The Citrus Industry section of the June 2026 issue of Specialty Crop Grower focuses on leadership and research.
On the cover of the magazine is Ned Hancock, winner of the 2026 Citrus Achievement Award. He is being recognized for his decades-long leadership and dedication to serving Florida’s citrus industry. Don’t miss the accompanying video in the digital issue of the magazine, in which Hancock discusses the future of the industry.
Another leader earning accolades in the June issue is Steven Hall, executive director of the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation. As the Citrus Research and Development Foundation and CRAFT merge, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) leader Scott Angle tells why Hall is the right man to lead the expanded organization.
A UF/IFAS research article on three years of oxytetracycline (OTC) trunk-injection studies details the cumulative benefits of the HLB treatment. Increases in fruit yield and total soluble solids are among the advantages. Learn what application timing maximizes tree performance while keeping chemical residue levels safely within legal limits. The article also shares what rootstocks performed the best under OTC treatment.
Also on the research front, Peter Chaires outlines the New Varieties Development & Management Corp. research roadmap for 2026–27. Key projects include evaluating Hamlin survivor trees, testing irradiated Carney 3 sweet oranges and utilizing CRISPR technology to introgress natural HLB defense mechanisms.
Research on citrus scents and flavors is underway at the recently opened Citrus Innovation Center in Lakeland, Florida. Operated by IFF, the facility uses molecular science to isolate over 16,000 unique orange flavors. The center is developing techniques to mask the bitter, metallic flavor profile typical of HLB-affected fruit, offering an economic lifeline to the juice market. Learn more in the article’s accompanying video.
Finally, in her Pieces of the Past column, Brenda Eubanks Burnette looks back at the legacy of Victor Knight and his influential Riverfront Groves operation.
Find all these articles in the June 2026 issue of Specialty Crop Grower, coming soon to mailboxes and inboxes. Subscribe here.
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