Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) has been grown on a commercial scale in Florida for about a decade. The practice was adopted to exclude the Asian citrus psyllid from trees to protect them from HLB, but other benefits have been achieved like high yields and excellent quality fruit.
Dundee Citrus Growers Association helped establish a mainstream approach for CUPS production. The association now has nearly 1,000 acres under screen in three primary locations: Bartow, Fort Meade and Sebring.
Steven Callaham, chief executive officer of Dundee, says the association remains committed to CUPS. It has become a significant part of the association’s operations and continues to grow.
“Red grapefruit remains the primary variety planted in our CUPS acreage,” Callaham says. “In addition, we are conducting extensive variety trials across multiple locations, including within our dedicated innovation CUPS pod, where we are evaluating promising selections for future commercial production.”
SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES
“Yields have been excellent and, in many cases, have exceeded our original projections during the early years of production,” says Callaham. “Fruit quality has been exceptional, both internally and externally. Our customers have consistently been impressed with the appearance, eating quality and overall consistency of the fruit.”
While CUPS brings several major benefits, it does not come without challenges.
“The greatest challenge has been managing the impacts of extreme weather,” he says. “Over the past several years, we have experienced direct impacts from multiple hurricanes and tropical storms that caused damage to screen structures. While we have recovered successfully from those events, hurricanes can create significant operational disruptions and reinforce the importance of resilient infrastructure and planning.
“As we brought one of the earlier operations up to a commercial scale, the steep learning curve we experienced was a bit of a surprise. CUPS creates a unique growing environment that requires specialized management practices and expertise that can only be developed through experience. We are continuously refining our practices, and I am proud of how our team has adapted and grown alongside this technology over the past decade.”
A BRIGHT FUTURE
Callaham believes the learning curve of the past decade bodes well for the future of CUPS in Florida. As new varieties are identified that excel under cover, farms can diversify and bring more value-added fresh fruit into the mix. Production practices will continue to be refined to improve yield and quality.
Even after the HLB problem is solved, Callaham is confident CUPS will continue.
“While HLB was the catalyst for much of the industry’s interest in CUPS, the benefits extend well beyond disease management,” Callaham says. “CUPS allows us to produce a premium product with exceptional consistency and quality. It also provides significant efficiencies in harvesting, grove management and packing operations. Even in a world without HLB, I believe CUPS would continue to have a meaningful place in Florida citrus production.
“While it is not a one-size-fits-all solution, it has demonstrated that Florida growers can continue to innovate, adapt and produce world-class citrus despite the challenges facing the industry. We are excited about what the future holds and remain committed to advancing the technology through continued learning and investment.”
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