Regenerative Agriculture helping citrus growers plagued by devastating 'greening'

INVERNESS, Fla. - Citrus grower Chuck Bellamy was close to giving up five years ago. The citrus disease called "Greening" was devastating his grove near Inverness until he made a change. 

"If I wouldn’t have changed up, this would be a hayfield right now," he said. "I’d be out of it."

But, he’s reduced costs by minimizing herbicides and pesticides and enriching the soil under his trees through Regenerative Agriculture. 

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"The real immune system of plants and trees is the health and life of the soil," said Ed James, a citrus grower who is also a consultant with Sand to Soil Services. 

Regenerative farming relies less on chemicals – like herbicides, pesticides and fungicides – and more on returning natural microbes to the soil to feed the roots and the trees.

Following World War II growers used more and more chemicals. Modern groves were also wiped clean of plants under the trees. 

Sand To Soil Services' Brad Turner said it created a kind of desert that was virtually wiped clean of microorganisms – including beneficial ones. Regenerative adds cover crops such as legumes and even weeds that naturally infuse the soil under the tree with food.

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"Our fathers and grandfathers were doing this," said Turner. "They didn’t really know why it worked, but it worked and now science is catching up with what’s really going on." 

Turner said Regenerative isn’t a "silver bullet" that will quickly solve problems in the groves, but when combined with reduced chemicals, growers can better control Greening and increase profits. 

Bellamy's grove doesn’t look like it did five years ago. 

"From the trunk out to the drip line would be all clean, pretty, and mowed perfect," he said. 

Not anymore, but he said the grove his grandfather planted in 1930 survives, because he's running it more like his grandfather did decades ago. 

James said when methods from the past are combined with modern science and testing, it could keep many more groves healthy and provide a boost to Florida's citrus industry.