The Citrus Industry section of the July 2026 issue of Specialty Crop Grower magazine provides conference coverage, new research on a biofertilizer, details on citrus under protective screen (CUPS) expansion and more.
The section opens with coverage of the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference. Optimism ran high following a $196 million budget allocation for the citrus industry from the Florida Legislature. The article includes information on studies aimed at fighting HLB that were discussed by researchers at the event. Digital edition readers can also watch a video featuring grower Ned Hancok, who was presented with the Citrus Achievement Award at the conference.
Growers will learn about promising recent field data on Bio Extra Verde (BEV), a Brazilian biofertilizer. Contributed by University of Florida’s Flavia Tabay Zambon and Paulo Eduardo Branco Paiva of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology in Brazil, the article summarizes findings from commercial trials. Early data demonstrated BEV significantly reduced fruit drop in red grapefruit and substantially boosted Brix in OLL-8 sweet oranges.
Read about how CUPS continues to expand in Florida. The Dundee Citrus Growers Association now manages nearly 1,000 acres under screen, while a new strategic partnership between IMG Citrus and Mixon Family Citrus has established an over 850-acre CUPS grapefruit platform.
In his Citrus Nursery Source article, Peter Chaires reports that many juice orange growers are shifting focus toward fresh market production. This change is driving a renewed demand for specific varietal traits, such as seedless profiles, easy-peel rinds and larger fruit sizes.
Also in the July issue, Brenda Eubanks Burnette’s Pieces of the Past column profiles Hogan & Sons. She traces the company’s journey from a 1920s tomato farm to becoming an international grapefruit shipping powerhouse. A video in the digital issue details what the historic Vero Beach packinghouse is transitioning into today.
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