Following at least some of these practices can make for more effective use of the limited water you have. And let s hope that the drought ends soon. Trickle Irrigation Scheduling for Florida Citrus. In higher density plantings, water use per tree would be less. The year 2000 was the driest year on record in Florida, and rainfall during the past two years has been more than 24 inches below normal in some regions.
Stream flows and lake levels are near record lows.
On the Keetch-Byram Drought Index , which has a maximum drought value of 800, parts of central Florida were close to 700 during most of March. Rains in late March helped, but the deficit is still severe. Wildfires have become common, and fire activity since February has been unprecedented. Irrigation is one of the most important things for a grower to focus on in the spring because this is the most critical time for citrus in terms of water stress. Flowering and young fruit set are strongly influenced by water stress.