Abstract
Florida citrus production has declined by over 90% since the bacterial disease huanglongbing (HLB) was found in the state. In the absence of an effective cure, growers are adopting more frequent fertilization and irrigation practices to improve tree health and prolong the life span of their orchards. However, Florida’s soils under citrus production are sandy, with little organic matter, a low water holding capacity, and a low cation exchange capacity (CEC), rendering them prone to nutrient leaching. Organic amendments can be used to improve soil health and the environment for citrus roots, but may promote a higher incidence of weeds competing with trees for water and nutrients. A large field trial was established in a commercial citrus orchard in southwest Florida to evaluate the effects of organic amendments and weed management on young tree growth. The organic amendment treatments were as follows: (1) plant-based compost, (2) humic acid, and (3) a non-amended control. The weed management (herbicide) treatments were (1) glyphosate, (2) glufosinate, (3) flumioxazin, and (4) a maintenance herbicide control. Trees were planted in August 2019, and treatments began in 2021. Tree growth and physiological variables and soil physicochemical properties were evaluated during the two-year study. Compost-amended plots had a higher volumetric water content throughout the experiment, and soil nutrient content, organic matter, CEC, and pH were higher after two years of application. Humic acid amendments were less effective in altering these soil properties. Compost’s effects on tree and fibrous root physiology were moderate, and tree growth, fruit yield and fruit quality were not affected by either organic amendment. In contrast, the use of post-emergent herbicides (glyphosate and glufosinate) improved tree growth and nutrient uptake. The results suggest that in Florida, the use of organic amendments needs to be integrated with weed management to prevent resource competition. In the short term, these practices did not improve the productivity of the trees in the current Florida production environment.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Compost increased plot volumetric water content throughout the experiment.
CitrusNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compost-amended plots had a higher volumetric water content throughout the experiment”
t0“Citrus Tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost increased soil nutrient content, organic matter, CEC and pH after two years.
- Treatment
- Compostt1
- Outcome
- soil nutrient content, organic matter, CEC, and pHe0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- after two years of applicatione0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil nutrient content, organic matter, CEC, and pH were higher after two years of application”
t0“Citrus Tree”
t1“Compost-amended plots”
Claim · model-written summary
Humic acid was less effective in altering soil properties.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Humic acid amendments were less effective in altering these soil properties”
t0“Citrus Tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Compost moderately affected tree and fibrous root physiology.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compost’s effects on tree and fibrous root physiology were moderate”
t0“Citrus Tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Neither organic amendment affected tree growth, fruit yield or fruit quality.
- Treatment
- either organic amendmente0
- Outcome
- tree growth, fruit yield and fruit qualitye0
- Direction
- not affectede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“tree growth, fruit yield and fruit quality were not affected by either organic amendment”
t0“Citrus Tree”
Claim · model-written summary
Glyphosate improved tree growth and nutrient uptake.
- Treatment
- glyphosatee0
- Interactor
- weedst1weed
- Outcome
- tree growth and nutrient uptakee0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“post-emergent herbicides (glyphosate and glufosinate) improved tree growth and nutrient uptake”
t0“Citrus Tree”
t1“weeds competing with trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Glufosinate improved tree growth and nutrient uptake.
- Treatment
- glufosinatee0
- Interactor
- weedst1weed
- Outcome
- tree growth and nutrient uptakee0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“post-emergent herbicides (glyphosate and glufosinate) improved tree growth and nutrient uptake”
t0“Citrus Tree”
t1“weeds competing with trees”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors recommend integrating organic amendments with weed management in Florida to prevent competition.
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- organic amendments needs to be integrated with weed managemente0
- Setting
- Floridae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in Florida, the use of organic amendments needs to be integrated with weed management to prevent resource competition”
t0“Citrus Tree”
Claim · model-written summary
These practices did not improve tree productivity in the short term in Florida.
- Treatment
- these practicese0
- Outcome
- productivity of the treese0
- Direction
- did not improvee0
- Setting
- Floridae0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In the short term, these practices did not improve the productivity of the trees in the current Florida production environment”
t0“Citrus Tree”
The same questions in other papers
glyphosate · growth · CitrusPositive and negative results
3 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
- negative
fertilization · nutrient: content · CitrusPositive and negative results
27 papers in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
- no effect
28 papers more in this group
See all 32 papers →fertilization · soil: physics · CitrusResults agree
2 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.