A feature full of highlights from the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo is the cover story of the September issue of Specialty Crop Grower magazine. The Expo returned to Fort Myers Aug. 12–13 and hit a home run at its new venue. Growers flocked to the Caloosa Sound Convention Center and Luminary Hotel for two days of learning, connecting and conducting business.
The four-page Expo report includes brief summaries from the educational presentations and photos from the trade show. See the digital edition of the magazine to watch a video that captures all of the action from the well-attended event.
The Expo’s citrus seminar program focused on management strategies aimed at helping growers navigate the challenges of producing citrus in the HLB era. Topics covered were oxytetracycline treatments, pest management, amendments to improve soil health, citrus under protective screen (CUPS) and more. Attendees also had the opportunity to hear talks on vegetables and alternative crops.
A September Citrus Industry section article by University of Florida’s John Chater looks at fresh-market citrus selections for CUPS. He examines Ray Ruby, RES 19-56 and Gator Bites, along with several other varieties being evaluated under protective screen. The article provides observations on fruit quality, earliness, yields, rootstocks and potential market opportunities. It also discusses varieties that have encountered problems in the CUPS environment.
Don’t miss Peter Chaires’ roundup of upcoming citrus events this fall in his Citrus Nursery Source feature. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences open houses, variety displays and the Whitmore Foundation Farm Open House are among the gatherings you’ll want to add to your calendar.
The September Citrus Industry section concludes with Brenda Eubanks Burnette’s Pieces of the Past column. She traces the more-than-century-long citrus legacy of the Latt Maxcy Corporation in Florida.
Subscribe to Specialty Crop Grower magazine to stay current with citrus news.
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