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News for citrus growers around the globe
By Angela Chuang and Lauren Diepenbrock While many arthropod predator and pollinator activities benefit crop quality and yields, traditional farming environments may not be ideal habitats to support their survival year-round. For example, wild bees or flies that pollinate citrus may need other sources of nectar and pollen when citrus is not flowering. Planting wildflowers near crop fields to improve …
California Citrus Mutual (CCM) and JCS Marketing, Inc. have announced an event collaboration for this year’s California Citrus Showcase on March 9 at the Visalia Convention Center. This collaboration creates an opportunity for the growth of both organizations and the expansion of the event. The expansion will afford the citrus industry more educational, networking and promotional opportunities. Casey Creamer, president/chief …
IMG Citrus, based in Vero Beach, Florida, has acquired J&J Fresh Produce assets. These assets, also located in Vero Beach, include a new 185,000-square-foot cold storage and packaging facility and 1,000 acres of farmland in the Delta Farms Water Control District. “This is an exciting acquisition and a key component of our growth strategy,” said Melanie Ressler, co-chief executive officer …
In the latest episode of the All In For Citrus podcast, Tripti Vashisth discusses the citrus flower bud advisory system. The service is provided by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The advisories on flowering generally start before Thanksgiving and run through the end of February or early March. “The goal of the flower bud …
Orange production in Chile is forecast to increase by 22% and total 200,000 metric tons (MT) in 2022–23. The forecast was part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service’s (USDA FAS) annual citrus report for Chile. The prior season’s production, hurt by frost, was expected to be 164,000 MT. PRODUCTION REGIONSThe area planted in oranges in Chile in …
New federal funding of $1 million will establish a citrus breeding program in California. The program will be at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) field station in Parlier. It will identify new citrus varieties that are best suited for changing climatic pressures such as drought, consumer taste preferences, and resistance to pests and diseases such …
Reduced open-field Unshu mandarin harvest in the southern part of Jeju Island will drop total citrus production in Korea to 595,000 metric tons (MT) in 2022–23. This overall 2.9% reduction from last year is primarily due to a drier summer fruit-growing period and an alternating fruit-bearing cycle for Unshu production areas in the Seogwipo region. Those projections were made by …
California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board on Dec. 15 voted to adopt non-emergency COVID-19 prevention regulations. These regulations will take effect once they are approved by the Office of Administrative Law in January 2023. They will remain in effect for two years after the effective date, except for the recordkeeping subsections, which will remain in effect for three years. …
Brazilian citrus association Fundecitrus has alerted growers that proper management to combat citrus canker in orchards begins with leafminer control. The leafminer is a pest that has been present in Brazilian citriculture since 1996. According to Fundecitrus researcher Franklin Behlau, the leafminer does not spread citrus canker disease from one plant to another or even to different parts of it. …
Orange production in Egypt is forecast at 3.6 million metric tons (MMT) in 2022–23, an increase of almost 20% compared to the prior season’s 3 MMT. The increase is attributed to optimal weather conditions and temperatures during flowering of the trees, which increased fruit set. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). …
By Lukasz L. Stelinski, Lauren Diepenbrock and Larry Duncan Given the focus on HLB in citrus management for more than a decade, important additional pests of citrus have sometimes not received the attention they may deserve. Trees with HLB are weakened and prone to succumb to the effects of the disease when challenged by secondary affliction(s), including infestation by diaprepes …
The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) is continuing to work on retail promotions with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Pan-Europe, France and Canada. Katie Bruce, international marketing manager, told the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) about those and other international efforts in December. The FCC serves as the governing board for the FDOC. The Canadian retail program …
South Africa is forecast to produce 385,000 metric tons (MT) of grapefruit in 2022–23, up marginally from an expected 380,000 MT the prior year. The forecast is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). AREA PLANTEDThe grapefruit planted area in South Africa grew by almost 25% over the past seven years. However, grapefruit area is expected …
By Lorenzo Rossi With no cure for HLB available, searching for alternative mitigation strategies is an urgent priority for a sustainable citrus industry. Interest has grown regarding the use of organic amendments to improve the fertility of Florida native soils. Although hardwood mulch applications have been demonstrated to improve both tree health and soil fertility in other fruit industries, little …
Morocco’s tangerine and mandarin production for marketing year 2022–23 is expected to fall to 900,000 metric tons (MT), a 34% decline from the previous season’s 1.36 million metric tons. The forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) blames the decline on heat stress, water scarcity and increased input costs. Many orchards in the Berkane region …
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will hold a workshop on citrus insect, mite and nematode management Jan. 19 at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Presentations will be made by UF/IFAS faculty members. UF/IFAS pointed out that pest management in citrus …
Chemical Dynamics is a leading provider of crop nutrition solutions, focused on helping farmers grow specialty crops in Florida, the Southeast and across the US. Our company was founded in 1973 by W.B. “Hap” Carson in Plant City, FL and has been a family-owned and operated business for three generations. For the past 50 years, we have developed a diverse …
Australia fresh orange production of 505,000 metric tons (MT) is forecast for marketing year 2022–23. That’s a 6% decrease from 535,000 MT in 2021–22, when production was the highest since 2004–05. The forecast was reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). PRODUCTION AREASThe major orange production areas in Australia are in the southern temperate climate …
By Amir Rezazadeh Cover crops protect the soil from sunlight, wind and heavy rain, which enhances soil microbial populations and improves soil structure, water infiltration and root penetration. A reduction in soil crusting, erosion, runoff and nutrient leaching are additional advantages. Through improved nitrogen cycling and nutrient retention, cover crops increase soil fertility. ORGANIC MATTER SOURCECover crops offer an inexpensive …
The total Brazilian orange crop for marketing year 2022–23 is forecast at 405 million boxes (MB), a reduction of 10 MB compared to the previous season. The commercial area in the state of São Paulo and the western part of Minas Gerais should account for 305 MB, a drop of 3% from the prior year. Production from other states is …
