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News for citrus growers around the globe
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has expanded the reach of its Farm State of Mind initiative by joining with the Farm Family Wellness Alliance to launch the Farm State of Mind Alliance. The Farm Family Wellness Alliance began in 2020 as a pilot project by Farm Foundation and National 4-H Council. It expanded in 2023 to support offering Togetherall …
The characteristic sour-sweet balance of citrus fruits is largely defined by citric acid accumulation in the vacuoles of juice sacs. Previous studies identified several proteins — such as CsPH8, CsAN1 and CsPH4 — that control acid storage and transport. However, little was known about the CsAN11 protein. Many citrus cultivars exhibit wide variations in acidity, even among closely related varieties, …
Sponsored Content Question: Previous questions have been asked about increases in yield and quality of the citrus crop as groves begin to recover from HLB. Why does it take additional time to get quality to improve? Answer: The ability of any crop to produce both high yield and high quality is an agronomic function of a plant’s ability to intake …
The anticipated disappointment has become a reality for cold-hardy citrus growers; satsuma mandarins are in short supply. The predominant citrus variety grown in the region will not have much of a crop this season as harvests have already begun across the cold-hardy region of North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama. As expected, citrus volume will be short, mostly due …
Sub-freezing temperatures this week across the cold-hardy citrus region had minimal impact on the region’s fruit crop. A hailstorm in a couple of South Georgia counties, however, was another story. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and owner of JoNina Farm in Ochlocknee, said her operation was battered by hail for about 15 to 20 minutes late …
Sonny Perdue was inducted into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame on Oct. 23 for his contributions to American agriculture. He is a former Georgia governor and U.S. secretary of agriculture and the current University System of Georgia chancellor. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper nominated Perdue with support from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and American Farm Bureau President and Georgia …
By Taylor Livingston and Tripti Vashisth Preharvest fruit drop is a major concern for Florida citrus growers, especially in groves affected by huanglongbing (HLB). Environmental stressors such as drought, flooding and cold snaps further accelerate fruit drop and tree decline. Recent field trials in Central Florida evaluated the use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) — specifically gibberellic acid (GA3) and …
Agromillora, in collaboration with the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA), has introduced CIVAC-19, a new citrus rootstock. CIVAC-19 is the result of more than a decade of research between IVIA and Agromillora. It is a hybrid rootstock of Citrus reshni (Cleopatra mandarin) and Poncirus trifoliata (trifoliate orange). Its semi-dwarfing nature provides medium vigor, key for maintaining compact canopies and …
By Manjul Dutt Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a series outlining how genetic technology can be using in citrus breeding. Traditional methods for improving citrus, such as crossbreeding different varieties, can be time-consuming due to the creation of a random mix of genes from both parents through a process called genetic introgression. In the article last month, …
A team of graduate students from the Citrus Research Institute of Southwest University sold out 5,000 boxes of a newly developed hybrid citrus variety in just seven days. The Citrus Research Institute in Chongqing, China, is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It all started when Li Shunxin, a graduate student under researcher Cao Li, and four classmates …
Federal and state agriculture officials expanded the Santa Clara Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) quarantine twice in late October in California’s Alameda and Santa Clara counties. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) enacted the expansion. On Oct. 21, the agencies expanded the quarantine in response to …
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) recently provided comments to the Office of the United States Trade Representative as part of the annual review of foreign barriers to U.S. exports and investment. The FFVA letter noted injury to Florida citrus caused by low-priced imports from Mexico and the European Union’s use of scientifically unjustified, non-tariff trade barriers. Letter excerpts …
Several men with strong ties to the citrus industry have been included in the 2025 edition of Florida Trend’s Florida 500. The Florida 500 highlights 500 influential executives from various economic sectors in the state. Florida Trend places a high premium on community service and philanthropy when selecting the Florida 500. “We look for individuals to whom others in their …
A recently launched national Women in Agriculture Study is a comprehensive effort to capture women’s voices from across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The study’s survey remains open through March 31 to gather insights from women working in production agriculture, agribusiness, education and advocacy. While focusing on women, the survey is also open to men and others in related …
Brazilian citrus research organization Fundecitrus (Fund for Protection of Citriculture) recently honored University of California Davis (UC Davis) Distinguished Professor Walter Leal for his outstanding contribution to citriculture. Fundecitrus emphasized the importance of Leal’s work on the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and citrus fruit borer. Brazilian native Leal is a member of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology faculty …
Cold-hardy citrus producers need to be prepared for a potential freeze event next week. Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, cautioned growers on the UGA Citrus Blog that temperatures are expected to drop in the low 30s across the region next Monday and Tuesday, and perhaps in the upper 20s in some areas. The …
Citrus canker, a federal and state regulated plant disease, has been detected in Mobile County, Alabama. As required by federal law, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) will establish a citrus canker quarantine for the county. The Auburn University Plant Pathology Lab confirmed the first detection from foliage and fruit samples collected during ADAI’s routine citrus survey. The …
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are putting genes from a non-citrus plant into Hamlin oranges to develop citrus plants that fight huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. The newly developed plant is called NuCitrus. It’s based on a protein called Arabidopsis NPR1 (AtNPR1). The new citrus shows strong tolerance to HLB, but not …
By Fernando Alferez and Divya Aryal Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of plant growth regulators with several effects on plant growth and development. They engage in crosstalk with other hormones like auxin, gibberellins, ethylene and abscisic acid, influencing all plant growth and development aspects including fruit maturation, but the timing of this effect appears to be short and tightly regulated. …
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers recently explained the benefits of raised bed planting and mulching to improve citrus tree establishment, productivity and resilience against environmental stress. Assistant Professor Muhmmad Shahid and Postdoc Scholar Shahid Iqbal, both of the North Florida Research and Education Center, and Associate Professor Davie Kadyampakeni of the Citrus Research and …
