plantings.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.floridaolive.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2021-Low-Chill-Olive-Report.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjUoZC-y9D-AhXbtYQIHZNpBfUQFnoECBIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1SSwdNEp3-rPxiNGac4aS3