Sponsored Content In the ongoing battle against citrus greening (also known as huanglongbing or HLB), a disease that has devastated Florida’s citrus industry, the trunk-injection product ReMedium TI® has demonstrated promising performance. Since its commercial release in January 2022, ReMedium TI® has continued to generate interest and optimism among Florida citrus growers seeking economically viable tools to manage the disease. Recent research …
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) recently presented Kim Bowman its 2026 Researcher of the Year Award. For more than 30 years, Bowman has led citrus rootstock research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida. He has worked to develop innovative solutions to improve citrus production and help growers address …
By Prudhvi Vulchi, Amit Levy and Tripti Vashisth A three-year commercial grove study evaluated plant growth regulators (PGRs) and oxytetracycline (OTC) in HLB-affected Valencia trees. The results suggest that these practices help HLB-affected trees by two distinct mechanisms. PGRs mainly supported tree growth and productivity by reducing callose accumulation and improving growth-promoting hormone levels in leaves. OTC reduced Candidatus Liberibacter …
Cold-hardy citrus producers are about a month away from harvesting this year’s crop. A lot can happen during that time. What is beyond the grower’s control is what most concerns Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and co-owner of JoNina Farm in Ochlocknee, Georgia. “We personally experienced last year a 40-year hailstorm. So that’s always a possibility …
By Megan M. Dewdney, Eva L. Mulandesa and Mark A. Ritenour Greasy-green began to be reported as a problem in Florida by fresh fruit packers and growers around 2020. The disorder, with green blotches on the grapefruit surface, appeared to be different from other known rind disorders. The effect was costly for growers and packers, with reported losses between $20,000 …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), recently expanded the La Mesa Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in San Diego County, California. APHIS took this action to parallel the intrastate quarantine that CDFA implemented. On June 16, CDFA established a Mexfly quarantine in response …
The 2026–27 California forecast for the Tango and W. Murcott Afourer mandarin varieties, released Sept. 11, is for 38 million 40-pound cartons. The forecast is based on the results of the 2026–27 Mandarin Objective Measurement Survey, which was conducted from June 20 to Aug. 23. The forecast was issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), cooperating with …
During a recent webinar, Jude Grosser, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor of plant cell genetics, presented a three-legged stool approach to achieving sustainability in citrus production. Those legs consist of: For the first two legs, Grosser said enhanced tolerance to HLB is a primary goal, along with improving yield and juice quality. During the presentation, …
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has announced there is one vacancy on the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC). The committee advises the CDFA secretary on activities associated with the statewide citrus-specific pest and disease work plan. The work plan includes but is not limited to outreach and education programs as well as programs for surveying, …
A referendum will be conducted among eligible Florida citrus producers to determine whether they favor continuance of the marketing order regulating the handling of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and pummelos produced in Florida. The referendum to be conducted from Oct. 19 through Nov. 9 is directed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS). Only current Florida citrus …
The October issue of Specialty Crop Grower magazine features citrus research updates, industry developments and more. Coverage ranges from a grapefruit disorder to citrus breeding efforts to rebuilding Florida’s production. The Citrus Industry section, begins on page 22 with “Unraveling the greasy-green mystery in Florida grapefruit,” by Megan M. Dewdney, Eva L. Mulandesa and Mark A. Ritenour. University of Florida …
Cold-hardy citrus producers are yearning for some cooler weather. It would not only provide some relief from the warm temperatures being experienced across North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama, cooler temperatures will aid in color development in this year’s fruit, among other benefits. Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, discussed the impact of …
Chinese researchers have developed a nanoparticle-based formulation that combines an insecticide and a plant-derived repellent to provide longer-lasting control of HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids (ACP). An article about their study, published in Nanomaterials, explores a way to extend pesticide effectiveness while reducing damage to citrus leaves. The article was written by Wenhua Rao, Qianying Li, Kaidi Wang, Chao Shen, Guocheng …
Preharvest silicon (Si) applications, when combined with postharvest salicyclid acid (SA), may increase W. Murcott mandarin fruit size, according to research from Ege University in Türkiye. The study, published in the Ege University Faculty of Agriculture Journal, examined whether the Si and SA applications could help maintain mandarin quality during extended cold storage. The authors are İzzet Atakan Erdallı, Fatih …
By Tripti Vashisth, Mary Sutton and Taylor Livingston Author’s note: This Tip of the Week applies to HLB-affected sweet oranges in Florida. Preharvest fruit drop remains a major concern for HLB-affected sweet oranges. Research shows that both gibberellic acid (GA) and 2,4-D can help reduce fruit drop, but the combination of GA and 2,4-D provides the greatest reduction. In a …
Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Director of Economic and Market Research Marisa Zansler on Sept. 16 provided an economic wrap-up of the 2025–26 citrus season. This included the benefits of FDOC promotion of orange juice (OJ). Zansler said the 2025–26 citrus season showed several areas of improvement despite continued supply constraints. Florida citrus production increased, OJ yields improved and fresh …
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new email subscription feature to help pesticide users quickly receive updates from the Bulletins Live! Two system. The updates will include notifications about new Pesticide Use Limitation Areas (PULAs) and changes to existing PULAs. EPA developed this feature in response to requests from pesticide users who asked for better access to Bulletins …
Three University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers recently authored an article explaining how to manage alternate bearing in citrus with fruit thinning. Alternate bearing is the tendency for trees to carry a heavy crop one year, followed by a season of very little fruit. The authors are Masood Jan and Muhammad Shahid with the North Florida …
Recent Chinese research offers a fresh, strategic blueprint for engineering cold tolerance in citrus. The study reveals that in Citrus ichangensis, a frost-hardy wild citrus relative, the expression of the protective protein CiHSP26.5 is not just turned on or off. Rather, it is fine-tuned over time by two transcription factors, CiERF023 and CiERF041, which serve as its repressor and activator, …
The initial 2026–27 California navel orange forecast, released Sept. 11, is 84 million cartons. The forecast is based on the results of the 2026–27 Navel Orange Objective Measurement Survey, which was conducted from June 23 to Aug. 16. The forecast was issued by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, cooperating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics …
