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News for citrus growers around the globe
Fundecitrus researcher Silvio Lopes and agricultural engineer Orlando Lucato Neto recently addressed how climate variation impacts the development of citrus shoots — the HLB-spreading psyllid’s main food source. They also discussed the incidence of psyllids in Brazilian orchards. Lopes said climate impacts the three components of HLB disease: the citrus plant, the vector insect (psyllid) and the causative bacteria. “The …
The citrus industry is not immune to the trade imbalance that is impacting the ag industry across the United States. From 2000 to 2013, the United States exported more citrus than it imported. However, the imbalance began in 2014 and worsened every year through 2023, equating to a deficit of 26 million boxes. The staggering statistics are reflective of the …
Citrus trees used to be a common site around Florida homes, but diseases like canker and greening have diminished residents’ ability to enjoy these iconic trees. Despite the challenges, people from Florida and across the country contact citrus nurseries this time of year, seeking to purchase trees for their yards and/or homes. It’s a passion, say nursery owners and University …
By Tripti Vashisth and Prudhvi Vulchi To mitigate the effects of huanglongbing (HLB) on tree health and productivity, growers are encouraged to adopt proven horticultural practices. Based on recent field trials at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), one effective approach combines frequent irrigation (FI), plant growth regulators (PGRs) …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson on March 31 announced the completion of major updates to several existing agricultural best management practices (BMP) manuals, including the one for citrus. The manuals provide specific research-based practices to agricultural producers to improve water quality. The updates mark the first comprehensive revisions in nearly 20 years for some manuals, reflecting advancements in agricultural …
The Florida Citrus Show brought together growers and industry for a fun day of camaraderie and education. The event took place March 13 at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce. The April issue …
Retail sales of orange juice (OJ) and grapefruit juice (GJ) declined for the current season through Feb. 22, according to Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Director of Economic and Market Research Marisa Zansler. She reported the following data to the Florida Citrus Commission on March 26: The Florida Citrus Commission serves as the governing board for the FDOC. The FDOC …
A Florida Senate committee on March 26 proposed $200 million for Florida’s citrus industry in 2025–26. The citrus funding is a priority of citrus grower and Senate President Ben Albritton, who declared, “Mark my words, Florida citrus is not going down on my watch.” The proposal came from the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government. “To those …
Early in her career, Jennifer Schaal worked in public accounting and found herself wanting to make a deeper impact. “For a long time, I felt the desire to help my clients by diving deeper into their organizations’ financials and procedures, but public accounting standards don’t allow for that,” Schaal said. That desire ultimately led her to transition to the citrus …
The future of Florida’s citrus industry rests on short-term survival while building a future that does not include citrus greening disease. Rick Dantzler, Citrus Research and Development Foundation chief operating officer, spoke at this year’s Georgia Citrus Association annual meeting in Tifton. He emphasized that while tools like oxytetracycline (OTC) provide growers relief, its long-term effectiveness is not guaranteed. Therefore, …
Scientists with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) recently wrote about efforts to identify HLB-affected versus healthy citrus fruit. UF/IFAS scientists are Mark Ritenour, Ketan Shende and Thomas Burks. Michelle Heck is with the USDA/ARS. A slightly edited version of their article follows: Most citrus …
It is much better for Florida citrus growers to be proactive than reactive when managing pest populations. Scouting and monitoring citrus groves is crucial for growers who hope to thwart off impacts from insects like the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). If growers are not successful, they will be behind the eight ball in minimizing the impact of these annual pests. …
By Sarah Strauss, Emma Dawson, Gabriel Pugina, Ute Albrecht, Jonas Pereira de Souza Junior and Davie Kadyampakeni While soil health has always been considered critical for Florida citrus production, it has increased in importance with the endemic presence of citrus greening (HLB). Soil health is similar to the concepts of soil quality or soil fertility but with an additional focus …
It can be hard to have hope if you are a farmer in today’s agricultural climate. It can be even harder to have optimism if you are a Florida citrus grower. Yet, Matt Joyner, Florida Citrus Mutual executive vice president and chief executive officer, has hope that the industry is trending upward even amid HLB and multiple hurricanes in previous …
Citrus land transactions in Florida doubled in 2024 from 2023, Saunders Real Estate reported in its Lay of the Land Florida 2024 Market Report. Almost half of the 128 transactions occurred in Polk County (34) and Hardee County (27). The size of citrus groves sold in 2024 ranged from 10 to 5,500 gross acres. More than 28,700 gross acres sold …
Federal and state officials have expanded the quarantine for huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening disease) in the Mission Viejo area of California’s Orange County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, expanded the quarantine by 13.16 square miles. The expansion was in response …
By Maegan Beatty Earlier this month, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) hosted the 2025 Citrus Health Forum. Growers gathered to learn about citrus production and hear regional citrus updates. Muhammad Shahid, UF/IFAS assistant professor, presented information on optimizing nitrogen fertilization to enhance the quality of satsuma mandarins. …
By Fernando Alferez and Saoussen Ben Abdallah Individual protective covers (IPCs) are now being increasingly adopted in Florida to protect newly planted citrus trees from psyllid colonization. The risk of new citrus plantings becoming infected with HLB is especially high, as young trees flush more frequently and attract more psyllids. However, the adoption of IPCs does not occur in all …
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I was honored this year to be part of the Vero Heritage Center and Indian River Citrus Museum’s “Deeply Rooted” event, which was the kick-off for Indian River County’s Centennial Celebration. It made me think of this year’s Florida Citrus Hall of Fame inductees. They all have something in common with deep roots — Polk County! …
U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack from Florida and colleagues recently reintroduced the bipartisan Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act. The act is aimed at removing barriers to agriculture disaster assistance for producers. The bill would provide farmers, ranchers and other agriculture producers with improved access to federal disaster assistance following natural disasters. Reps. Jimmy Panetta and Zoe Lofgren, both of California, …
