AWARD RECOGNITION
CUPS works to PROTECT CITRUS TREES
By Anne Blankenbiller E
The CUPS installation includes an automated irrigation and control system to monitor weather and soil conditions and to deliver precise amounts of water and nutrients to every tree.
ach year, the Irrigation Association awards one or more Vanguard Awards. These awards are not for
individuals or companies; instead, they recognize innovative irrigation projects in the industry that are executed by a team of individuals, companies, organizations or other group entities. Projects chosen for this award exemplify the IA’s mission of promoting efficient irrigation.
The 2021 Vanguard Award was presented to the Citrus Under Protective Screen project conducted in Florida.
Known as CUPS, this project involved growing citrus under a protective screen structure in conjunction with precision irrigation and inputs to yield high-quality disease-free citrus while minimizing the use of water, fertilizer and pesticides. Using this relatively new, cutting-edge method to grow citrus required researching, designing and installing a highly technical, automated irrigation and control system to monitor weather and soil conditions and to deliver
24 Irrigation TODAY | Winter 2021
The IA awarded its 2021 Vanguard
Award to the Citrus Under Protective Screen project in Florida.
The CUPS project involves growing citrus trees under a protective screen.
precise amounts of water and nutrients to every tree.
The companies involved with this project include Dundee Citrus Growers Association, a Florida-based fruit growing cooperative and the proprietor of the CUPS project; Agri Services International, the ag irrigation contractor responsible for the design, sourcing and installation of the irrigation systems used in the CUPS project; and Precision Citrus LLC, an agricultural construction company responsible for the design and installation.
Facing a challenge
Huanglongbing, generally referred to as citrus greening, has devastated the Florida citrus industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection services considers this the most serious disease of citrus. An estimated 75% of Florida’s citrus production has been lost to the disease since 2005 when it was first detected in the state. The bacterial disease is primarily spread by insects known as psyllids. Once a tree is infected, there is no known cure and the tree typically dies within a matter of years.
Planting trees using the CUPS concept is an example of innovative-thinking to help ensure survival of the Florida citrus industry. The protective screen keeps
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