Citrus Under Protective Screen (CUPS) Production Systems

Citrus can be grown under protective screen structures for fresh fruit production in order to completely exclude the Asian citrus psyllid and therefore huanglongbing disease (HLB, citrus greening). The benefits of eliminating HLB are immediate and include rapid, normal tree growth, higher yields of quality fruit, negligible fruit drop, and uncomplicated fertilizer and irrigation requirements. Because CUPS is a relatively new citrus production system with new challenges, current guidelines are preliminary and undergoing constant refinement through research. This summary of concepts, progress, and tentative recommendations from the first three years of CUPS research in Florida written by A. W. Schumann, A. Singerman, A. L. Wright, and R. S. Ferrarezi and published by the Horticultural Sciences Department was condensed from a comprehensive CUPS Quick Start Guide that will be published and updated on the UF/IFAS EDIS website.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1304