The Citrus Industry section of the April 2026 issue of Specialty Crop Grower highlights ongoing efforts to strengthen Florida’s citrus sector amid challenges. Articles this month showcase education, nutrient management and variety development.
A recap of the Florida Citrus Show details a successful March event in Fort Pierce that combined education with a lively tailgate-style trade show. Growers Daniel Hunt, Daniel Scott, and Tommy Thayer shared early results from Citrus Research and Field Trial projects. This included rootstock/scion comparisons, planting density trials, oxytetracycline trunk injections and brassinosteroid applications. Be sure to see the digital edition of the magazine for a video of Tommy Thayer discussing popular variety selections among his nursery customers.
Also in the Florida Citrus Show article are highlights from a citrus breeders panel that featured John Chater of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Kim Bowman and Matt Mattia of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and Coca-Cola’s Weston Johnson. They shared their experiences with promising varieties and rootstocks, including the Donaldson orange, C4-10-42 mandarin hybrid, US-897 rootstock, Bearss and Beatriz lemons, and more.
An article on integrated nutrient management by Davie Kadyampakeni and UF/IFAS collaborators examines sustainable practices for HLB-impacted groves. Ongoing multi-site research on nitrogen and phosphorus rates suggests modest applications may suffice, with most nutrients concentrating in the top 6 inches of soil where roots are active. The article also shares information on orange peel powder, a valuable soil amendment and organic fertilizer.
Peter Chaires takes a look at Brixy, an orange-like hybrid, in his Citrus Nursery Source article. Brixy, released by USDA-ARS, can improve Brix in blended not-from-concentrate orange juice. The variety shows strong tree health and HLB tolerance in trials. Brixy also offers steady, consistent performance as a potential Hamlin substitute.
Read all these articles and more, coming soon in the April issue of Specialty Crop Grower. Subscribe to the magazine here.
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