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News for citrus growers around the globe
The next issue of Citrus Industry magazine takes a look at the status of citrus labor in Florida. A trio of articles offers insights on harvesting costs, using the H-2A program and keeping skilled workers. Also included in the September issue is coverage from the 2017 Citrus Expo held in Fort Myers, Florida, on August 16–17. An appearance by Secretary …
DeSoto County grower and Florida Citrus Commissioner V.C. Hollingsworth reacts to news that Florida’s citrus acreage declined 5 percent this year. “That kind of surprised me a little bit because I thought we’ve been planting back a lot of trees,” Hollingsworth says. “I think what it doesn’t show is the number of trees that we’re planting back, trees per acre. …
Every year, Citrus Expo is proud to feature a seminar program that provides continuing education units and a wealth of new research information for growers. Top citrus researchers from the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences were among those who presented their latest findings on several topics, including HLB management, psyllid control, bactericides and more. Now, you can …
Florida lost another 25,148 acres of citrus in the past year, or 5 percent of the crop’s acreage, according to the annual Commercial Citrus Inventory released on August 31. The number of acres dropped to 454,973 from 480,121 in 2016. The inventory was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. “It turns out that our citrus …
By Nabil Killiny and Steve Futch Citrus growers frequently inquire if Florida temperatures in the summer or winter are sufficiently high or low enough to control or suppress the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). This question is the subject of this short article. The reason growers pose the question about how temperature impacts psyllids is because ACP is a phloem feeder …
By Marcos Fava Neves The first forecast of the 2017–18 Brazilian orange crop was published in May. Brazil expects a total of 364.47 million boxes, including the following: 68.49 million boxes of Hamlin, Westin and Rubi varieties 17.42 million boxes of Valencia Americana, Valencia Argentina, Seleta and Pineapple varieties 114.52 million boxes of the Pera Rio variety 123.04 million boxes …
At a recent meeting of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) Commercial Product Delivery Committee, approximately half of the agenda was devoted to bactericides and HLB-spreading psyllids. Reflective mulch that keeps psyllids away and field trials for HLB-resistant or tolerant rootstocks and scions were also addressed. CRDF Chief Operations Officer Harold Browning summarizes some of the discussions. “The issue …
Florida Citrus Packers honored George F. Hamner Jr. with its John T. Lesley Award for Excellence at Packinghouse Day on August 24, 2017. The John T. Lesley Award is the organization’s highest recognition, reserved for individuals making sustained and outstanding contributions to Florida’s fresh citrus industry. The list of recipients reads like a “who’s who” of the Florida citrus industry. …
Florida’s fresh citrus industry has suffered even more from HLB than has the much larger juice industry. Duke Chadwell, manager of the Citrus Administrative Committee (CAC), discusses pending organizational changes in the fresh industry, brought on primarily by HLB. The CAC administers a federal marketing order for fresh Florida citrus that has been in place since 1939. “The Citrus Administrative …
A new effort is underway in California to further regulate chlorpyrifos. On August 18, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) issued a directive for interim mitigation measures to address health risks from the pesticide. This action marks the start of a public and scientific review of DPR’s revised draft risk assessment that could lead to increased restrictions statewide. At …
Mongi Zekri, multi-county citrus Extension agent, won the 2017 Dallas Townsend Extension Professional Enhancement Award from University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension. The award recognizes a county Extension Agent with a 1-year term professorship for demonstrating an outstanding ability to plan and implement Extension programs that address needs that have been identified in consultation with clientele. Zekri …
Imagine camping in the deep woods. You’d want a tent with mesh that prevents bugs – even those as small as gnats – from entering into your wildlife hangout. That’s the idea behind citrus under protective screens, or CUPS, which helps keep away a pinhead-sized insect that causes citrus greening, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientists …
Lee Jones was in the Citrus Expo seminar audience recently when a scientist reported there have been incidences of HLB-spreading psyllids being resistant to insecticides. Jones, general manager of Gardinier Florida Citrus, has one recommendation for dealing with the issue, at least partially. “I would really suggest that October to March window as an application window for the imidacloprids (a …
Ears perked up in the Citrus Expo seminar hall last week when Lukasz Stelinski reported incidences of Asian citrus pysllid resistance to insecticides, “particularly the neonicotinoid group of insecticides in Florida.” The neonicotinoids have been a key weapon against the psyllids that have spread HLB to groves statewide. Stelinski, an entomologist with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and …
We first told you last week that the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and Bayer CropScience had announced a new partnership during Citrus Expo to fight citrus greening. Various solutions are being researched, like genetically improved trees. But CRDF President Tom Jerkins knows help is needed before those trees are ready. Sponsored ContentA Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way …
By Ute Albrecht Tolerance to a disease is generally defined as the ability to be productive in the presence of disease-causing organisms. This is contrary to resistance, which is defined as the ability to completely evade a pathogen due to specific resistance mechanisms. The question as to what defines an HLB-“tolerant” rootstock was posed in an article by Bill Castle, …
University of California (UC) scientists at the Lindcove Research and Extension Center (LREC) will soon begin to test the effect of growing citrus under protective screen (CUPS). CUPS is a proposed new method of controlling huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease, by keeping psyllids, small insects known to spread the disease, away from the trees. The test will evaluate the …
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited Citrus Expo on August 16. During his visit, he held a listening session alongside Congressman Tom Rooney and citrus industry professionals. The main topic during the session was citrus greening and the importance of research to combat the devastating disease. Growers and industry leaders spoke about the challenges of the Florida citrus industry. …
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is in Florida this week, where he attended Citrus Expo at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers. While in the state, he has been able to learn firsthand about efforts to combat citrus greening. Hear more from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Stephanie Ho: Sponsored ContentA Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to …
Everglades Equipment Group continued its popular, annual John Deere gun safe giveaway at the 2017 Citrus Expo on August 16. All citrus growers who pre-registered for the event were eligible for the drawing to win the prize. Miss Florida Citrus, Rachel Smith, drew the name of the lucky winner. The gun safe went to Austin Pell of Pell Citrus in …
