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News for citrus growers around the globe
More than two years after the 2018 farm bill expired, a new draft of the legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives on Feb. 13. That same day, Congresswoman Kat Cammack hit the road in Florida to host farm bill listening sessions in Alachua, Lake Wales and Clewiston. The House version of the bill is called the Farm, Food …
By Kim D. Bowman, Matt Mattia, Ranjeet Shinde and Flavia Zambon Profitability of the historic kings of citrus in Florida, sweet orange juice and fresh market grapefruit, has been severely reduced by the impact of huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that lemon cultivars are generally more tolerant to HLB than sweet orange and grapefruit. Lemon trees continue cropping …
Georgia’s young citrus trees appear to have endured more impact from the recent freeze event than older, mature trees. That’s an initial assessment made by Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist. “I’m still getting reports, and we’re just starting our evaluation, but we’ve got a lot of leaf drop and leaf burn. There is …
The Georgia Citrus Association’s (GCA) annual conference is less than a week away. Georgia growers are encouraged to attend the Feb. 24 meeting and learn about various trends impacting the industry in the cold-hardy citrus region. The event takes place at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and member …
Sponsored Content Question: What is the status of the civil action that TJ BioTech filed against AgroSource? Answer: TJ BioTech LLC filed a civil action in August 2025 and received a preliminary injunction through the district court. This preliminary injunction had the effect of removing AgroSource’s product Rectify™ from the market. This past week, a confidential settlement was reached between …
Florida citrus growers hoping to expedite the recovery process for trees impacted by the late January/early February freeze event should pump the brakes and wait — at least until spring. That advice is from Muhammad Shahid, assistant professor of horticulture at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). He shared tree recovery recommendations with growers during …
The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation has been a lifeline to Florida’s citrus industry in the battle against HLB. CRAFT’s programs provide incentives for new plantings and existing tree therapies in exchange for growers submitting data for those projects. In 2025, CRAFT received more than $100 million dollars from the state legislature to fund more cycles of the …
Freeze damage to Florida citrus could lead to a buildup in certain diseases. One, in particular, is a major threat, believes Megan Dewdney, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor in plant pathology and Extension specialist. “Our big concern in terms of foliar problems is going to be melanose. Just as a reminder, melanose produces …
By Lauren M. Diepenbrock Many citrus growers in Florida have been impacted by Bulimulus bonariensis (previously referred to as Bulimulus sporadicus) since the first reports of this pest in groves in 2020. This snail is an ongoing challenge and, with funding from the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Feb. 13 it is providing $1 billion in funding for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program. The federal aid is for specialty crops and sugar. Those commodities were not covered through the previously announced Farmer Bridge Assistance program. Citrus is one of numerous ASCF-eligible specialty crops. See the full list of …
As the Citrus Achievement Award celebrates its 26th year, AgNet Media is seeking nominations for this year’s winner. The award has grown into the gold standard of industry recognition for those who have made and continue to make a significant impact within and even beyond the Florida citrus community. The Citrus Achievement Award is presented to an individual grower, allied …
It’s a good practice to support young trees with stakes, but the stakes should be removed once the trees are established. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) multi-county citrus Extension agent Edwin A. Gutierrez-Rodriguez tells why in a slightly-edited article: It is commonly accepted that when establishing a new citrus grove or caring for young trees, …
The average capture rate of psyllids in traps distributed across 23 regions of the citrus-growing area of São Paulo and the Southwest Minas Gerais Triangle in Brazil has fallen for the second consecutive year. The information provided by the Fundecitrus Psyllid Alert platform confirms a downward trend after the peak recorded in 2023. It indicates a scenario of lower pest …
Citrus fruit grown entirely with renewable energy has entered the market for the first time in South Korea, as Jeju Island moves to extend its clean-energy transition into agriculture. The provincial government officially launched what it calls “RE100 citrus,” produced using only self-generated renewable power throughout the cultivation process. The declaration was made at the Jeju Agricultural Research and Extension …
Invaio Sciences, Inc. recently announced a collaboration with Fundecitrus (Fund for Citrus Protection), a research organization based in Araraquara, Brazil. The partnership aims to accelerate the development and evaluation of novel solutions — particularly peptide-based technologies — for controlling huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. The collaboration combines Invaio’s Biologicals by Design™ platform and Fundecitrus’ expertise in grove …
Federal agriculture officials recently established an area quarantined for HLB in, paralleling the intrastate quarantine that the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) established on Feb. 7, 2025. The quarantined area of approximately 9 square miles is in the Nogales area of Santa Cruz County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) took the recent action …
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) recently reported key facts about use of the H-2A program. The vast majority of Florida citrus is harvested by temporary foreign workers through the H-2A program. The program continues to grow with 398,258 positions certified in fiscal year (FY) 2025. Nearly 50% of the certifications in FY 2025 work in just five states: Florida, …
Federal and state agriculture officials on Jan. 26 established a Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Granjeno, Hidalgo County, Texas, designated the Granjeno quarantine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) took the action. APHIS and TDA established the Granjeno quarantine in response to the detection on Jan. …
Southeast citrus growers hoping that the Feb. 1 freeze would wipe out the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) population are going to be disappointed. “What we do know about freezes is a lot of time they will reduce or delay the buildup of many of the populations of pests that we worry about,” said Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida Institute of …
In January, the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors took up several projects aimed at plant transformation to improve HLB disease resistance in plants. MANJUL DUTT The board voted to fund work by Manjul Dutt, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of horticultural sciences, to graft the most promising non-genetically modified …
