Florida's Citrus Greening Shrouds and Study Confirms Value Livestock Grazing
From the Ag Information Network, this is your Agribusiness Update.
**If you’ve seen small trees in white shrouds on hills along the Florida highways, they protect citrus trees from the Asian citrus psyllid or citrus greening disease.
www.morningagclips.com reports new University of Florida research shows the trees grown under the “individual protective covers” also grow well for a few years after the bags are removed.
Researchers found trees once protected by covers produce better quality fruit for 30 months after they’re planted.
www.morningagclips.com/mesh-bags-protect-citrus-against-greening/
**A study from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service confirmed the value of livestock grazing as a tool to protect western rangelands from wildfires.
The Public Lands Council, which represents ranchers with federal grazing permits, hailed the research as proof of the important role livestock grazing plays in protecting natural resources.
The study showed grazing supports the reduction of fire fuels that pose huge risks in sagebrush ecosystems prone to wildfires.
**The EPA released its final Herbicide Strategy, calling it an “unprecedented step” in protecting over 900 federally endangered and threatened species from herbicides.
EPA will use the strategy to identify ways of reducing herbicide exposure when it registers new herbicides and reevaluates registered herbicides.
This incorporates a wide range of stakeholder input, ensuring EPA protects species AND preserves a wide range of pesticides for farmers.
