 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
News for citrus growers around the globe
From Kevin Shea, Administrator, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: The Florida citrus industry is under siege and the invader is a tiny bug called the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The ACP spreads a disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, and together they are destroying groves that have been cultivated by families for generations. But all is …
Populations of HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids have been at record levels since April, University of Florida Citrus Health Management Area (CHMA) Program Coordinator Brandon Page told growers at a recent seminar in Immokalee. Page thinks abandoned groves that aren’t sprayed and therefore harbor psyllids are part of the reason for the recent population increase. “I think we’re also seeing money …
BASF announces that Priaxor® fungicide has received federal and Florida approval for use on all citrus varieties in Florida. Priaxor® fungicide is already being used in sugarcane and vegetables throughout the state and the United States. Priaxor® fungicide is a mixture of the active ingredient in Headline® fungicide and a new systemic fungicide Xemium®. Testing in Florida has shown the …
Anyone with ties to the agricultural industry is encouraged to get tickets for 2016 Agriculture and Gardening Day at the University of Florida Gators homecoming football game October 15th. Dr. Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, hopes farmers and ranchers from across the state will attend. Sponsored Content5 Facts About Fire …
Earn one core continuing education unit (CEU) by reading the Citrus Industry CEU article, “What do pesticide formulations have to do with anything?” and passing the accompanying test. The article, authored by University of Florida’s Laurie Ann Hurner, is now available online and will appear in the August 2016 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. This CEU will be valid for …
By Bill Castle and Luiz A.B.C. Vasconcellos Maybe it’s time to try a scion as a rootstock! Murcott is widely known as a scion variety, but it might be an interesting rootstock based on grower experience in Brazil as well as rootstock trial results and some commercial use in Florida. Mandarin rootstocks and their hybrids have generally good horticultural traits, especially …
Citrus growers now have yet another reason to attend the 2016 Citrus Expo. They can receive a complimentary copy of a brand new book, “The Critical Importance of Citrus Tree Nutrition.” Authored by citrus Extension agent Mongi Zekri, the book will debut at the Citrus Expo Shindig, a special party to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary. The shindig takes place …
Tom Stopyra, technical crop advisor for the Packers of Indian River, told more than 75 growers at an Immokalee seminar last week how his company gets excellent canker management utilizing a four-pronged program: “You have to control the leafminer. You have to have frequent copper sprays at a lower rate. You have to have windbreaks and sanitation, which is the …
A new researcher has joined the University of Florida’s fight against citrus greening, which has devastated the state’s industry. Sarah Strauss, a soil microbiologist most recently from Davis, California, has accepted a position at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. Strauss, an assistant professor with an Extension appointment, …
An entomologist with 10 years of research focused on the state’s iconic citrus industry has joined the faculty of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Indian River Research and Education Center (UF/IFAS IRREC). Named Entomologist of the Year in 2012 by the Florida Entomological Society, Jawwad A. Qureshi was selected for a new position as assistant …
Asian citrus psyllids are detected sporadically in the San Joaquin Valley — home to most California oranges and mandarins — and are endemic in Southern California lemon country. But as far as anyone knows, the pests that spread HLB in Florida and Texas have not spread the disease into California’s commercial citrus groves. California HLB detections have been limited to 17 …
AgNet Media is proud to join University of Florida Athletics and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) to promote the 2016 Agriculture and Gardening Day at UF, when the Gators play University of Missouri Tigers at UF’s homecoming football game, October 15, 2016. The staff at AgNet Media are excited to support an event organized to show appreciation …
With the 2016 Citrus Expo approaching, Harold Browning, chief operations officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), is reminding Florida growers to take the bactericide survey if they haven’t already done so. The deadline to complete the survey is August 10. It can be found online at citrusexpo.net. Browning said that the bactericide survey results will be a …
By Evan G. Johnson and Renato Bassanezi In February 2016, I (Evan Johnson) had the opportunity to tour citrus production areas in Parana and São Paulo states in Brazil as part of collaborations with researchers at Fundecitrus, a grower-supported research foundation. In addition to the fruitful discussions with research colleagues, I also had the opportunity to visit with growers in São …
The August issue of Citrus Industry magazine is coming soon! In this edition, growers will have the opportunity to earn one Core CEU by reading an article on pesticide formulations and taking the accompanying test. Other features offer new knowledge on citrus black spot and guidelines on how to evaluate HLB treatments in the grove. In addition, University of Florida …
On July 21, 2016, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) visited the Lakeland area to tour a citrus grove affected by citrus greening. Sen. Rubio was joined by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. They visited Gapway Groves in Auburndale to meet growers and industry leaders to discuss the grave problem facing Florida’s citrus industry. Rubio and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) …
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is at Gapway Groves in Auburndale today to see firsthand the plague facing Florida’s citrus industry. Senator Rubio is joined by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam on a tour of a grove impacted by citrus greening. Both Senator Rubio and Commissioner Putnam are key advocates in the fight against HLB and have worked on …
RUBIO, NELSON URGE SENATE LEADERS TO ADDRESS CITRUS GREENING IN TAX LEGISLATION LATER THIS YEAR (Washington, D.C.- July 21, 2016: News Release from office of Sen. Rubio) – U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) today urged Senate leaders of both parties to make citrus greening a priority in tax legislation expected to be considered by Congress …
Comments from AgNet Media’s Gary Cooper and a Guest Commentary from a Former Florida Lawmaker As a Florida native having grown up on a small farm in eastern Palm Beach County, I’ve had firsthand knowledge of South Florida’s algae blooms for decades. As a professional journalist dedicated to the ag news beat in Florida for nearly 40 years, and having …
The algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River and the Indian River Lagoon have gained national coverage and become quite a controversial topic. The blue-green algae, called cyanobacteria, has affected individuals, businesses and farming in South Florida. Charles Shinn, director of government and community affairs for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, says that Farm Bureau is concerned about the …
