Florida Crop Consultant Receives International Award

Former longtime UF/IFAS Extension agent Tim Hurner earned the 2013 International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) of the Year Award from the American Society of Agronomy. Hurner will travel to Tampa in early November to receive the award during the 2013 International Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

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As a certified crop advisor (CCA), it is Hurner’s role to advise growers on best practices, both for economic return and for the environment. Hurner worked in the Highlands County UF/IFAS Extension office for years. In 2012, he started his private consulting business called The Citrus Advisor. He was one of Florida’s original CCAs, earning his certification from ASA in 1998.

Gaining And Sharing Knowledge

Florida citrus production had been limited by poor understanding of pH, phosphorus interactions in the soil, and micronutrient deficiencies. “Over the years, we discovered a need to add in micronutrients and yields increased by 50%,” says Hurner. “Before trees weren’t a rich healthy green, but when we began to add molybdenum, trees became greener and healthier.”

Growers also discovered the need to add phosphorus to their fields. “Our soils are high in unavailable phosphorus,” he says. “When growers started using triple super phosphate, they met with success.”

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Hurner helped growers in Highlands County change their liming practices. Soils in the area have an acid pH around 5.5, and in the past, growers limed their soil when they irrigated from shallow wells. “Today our irrigation water is pumped from a deeper limestone rock formation with a pH of 7 to 7.2 with carbonates that naturally correct our acidity,” says Hurner. “Growers don’t lime anymore unless they pump shallow water of poorer quality.”

Facing Down HLB

The biggest challenge threatening Florida growers is citrus greening (HLB) and its vector the Asian citrus psyllid. “Growers must control the insect that transmits the disease, or once a tree becomes infected, it must be removed to protect nearby citrus trees. That’s because diseased trees become a reservoir of the bacteria and breeding ground for Asian citrus psyllids.”

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