Citrus thrips populations (adults and nymphs) were monitored through the spring of 1991-1992 in several locations throughout most of the commercial citrus production areas in Yuma County to determine if citrus thrips seasonality was similar to that previously reported in California. Study findings indicate that seasonality is similar throughout the winter and very early spring. Adult thrips numbers increase rapidly in groves due to attractive foliage, whether it is weeds or citrus. High nymph numbers did not always follow adult peaks, and were not statistically correlated. Predatory mites and rains may have affected 1992 results.

Citrus peel miner populations were monitored to evaluate various methods of trapping citrus peel miners. Observing 25 fruit per tree and 10 trees per block on the lower three feet of the tree canopy provided the best technique for determining the level of citrus peel miner infestations. The use of oleander plants, clear plates and green 3 inch diameter balls sprayed with Tangle-Trap were not effective in trapping citrus peel miner. In 1996, the first of September citrus leaf miner populations rose above the 10% infestation level. Success, Lorsban, Alert and Agri-Mek provided the highest mortality levels of citrus peel miner larvae. In citrus fruit, Success, Lorsban and Alert had the greatest efficacy of citrus peel miner larvae.

The effect of Roundup on lemon trees was evaluated by repeatedly spraying 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, and 1.5 lb. a.i./acre on the bottom 20 to 24 inches of the tree canopies over a three year period. The Roundup applications caused significant leaf injury in the sprayed area of the canopies and there was also significant defoliation of branches at the higher Roundup rates in all three years of the study. In 1996, flower and fruitlet counts were not affected by the Roundup applications and the 1998 data were inconclusive. However, flower and fruitlet counts in 1997 in the sprayed zone of the canopy were significantly reduced by Roundup and the effect increased with increasing Roundup rate. The 1996 and 1997 yield data indicated that Roundup applied to the bottom 20 to 24 inches of the tree canopies did not significantly affect lemon yield. The preliminary data suggest that accidental drift or misapplication of Roundup on to lemon trees when spraying weeds on the orchard floor has no short-term effect on grove productivity.

The fungicide, benomyl (Benlate) was foliar applied by a commercial air blast sprayer at the rate of 1.0 lb. a.i. per acre in early to late August. Treatments varied with a number of applications i.e. one or two and were compared to an untreated control. Benomyl significantly reduced leaf necrosis surrounding nut clusters and the number of leaf spot lesions when compared to control. One or two applications were equally effective in controlling Septoria leaf spot.

The residual activity of insecticides to second instar citrus thrips was measured on lemon foliage in 1998. In April, Dimethoate and Agri-Mek provided only knockdown control of thrips, dropping to <70% mortality by 3 days after treatment (DAT). Baythroid performed slightly better, providing 95% mortality 3 DAT, but by 7 DAT was giving about 74% mortality. Alert, Carzol, Success and AZEXP-2 provided the longest residual activity, lasting 7 days, but began to slip at 14 DAT. AZEXP-1 induced only 74% 0 DAT. Although, residual activity in general was greater in June than April, however this increase in residual activity did not necessarily increase the length of commercially acceptable residual. Agri-Mek and Dimethoate still only provided knockdown activity, and Baythroid was still giving 3 days of good activity. AZEXP-1 performed much better following the June application relative to the April application, providing 3 days of adequate activity. Although we are not certain the reason for this result, it maybe due to the adsorption properties of this chemical relative to leaf physiology. Alert performed similarly in June and April, and Carzol, Success and AZEXP-2 each lasted about 1 week longer.

The effect of Roundup on lemon trees (Citrus limon) was evaluated by repeatedly spraying 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, and 1.5 lb. a.i./acre (corresponding to 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5 quarts of Roundup Ultra/acre) on the bottom 20 to 24 inches of the tree canopies, over a three year period. The Roundup applications caused significant leaf injury in the sprayed area of the canopies and there was also significant defoliation of branches at the higher Roundup rates in all three years of the study. In 1996 after three Roundup applications, increasing rates of Roundup had no effect on flower or fruitlet production in either the sprayed or unsprayed portions of the tree canopies as judged by the counts collected from branches in each canopy zone. Similarly, in 1997 after five Roundup applications, and in 1998 after nine Roundup applications, increasing rates of Roundup had no effect on flower or fruitlet production in the sprayed or unsprayed portions of the tree canopies. Spraying Roundup on the bottom of the tree canopies did not reduce total lemon yield per tree in 1996, 1997 or 1998 at any of the application rates. In all three years of the study, increasing Roundup rates had no effect on the yield of the first or second ring picks or the percentage of the total crop picked on the first harvest date. Increasing Roundup rates also did not affect fruit size at any harvest date in 1996, 1997 or 1998. Similarly, increasing Roundup application rates did not affect fruit quality at any harvest in 1996, 1997 or 1998. Thus, there was no relationship between the rate of Roundup sprayed on the trees and yield, fruit size or quality in all three years of this study. The three years of data collected in this study indicate that accidental drift or inadvertent application of Roundup onto lemon trees when spraying weeds on the orchard floor has no significant effect on lemon tree productivity.

A field study was designed to determine if foliar boron (B) sprays could increase fruit set and yield of 'Parent Washington' navel oranges (Citrus sinensis). Treatments consisted of two application timings (prebloom and postbloom) and five application rates 0, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 ppm B as Solubor. Leaf B levels had a significant response to both application timing and rate. There were no significant difference in fruit quality or yield.

The application of N-fertilizers mixed with a surface irrigation stream (surface N-fertigation) is widely practiced in the Yume Mesa. Guidelines for the efficient management of surface N-fertigation systems are needed. The purpose of the work reported herein is to evaluate the relative effectiveness of existing surface N-fertigation management practices in the Yuma Mesa. This has been accomplished through the following steps: (1) a complete set of performance indices that can be used to assess the relative merit of alternative management scenarios are identified and defined and Equations as well as solutions for quantifying the performance indices are proposed; (2) surface fertigation field experiments (using Br- as a tracer) were performed in two irrigation basins at the Yuma Mesa research farm of the University of Arizona during the fall season of 2000; (3) the spatial distribution as well as the application efficiency and adequacy of Br- applied with irrigation water was determined using the performance functions proposed herein; and (4) the results were analyzed to assess the merits and limitations of existing practices.

This experiment was established in January 2000 in a block of 'Washington' navel orange trees at Verde Growers, Stanfield, AZ. Treatments included: normal grower practice, winter low biuret (LB) urea application, summer LB urea application, winter LB urea application plus winter and spring potassium phosphite, winter LB urea application plus summer potassium phosphite, and normal grower practice plus spring potassium phosphite. Each treatment was applied to approximately four acres of trees. For 2000-01, yields ranged from 40 to 45 lbs. per tree, and there was no effect of treatments upon total yield, and only slight effect upon fruit size, grade and quality. For 2001-02, there was a slight effect of treatment upon yield as LB urea led to improved yield, while potassium phosphite led to reduced yield. Normal grower practice was intermediate between these two extremes.

Two studies were conducted investigating the efficacy of Prozap (zinc phosphide), Ramik Green, and Ramik Brown (diphacinone) rodenticides on woodrats infesting citrus. Based primarily on using feeding activity as an indication of population density, Zinc phosphide (ZP) provided a rapid knockdown of the rat population, and offered 60 to 75% control. However, this product is known to cause "bait-shyness" following the initial application so additional control with subsequent applications of ZP targeting the same rat population would not likely result in a significant increase in control. Ramik Green and Ramik Brown are slow acting anticoagulant rodenticides, and performed similarly to each other. Anticoagulant rodenticides are not known to cause bait-shyness. In this study, these products only offered 20 to 38% control, but it is possible that these values may be artificially low since the rats may have been preferentially feeding on stored oat groats used to gauge feeding activity rather than consuming the anticoagulant baits.