U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited Citrus Expo on August 16. During his visit, he held a listening session alongside Congressman Tom Rooney and citrus industry professionals. The main topic during the session was citrus greening and the importance of research to combat the devastating disease. Growers and industry leaders spoke about the challenges…
Perdue Optimistic Researchers, Growers Will Beat Citrus Greening
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is in Florida this week, where he attended Citrus Expo at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers. While in the state, he has been able to learn firsthand about efforts to combat citrus greening. Hear more from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Stephanie Ho:
Gun Safe Winner at Citrus Expo
Everglades Equipment Group continued its popular, annual John Deere gun safe giveaway at the 2017 Citrus Expo on August 16. All citrus growers who pre-registered for the event were eligible for the drawing to win the prize. Miss Florida Citrus, Rachel Smith, drew the name of the lucky winner. The gun safe went to Austin…
CRDF and Bayer Announce Partnership at Citrus Expo
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and Bayer CropScience announced a new partnership at Citrus Expo. In an effort to discover new technologies to manage citrus greening disease, CRDF will invest $12 million with Bayer over a three-year period. Bayer will focus on product research and development of both biological and chemical controls. Adrian…
Citrus Expo Is a Great Connection for Florida FFA
Citrus growers, vendors, and industry professionals are all looking forward to gathering this Wednesday, August 16 at 8:00 a.m. at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers. That’s when the doors officially open to the 2017 Citrus Expo trade show, the biggest and best annual gathering of citrus industry members in the U.S. Citrus…
Perdue to Appear at Citrus Industry Event
Amid continuing struggles in Florida's citrus industry, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will appear Wednesday at the Citrus Expo in Fort Myers. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., are expected to join Perdue, according to Putnam's office and the Citrus Expo website. Perdue's visit comes as the industry continues…
How the Best Growers Cope with HLB
Some of Florida’s “best” citrus growers recently told Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) researcher Jim Syvertsen how they try to cope with HLB. There was much agreement among the growers on fertilization, irrigation, the management of psyllids that spread HLB, and bactericides that have been used against HLB for more than a year.…
HLB Affects Grapefruit Sales
By Jaci Schreckengost For grapefruit growers, huanglongbing (HLB) has been a huge issue, leading to many fears in the industry, including the fear of a shortage. Rob Atchley, general manager of citrus groves for Duda Farm Fresh Foods, says HLB makes crops vulnerable to new stresses the trees have not previously encountered. He says these…
UF Researchers Work to Manage HLB in Grapefruit
By Jaci Schreckengost Due to the rapid rate huanglongbing (HLB) has affected citrus, researchers are working on new management techniques for the disease. Rhuanito "Johnny" Ferrarezi, assistant professor in citrus horticulture at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC), says research is being done to…
Governor Rick Scott Appoints Three to the Florida Citrus Commission
Governor Rick Scott announced two appointments and one reappointment to the Florida Citrus Commission. Lee Bouldin, 62, of Vero Beach, is a citrus shipper at DNE World Fruit. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wake Forest University. Bouldin succeeds Michael Garavaglia and is appointed for a term beginning August 9, 2017, and ending…
Citrus Expo Opens a Week from Today!
August 9, 2017 Citrus growers, vendors and industry professionals are looking forward to gathering on Wednesday, August 16 at 8:00 a.m. at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers. That’s when the doors officially open to the 2017 Citrus Expo trade show, the biggest and best annual gathering of citrus industry members in the…
Time to Get Serious About Trialing New Scion/Rootstock Combinations
By Jude W. Grosser and Frederick G. Gmitter It’s no secret that citrus greening disease, or HLB, continues to take a heavy toll on the beloved Florida citrus industry. It has been estimated that the industry will need to replant over 3 million trees per year for the next 10 years just to get back…
A Lively World Under the Tree
The vast diversity of organisms in soil can have positive impacts on citrus, Sarah Strauss told growers and others at a July seminar in Immokalee. “Potentially, though we haven’t verified this, (there are) up to a billion organisms in one gram of soil underneath a citrus tree,” the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural…
Seniors May Reduce Dementia Risk with Citrus
Eat citrus to prevent dementia? A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests just that. It shows that older people who frequently eat citrus fruit were 23 percent less likely to get dementia. The study was also reported by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) on its Brain Health and Wellness website. The study…
H-2A Contracts, Costs and Considerations
By Jaci Shreckengost The H-2A program is a guest-worker program that allows people from other countries to come to the United States on a visa as agricultural employees for temporary, seasonal work. Many industries are beginning to use H-2A due to uncertainty over the domestic labor supply, says Fritz Roka, an associate professor of agriculture…
Rep. Albritton Discusses Citrus Industry Funding
By Jaci Schreckengost Ben Albritton, Florida House Representative from District 56, says it is encouraging to see the positivity in the citrus community, especially in challenging times. Due to the rise of huanglongbing (HLB), known as citrus greening disease, Florida citrus growers are facing the challenges of reduced production and health of their crops. There…
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Seeks Nominations
Nominations are now being sought for potential inductees to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Induction ceremonies are scheduled to take place on Friday, March 9, 2018, at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The luncheon is co-sponsored by Florida Citrus Mutual and the Florida Department of Citrus. Eligible nominees are those distinguished leaders who have…
Citrus Industry Participates in H-2A for Labor Needs
By Jaci Shreckengost Concern over availability of domestic employees in the United States has caused growers to change where they get their labor. Fritz Roka, associate professor of agriculture economics at the University of Florida's Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee, says the uncertainty surrounding the immigration policies of the current United States…
A Glimpse at CRDF Programs and Planning
By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation As we start the new fiscal year at the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), there are a number of priority activities in place to focus effort and resources on important tools for managing citrus in the presence of HLB. Here are some…
Varieties: Replacing Hamlins with Early Valencias
University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant breeder Jude Grosser makes a case for Florida’s citrus industry replacing Hamlin oranges with early-maturing Valencia oranges that he and others are developing. “I think that’s a no-brainer because Hamlins are having a really bad time with greening, and orange juice sales are declining,” Grosser says.…