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News for citrus growers around the globe
The Florida Department of Citrus marketing team on May 21 presented its 2025–26 global marketing plan to the Florida Citrus Commission, the department’s governing board. The team stated that it plans to expand on the True Original campaign to reinforce the value of Florida orange juice (OJ) for modern juice consumers and health professionals. To reach and engage health professionals, …
Fruit in the cold-hardy citrus region is expected to be in short supply next season due to the trees’ alternate bearing cycle. The fruit also could be too large to sell, creating another concern for growers heading into next season. “Trees with a low crop load tend to have large fruit,” noted Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor …
Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Steve Johnson noted that recent media articles have reported that consumers are snacking less. He said causes behind this trend of snacking less are the costs of food or concerns about finances. Another reason is a growing desire to eat healthier and reduce the consumption of foods with additives and artificial dyes. Florida Department of Citrus …
Flavia Zambon, assistant professor with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, recently provided an update about Millennium Block research at the Indian River Research and Education Center. The block, established in 2019–20, is a large-scale, 5,500-tree trial seeking HLB-tolerant citrus varieties. Zambon says some varieties in the trial are showing strong fruit attributes without the need …
By Megan Dewdney Every summer, a low rumble about algal spot reaches my ears. And every year, someone discovers it in their Florida grove for the first time. While this is a disease that is not always at the top of mind for growers, when you see it for the first time, it can be dramatic. DISEASE SYMPTOMS Algal spot …
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette The citrus industry drew people to Florida with dreams of wealth and retirement, which eventually brought with it substantial economic development from the hardy pioneers who chose to make Florida their home. Their livelihood was widely marketed by not only the citrus packinghouses who sold their fruit, but also by their respective chambers of commerce and …
Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, recently wrote about the causes of alternate bearing in Georgia groves. Alternate bearing is a common problem in many mandarin varieties. A slightly edited version of Sutton’s report follows. CARBOHYDRATES During photosynthesis, leaves produce sugars that are either exported and utilized for growth or stored as starch in …
The May All In For Citrus podcast features highlights from a recent OJ Break hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. Podcast host Frank Giles caught up with Michael Rogers, CREC director, during the event. Rogers summarized some of the information presented at the OJ …
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), cooperating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, has forecast California’s 2024–25 Valencia orange production at 15 million cartons. California’s final utilized production the prior season was 18.6 million cartons. Cartons have a standard equivalent weight of 40 pounds. CDFA reported there are 25,000 bearing Valencia acres in 2024–25, …
U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) scientists are studying the possibility of the Donaldson sweet orange replacing the HLB-ravaged Hamlin in orange juice (OJ). The scientists work at the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida. While assessing citrus trees with oranges that might be used for commercial OJ production, the scientists found the Donaldson tree at the …
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has been required to update all basin management action plans (BMAPs) by July 1. As part of this requirement, FDEP is adding five-year milestones to each BMAP, where they didn’t previously exist. FDEP has allocations assigned to each entity in the BMAP. Agriculture is assigned an allocation in each BMAP, and FDEP assigns …
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) recently urged the repeal of two labor regulations that are driving up costs for growers using the H-2A program, which allows temporary foreign agricultural workers. The FFVA letter requesting the changes was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget. FFVA called for the rescission of: The letter stated that Florida, …
Three citrus grower associations applauded Chairman GT Thompson and the U.S. House Agriculture Committee for including critical funding for the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program in the recent budget reconciliation draft. The associations were California Citrus Mutual (CCM), Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) and Texas Citrus Mutual (TCM). The investment represents a vital commitment to the long-term health and …
Citrus Research and Development Foundation President Morgan McKenna Porter said individual protective covers (IPCs) give newly planted trees a “fighting chance” against huanglongbing (HLB) and serve as a bridge until HLB-resistant trees are available. “IPCs are not flawless, but they certainly can be optimized,” Porter said. “I have the ability to plant a young tree and put an IPC over …
Before HLB, canker and diaprepes root weevils became major problems for Florida citrus growers, weeds were among the constant and major annoyances in groves. Even with the pests and diseases growers have faced over the past five decades, the need for weed control may be as important, and costly, as ever. A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
By Peter Chaires Beginning in 2013, New Varieties Development & Management Corp. (NVDMC) worked in tandem with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center Plant Improvement Team (then Jude Grosser, Fred Gmitter and Bill Castle) and Florida Foundation Seed Producers Inc. to make newly identified fresh market citrus varieties available for …
By Lauren Diepenbrock Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta), commonly referred to as fire ants, are found throughout Florida. This pest infests a broad range of habitats, including urban regions, natural areas and production fields. In citrus, there are a range of impacts from this pest — from human health to both direct and indirect tree impacts. From a human …
Florida landowner Alico, Inc. announced May 13 that it completed its last major citrus harvest in April. The company will conduct a final harvest on the majority of its 3,783 acres of remaining operational citrus groves in fiscal year 2026. Alico has negotiated agreements to lease another 5,250 acres of different groves to third-party citrus growers next season. Earlier this …
Four University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulture researchers recently wrote an update in the Cold Hardy Citrus Connection about optimizing citrus nitrogen applications in North Florida. The authors are Muhammad A. Shahid, Davie Kadyampakeni, Shahid Iqbal and Muhammad Nadeem. The following edited excerpts explain the research project and provide conclusions: THE RESEARCH The need for …
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center hosted an OJ Break seminar on May 14. The speakers provided updates on developing a gene-edited citrus tree with resistance to HLB and how growers can use existing tools to mitigate the disease. Nian Wang, UF/IFAS professor, provided an update on the status of …
