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News for citrus growers around the globe
There have been signs of improvement for the Australian citrus industry in the 2023 season compared to 2022. Among other things, Citrus Australia Chief Executive Officer Nathan Hancock said fruit quality has improved this season. The tail end of the 2023 harvest has been particularly strong from a quality perspective, according to Hancock. “While the earlier fruit this season struggled …
The Florida Remembered Society Inc. is hosting a Florida’s First Thanksgiving event Nov. 15 to showcase plans for the creation of the Headwaters Heritage & Cultural Center in Fellsmere. The event will recreate the first Thanksgiving and be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Vero Heritage Center on 14th Avenue in Vero Beach. The Headwaters Heritage & Cultural …
The governor of Brazil’s state of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, on Oct. 16 decreed the formation of a state committee for greening contingency after meeting with several members of the state’s citrus industry. Greening affects 38.06% of orange trees in the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. The governor acted after considerations by the Sylvio Moreira Citriculture Center/Agronomic …
Recently, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) declared an HLB quarantine in Ventura County following the first detections of the disease in the county. In response, the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) issued a list of HLB resources. The resources are intended to help inform the citrus industry about what changes to expect from the quarantine, …
By Ariel Singerman Citrus growers in Florida are now allowed to inject their trees with oxytetracycline (OTC) to try to control Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and/or suppress citrus greening. The use of OTC is expected to improve the trees’ health and, in turn, increase yield. In this article, cost estimates are used to address the question of what yield response is …
Representatives of Fundecitrus and the Brazilian citrus industry went to Seville, Spain, to participate in a meeting about mechanical harvesting of citrus. The key objective was learning about different tools and machines designed for the mechanization of citrus handling. One example of machinery is the mechanized harvesting equipment used for densely cultivated orange groves. In one of their visits, the …
As the new citrus season gets underway in Florida, growers are hopeful for an improved harvest. The initial U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast for 2023–24 calls for a 30% increase in the state’s orange crop. The November issue of Citrus Industry magazine has details on the forecast and other good news for growers. In the issue’s cover story, Wheeler Farms …
By Davie Kadyampakeni and Megan Dewdney The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) conducted a six-year project to determine if plant nutritional fertilizer sources coupled with specific crop protection chemicals help mitigate citrus diseases. This project was conducted on a 5-acre commercial citrus grove block near the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. …
Many people believe genetics will be the eventual key that unlocks more permanent solutions to HLB. Whether it be traditional breeding or new technologies, one day there could be a citrus tree that is resistant or tolerant enough to make the disease a non-factor. One such key could be CRISPR technology to deliver a tree that is engineered to resist …
Fundecitrus, with the participation of a MasterCitrus student and in partnership with a private company, has developed a new generation of citrus fruit borer traps. The trap is resistant to rain and includes guidelines to assist growers. Fundecitrus researcher Haroldo Volpe explained that the new product is an advance in the fight against citrus fruit borers. “We had a high-tech …
By Tina Buice The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program was created in 2019. Its work was centered on the mission of moving lab and research solutions into groves for commercial-scale field trials, collecting data on those trials and creating an integrated data management solution to present the results. Four years later, with more than 10,000 acres of new …
The majority of the Florida Department of Citrus’ (FDOC) $58,200 budget for gift fruit marketing in 2023–24 will fund promoted social media content. FDOC Global Marketing Manager Katelynn Long told the Gift Fruit Shippers Advisory Council Oct. 11 that the budget also includes influencer partnerships, media relations releases and content development and administration. Long said the FDOC plans to focus …
A survey by 15 Extension agents showed Sugar Belle mandarin to be the most cold-hardy non-satsuma citrus variety following a major freeze in Georgia in December 2022. Sugar Belle was followed in order of cold hardiness by Tango, navel oranges, Kishu and grapefruit. Shiranui was the least cold hardy non-satsuma variety. University of Georgia Extension agent Jake Price reported the …
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette A.B. Michael was known as the “Dean of the Citrus Industry.” His Orchid Island fruit consistently won awards for its high quality. He was a major proponent of fruit for its taste and appearance. Michael was one of the first to institute grading standards in the packinghouses he ran. Here are a few excerpts from a …
The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation recently hired Carisa Keller to serve as the organization’s scientific coordinator. The Highlands County resident previously worked as director of sustainability for Alico. “As CRAFT continues to grow, it’s imperative that we continue to build a team that is ready and able to support the demands of the program,” said CRAFT Executive …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) has invested more than $25 million in 11 projects as part of the Emergency Citrus Disease Research & Extension program. This program brings the nation’s top scientists together with citrus industry representatives to find scientifically sound solutions that combat and prevent citrus greening (HLB) at the farm level. Some of this …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new crop insurance program designed for agricultural producers who use controlled environments as a major part of their operations. The Controlled Environment program from USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is specifically for plants grown in fully enclosed controlled environments. It provides coverage against plant diseases subject to destruction orders. The Controlled Environment …
By Ariel Singerman Citrus greening (HLB) has significantly impacted the Florida citrus industry. The disease has caused tree health, yield and fruit quality to decrease significantly over time. In 2022–23, due to the combined impact of HLB, Hurricane Ian and a freeze in December 2022, the statewide average yield for both Valencia and non-Valencia oranges was estimated to be approximately …
By Christopher Vincent, Yu Wang and Nabil Killiny Mild shade reduces stress, increases growth and yield, and may improve pest management under huanglongbing (HLB). It reduces high temperature and water stresses. Shade also may reduce HLB transmission by making trees less visible to Asian citrus psyllids (ACP). Shaded trees have less ACP, and shade appears to reduce the severity of …
Fundecitrus recently launched the institutional awareness-raising film Urgência as yet another part of the Greening Is Serious campaign. The campaign began in January last year. In the film, 10 representatives of the citrus sector talk about the economic, social, environmental and historical dimensions of citrus growing in São Paulo and Minas Gerais. They point out everything that is at risk …
