Growers Look to the Future at Florida Citrus Industry Conference

Tacy CalliesEvents

Growers and industry stakeholders gathered in Bonita Springs last week for the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference hosted by Florida Citrus Mutual. Despite the challenges of HLB and recent hurricanes, the event drew strong attendance. The educational program provided updates on potential solutions for the disease that has plagued the industry for two decades. SEEKING A RESISTANT TREEOne of the …

MASC program

Florida Legislature Invests Record-Breaking $140 Million in Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesAs Seen On Instagram, Legislative

Matt Joyner, Florida Citrus Mutual executive vice president and chief executive officer, issued the following statement in reaction to the Florida Legislature’s approval of nearly $140 million ($139,673,565) for the citrus industry in the state’s 2025–26 fiscal year budget: “Florida’s citrus growers applaud the Florida Legislature’s record-breaking investment of nearly $140 million to shepherd the state’s iconic citrus industry back to …

sweet orange scab

New Sweet Orange Scab Quarantine Established

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Diseases, Regulation

A new quarantine area for sweet orange scab (SOS) was recently established in the Burbank area of California’s Los Angeles County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture announced the quarantine area. The 91-square-mile quarantine was established because of an SOS detection in a plant …

gibberellic acid

Consider Summer Gibberellic Acid Applications

Daniel CooperPGRs, Tip of the Week

By Tripti Vashisth, Maricielo Postillos and Taylor Livingston In recent years, many citrus growers in Florida have begun using gibberellic acid (GA) to enhance tree growth and productivity. Initially, the recommendation was to apply GA monthly from September to January for Valencia oranges to maintain canopy health, reduce fruit drop and improve yields. However, some growers are hesitant about applying …

lemon selections

Seven Lemon Selections Under Study

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, lemons

In a recent webinar, Tracy Kahn provided details about seven lemon selections undergoing Citrus Research Board trials at four California locations. Kahn is the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection endowed chair at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). The information she presented included the selections’ compatibility with various rootstocks. All of the lemon selections are irradiated and described as seedless, except …

Grove-First

Grove-First Expands Search for HLB-Fighting Molecules

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

By Randall P. Niedz and Michelle Heck Grove-First is a collaborative research initiative developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) scientists and partners to solve citrus greening (HLB) by evaluating potential treatments directly in the field. This direct-to-field strategy is based on the idea that only field testing can determine whether a treatment can rejuvenate HLB-infected trees …

funding

Citrus Funding Appears Promising

Daniel Cooperfinancial

Recent reports from Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) and California Citrus Mutual (CCM) indicate that major support is likely forthcoming for the U.S. citrus industry. RECORD FLORIDA FUNDING FCM reports that the Florida Legislature continues to finalize a budget for the 2025–26 state fiscal year with a vote expected in both the Senate and House chambers on June 18. Senate President Ben Albritton, has advocated for record citrus …

pathogens

Brazilian Biotech Company Targeting Citrus Pathogens

Daniel CooperBrazil, Diseases, Research

With support from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Ideelab is developing more efficient strategies to combat pathogens that threaten citrus. The work of Ideelab, a São Paulo startup company, is based on the principle that plants communicate with microorganisms through specific molecules called effectors. Effectors are peptides and proteins that are produced naturally and interact with the pattern recognition …

São Paulo

Fundecitrus Honors São Paulo Ag Secretary

Daniel CooperAwards, Brazil

Brazil’s Fundecitrus recently led a tribute to Guilherme Piai, secretary of agriculture and supply of the state of São Paulo. The recognition of the secretary’s support in the fight against citrus greening occurred during the opening ceremony of the 50th Expocitrus/46th Citrus Week. Fundecitrus Executive Director Juliano Ayres presented Piai with a symbolic trophy in gratitude for his work and …

rainfall

Increased Rainfall Impacts Florida Citrus

Daniel CooperDiseases, Weather

Recent rainfall has been a welcome sight for Floridians, but it can be a concern for the state’s citrus growers who are producing next year’s crop. Chris Oswalt, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus agent, cautions growers about citrus canker amid the increased moisture in the region. “With rainfall, you need to be concerned about those …

engineer

Citrus Engineer Honored

Daniel CooperAwards, Brazil

Ivaldo Sala, coordinator of the Fundecitrus Technology Transfer department, recently received the Outstanding Agricultural Engineer in Citrus award. The award was granted by organizers of the 50th Expocitrus/46th Citrus Week in Brazil.  The award ceremony was part of the opening afternoon of the exhibition week. Sala, who has worked at Fundecitrus 32 years, said, “We have worked tirelessly, transforming the …

accurate

How to Achieve Accurate Herbicide Application

Daniel CooperTip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery As the summer season of weed control kicks off in citrus groves, now is the perfect time to make sure your spray rigs are set up for success. Effective weed control depends on: In many cases, poor herbicide performance is caused by two main issues: spraying at the wrong time and using incorrect application techniques. We’ve already …

psyllid control

HLB in Brazil: Focus on Psyllid Control

Daniel CooperBrazil, HLB Management, Psyllids

Fundecitrus researcher Renato Bassanezi recently emphasized the importance of controlling the psyllid that spreads huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) in Brazil. Bassanezi pointed out that with the increase of HLB-spreading psyllids recorded in 2023 and the lack of eradication of diseased trees, controlling the HLB-spreading insect becomes increasingly important. The researcher said there can be no failures in …

rust mites

Citrus Rust Mites in Georgia

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Pests

By Jake Price There are two types of rust mites, the citrus rust mite (CRM) and the pink citrus rust mite (PCRM). The CRM is one of the biggest citrus pests in Georgia on fresh fruit. I don’t know that I have seen the PCRM in Georgia, but it is probably here. Every year, CRM is a problem at the …

California

California HLB Quarantines Expanded

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, HLB Management, Regulation

Federal and state agriculture officials recently expanded the areas quarantined for huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) disease in California. The quarantined area in the Foothill Ranch and Mission Viejo areas of Orange County has been expanded by 26.69 square miles, the Riverside area of Riverside County by 11.3 square miles, and the Valley Center area of San Diego …

managing aggressive weeds

Managing Aggressive Weeds in Citrus

Daniel Cooperweeds

Ramdas Kanissery gave advice for growers in a May 20 virtual presentation about managing aggressive weeds in citrus. Kanissery is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor of horticultural sciences at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. A summary of his recommendations follows. CULTURAL PRACTICES PRACTICAL APPROACHES As part of his presentation, …

research

Nearly $23 Million Awarded for HLB Research

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) announced May 28 it has invested nearly $23 million in 14 HLB projects in 2025. The projects seek to find solutions to combat and prevent HLB in citrus. The projects are part of the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program. The University of Florida is the only …

louisiana

Precision Ag for Louisiana Citrus

Daniel CooperLouisiana, Research, Technology

Anna Timmerman, a horticulture agent for the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter, had to think swiftly to deal with a salt wedge that was rising up the Mississippi River. She was particularly worried how the saltwater would affect Plaquemines Parish citrus producers. “I had to learn very quickly — what to do and what to recommend in terms of salinity,” …

Alternate Bearing

Management Methods for Alternate Bearing

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Production

Practices that might help with alternate bearing were recently addressed in a report by Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist. Alternate bearing, a common problem in many mandarin varieties, is the tendency of a tree to produce a heavy crop one year followed by a light crop the subsequent year.  A slightly edited version …