study

HLB Management Different for North Florida Citrus

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, HLB Management

Living with huanglongbing (HLB) disease (citrus greening) is a much different process for citrus growers than protecting their crop from it. Growers in the cold-hardy citrus region are currently trying to keep the devastating disease out of their area. Industry experts like Michael Rogers, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center director, are …

Silicon Being Evaluated for North Florida Citrus

Josh McGillCold Hardy, Diseases, Nutrition

The element silicon, known to be beneficial to many plants, is being evaluated for advantageous effects on North Florida citrus and blackberries. Horticulturist Muhammad Shahid discussed the benefits of Earth’s second-most-abundant element (after oxygen) during a recent Cold-Tolerant Citrus Production Workshop in Perry, Florida. Shahid is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor at the …

Fungi Controlling Whiteflies in North Florida

Josh McGillBiologicals, Pests

Entomopathogenic fungi have recently been seen attacking citrus whitefly and cloudywinged whitefly nymphs in North Florida citrus groves. Muhammad Shahid, Mujahid Hussain and Danielle Sprague, all with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), wrote about the “friendly” fungi in the October UF/IFAS Cold Hardy Citrus Connection newsletter. Shahid is a horticulturalist and Hussain is a …

citrus greening

Citrus Greening Inevitable for North Florida, South Georgia

Tacy CalliesCitrus Greening

It’s not a question of if citrus greening disease will be an issue for North Florida and South Georgia citrus growers, but when will it be. Fred Gmitter, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus breeder, believes the disease’s impact in both areas is inevitable. He shared his assessment during a recent Cold Tolerant Citrus Production …

Citrus Acreage Increasing in North Florida, South Georgia

Tacy CalliesAcreage

Interest in citrus continues to spike in North Florida and South Georgia. Georgia acreage has doubled over the past year. North Florida acreage has increased by another 300 to 400 this spring, says grower Kim Jones. He owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida, and is president of the Cold Hardy Citrus Association. “We’re seeing a whole lot of …

How to Stay HLB-Free in North Florida Groves

Tacy CalliesHLB Management

As temperatures increase across Florida, so does the risk for huanglongbing (HLB) disease, known as citrus greening. While the southern and central portions of the state remain vulnerable to HLB and Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) that spread the disease, growers in North Florida and South Georgia have so far been spared. But Xavier Martini, University of Florida entomologist at the …

Nutrition Basics for North Florida Citrus Growers

Ernie NeffNutrition

An article in the January Cold Hardy Citrus Connection newsletter offered basic nutrition management information for North Florida growers. It was written by Lisa Strange with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Taylor County Extension and Clay Olson, UF/IFAS Extension faculty, emeritus. A grower’s first nutrient management consideration is to have a soil test, the …

Marketing North Florida Citrus

Ernie NeffMarketing

North Florida growers have planted several citrus groves in recent years. “A lot of those groves are starting to become productive,” Kevin Athearn said during a Sept. 23 Cold Hardy Citrus Association annual meeting, held virtually. Athearn, a regional specialized Extension agent, familiarized new citrus growers with some citrus terminology and suggested possible marketing strategies. “It’s important that we all …

HLB Update for North Florida, South Georgia

Ernie NeffCitrus Greening

Since 2018, there have been no huanglongbing (HLB) finds in commercial citrus groves in North Florida, and there have still been no disease detections in Georgia groves. In North Florida, HLB was detected in groves in Live Oak in Suwanee County and Perry in Taylor County in 2018, reported Xavier Martini, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …

North Florida Meeting Addresses Citrus Production Practices

Tacy CalliesProduction

By Clint Thompson Citrus was the focus of an annual meeting held in Quincy, Florida, on March 12. Growers from Florida and Georgia converged at the North Florida Research and Education Center to learn about various citrus management practices for the region. GROWER-GUIDED AGENDA Danielle Sprague, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension agent in Jefferson …

Cold-Hardy Citrus for North Florida

Tacy CalliesVarieties

By Xavier Martini and Peter Andersen Cold-hardy citrus has a long history in North Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia. Records show that sweet orange, citron, lemon, lime and pummelo were brought to Saint Augustine, Florida, from Spain in 1565. However, it was not until the late 1700s that the Jesuits introduced satsuma (Citrus unshiu) to what is now Louisiana. SATSUMA …

New HLB Find Is Likely Farthest North in Florida

Ernie NeffHLB Management

What is believed to be the most northern HLB find in Florida was made the first week of November in a backyard Satsuma tree in Tallahassee. A homeowner sent photos of the tree’s symptoms to Leon County Extension horticulture agent Mark Tancig, who collected samples that were confirmed as HLB. “I’ve told the homeowner he should remove it (the tree), …

Citrus Leprosis: a Continuing Threat in Florida and North America

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Richard F. Lee The old-timers called citrus leprosis “nailhead rust.” Prevalent in Florida in the early 1900s, the disease was first called leprosis in the 1920s by H.S. Fawcett. Although the disease was widespread in Florida at one time, it mysteriously disappeared in the mid-1960s. L.C. Knorr [University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education …

blood oranges

Better Blood Oranges a Possibility for Florida Growers

Daniel CooperFresh, Research

Blood oranges teeming with antioxidants and other health benefits may be a shot in the arm for consumers and citrus growers, if the fruit is stored at cool temperatures, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study shows. But it’s too soon to know if blood oranges are a viable crop for the Florida citrus industry, …

Residents’

Study Shows Florida Residents’ Attitudes on HLB

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

In the fall of 2022, five University of Florida researchers investigated Florida residents’ attitudes on HLB and Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) using online surveys over a 9-month period. The results of the study, Residents’ contribution to Asian citrus psyllid and citrus greening management in Florida residential habitats, was recently published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management. Authors Romain Exilien, …

Citrus Achievement Award

Preserving and Promoting the Florida Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperAwards

Citrus historian and volunteer extraordinaire Brenda Eubanks Burnette is the 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner. Brenda Eubanks Burnette’s initial exposure to the citrus industry was merely by chance. As Miss Winter Haven in 1978, she was asked to fill in when the reigning Florida Citrus Queen couldn’t make a scheduled appearance at a citrus processing plant. A MEMORABLE REIGN Needing …

Planting Cold-Hardy

Planting Cold-Hardy Citrus in Florida

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, planting

Muhmmad Shahid and Shahid Iqbal recently provided advice on planting cold-hardy citrus in Florida. Shahid is an assistant professor of horticulture/fruit physiologist, and Iqbal is a postdoctoral scholar in horticultural sciences, both at the University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center. Edited excerpts from their article in the Cold Hardy Citrus Connection follow: BEFORE YOU PLANT Properly planting …

protection

Florida Citrus Part of USDA Plant Protection Funding

Daniel CooperFlorida, Pest Management

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating more than $5 million to Florida for plant-health protection. The funding is part of a nationwide effort to strengthen the country’s infrastructure for pest detection, surveillance and mitigation, as well as protect the U.S. nursery system. Through the authority of the Plant Protection Act (PPA) Section 7721, USDA is providing more than …

Northern Hemisphere Citrus Production to Rise

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International

The World Citrus Organisation (WCO) on Nov. 15 projected that Northern Hemisphere citrus production will hit 28.98 metric tons in 2023. That’s up 12.21% compared to the prior year and 1.48% higher than the four-year average. It also exceeds the WCO’s forecast of 24.35 million tons for the Southern Hemisphere. Oranges are forecast to account for 50% of Northern Hemisphere …