In the November Highlands County Citrus Growers Association newsletter, President Riley McKenna and Executive Director Ray Royce reported mostly positive signs they’ve been seeing in groves.
MCKENNA
“As the month progresses, so have the cooler nighttime temperatures. This cold front marks an important shift moving forward into our early harvest season,” said McKenna. “It brings both anticipation for fruit ripening and Brix development, as well as some anxiety about the inevitable leaf drop that often follows the first cold snap of the year.”
McKenna reported that the primary challenge faced this time of year continues to be working to transition from the semi-deciduous cycle that has been experienced since Hurricane Irma in 2017.
“So far, the trees are showing fewer signs of yellow chlorotic veins, which typically precedes leaf drop,” said McKenna. “On a positive note, despite some premature fruit drop in the early varieties, the pickouts thus far have been stronger than expected, primarily due to fruit size. While fruit quality is more variable from block to block, Brix levels are trending up, which is a great sign overall.”
ROYCE
“I have visited thousands of acres of young grove, in and out of the CRAFT (Citrus Research and Field Trial) program, which look very promising,” said Royce. “It is also obvious that a lot of blocks, especially of younger and middle-aged trees, have responded well to several rounds of OTC (oxytetracycline) injections and other therapies with some good-looking crops out there.”
According to Royce, tree canopies have improved and thickened, and presumably root recovery is also occurring as well.
“Root system recovery will lead to even better crop retention rates and improved fruit quality in the next season or so,” he said. “All of this leaves me truly optimistic that our industry is on the road to revitalization. It will take a few years for all of the new trees being planted now to come into full production, but there is little doubt that the men and women still active in the industry will persevere.”
Source: Highlands County Citrus Growers Association
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