diseases

Diseases Easier to Prevent Than to Control

Daniel CooperDiseases

Plant pathologist Ozgur Batuman recently warned that two citrus viral diseases not currently in Florida are highly suited to the state’s climate and would likely impact production if found there. They are citrus leprosis and citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV). Batuman, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor at the Southwest Florida Research and …

noaa

NOAA Announces Hurricane Season Predictions

Daniel Cooperhurricane, Weather

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center on May 23 predicted above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this year. NOAA is forecasting a range of 17 to 25 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, eight to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), …

play

PIECES OF THE PAST: Play Portrayed Florida Citrus History

Daniel CooperPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Mohamed Ismail recently gave me a booklet titled “Golden Harvest – The Romance of Florida Citrus” written by Nina Oliver Dean for the Florida State Horticultural Society “on the occasion of its semi-centennial celebration.” It was actually a play described as “a pageant depicting the important events in the history of Florida citrus from its introduction …

expanded

Citrus Greening Quarantine Expanded in Texas

Daniel CooperDiseases, Regulation, Texas

Agriculture officials have expanded the areas quarantined for citrus greening (huanglongbing; HLB), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, in Texas. All of Zapata County has been added to the quarantined areas. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). The action was taken …

agency

FDOC Gets New Agency and Discusses Budget

Daniel CooperFlorida Department of Citrus

It’s now official that the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) will have a new agency for consumer marketing, media relations and issues management starting July 1. The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC), the FDOC’s governing board, approved contracts with Padilla Speer Beardsley, Inc. on May 9. The new contracts are for two years with three optional one-year renewals.  Padilla Speer Beardsley, …

citrus belt

Brazilian Citrus Belt Rich in Wildlife and Carbon

Daniel CooperBrazil, Environment

Research carried out by Embrapa, with the support of Fundecitrus and financed by Innocent Drink, shows that Brazil’s Citrus Belt is abundant in wildlife and carbon. WILD ANIMALS The research identified more than 300 species of wild animals in the Citrus Belt of São Paulo and Triângulo/Southwest Mineiro. Mainly, birds and mammals were found circulating or living in production environments …

CitrusMimic

CitrusMimic Detects Greening and Kills Psyllids

Daniel CooperAwards, HLB Management

A University of Miami (UM) doctoral candidate won third place in the UM College of Engineering’s Rothberg Catalyzer Pitch Competition for creating an instrument to quickly detect airborne traces of citrus greening disease. Shruti Choudhary’s creation, CitrusMimic, would be deployed on farming equipment to continuously draw in air and test for the citrus greening bacteria spread by the Asian citrus …

nematodes

Sting Nematodes in the HLB Era

Daniel CooperPests

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center hosted an OJ Break seminar in mid-May. Topics included management of nematodes, results of trunk-injection therapies and the use of cover crops in citrus. Larry Duncan, a UF/IFAS professor of nematology, presented research findings on the impact of sting nematodes in citrus. He provided …

citrus black spot

Florida Citrus Black Spot Quarantines Expanded

Daniel CooperDiseases, Florida, Regulation

Agriculture officials have increased the existing citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida and established a new quarantine area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry (FDACS DPI) took these actions. CBS is a fungal disease that leaves fruit speckled …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, May 2024

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast

Late spring and early summer are busy times for University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus scientists. They are out in the field preparing new research projects for the coming season and assessing data from ongoing projects. Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, discusses some of that work during the May …

trunk injection

Where Do Growers Stand With Trunk-Injection Therapy?

Daniel CooperHLB Management

Florida growers are well into their second application of oxytetracycline (OTC) trunk injection as the 2023–24 season winds down. The results of the first application made last year are becoming somewhat clearer, but there’s still more to observe and learn about trunk injection. Ute Albrecht, associate professor of plant physiology with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …

Sweet Orange Scab

California Sweet Orange Scab Quarantine Area Expanded

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Diseases, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) is expanding the quarantine area in California for Elsinoë australis, the fungal causal agent of sweet orange scab (SOS). The expansion aligns with the state interior quarantine that the California Department of Agriculture (CDFA) implemented Oct. 1, 2023. SOS infection causes scab pustules that give fruit a corky …

rule

Strong Reactions to Farmworker Protection Rule

Daniel CooperLabor, Regulation

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) have harshly criticized the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) recently announced H-2A farmworker protection rule. An AFBF statement declared that the rule “mires farm families in excessive compliance costs while disregarding privacy concerns for farmers and their employees. With this addition, DOL sets itself apart as …

Alico

Alico Grove Transitions and Transactions

Daniel CooperLand

Alico, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer John Kiernan recently discussed several Alico citrus grove transitions and transactions. Here are some of his comments that were included in an announcement of the company’s financial results for the period ending March 31.  “To be clear, Alico will continue to conduct our regular citrus operations at nearly all of our groves for …

suicide

Tractor Decals Promote Suicide Prevention

Daniel CooperAgriculture

Through a Sumter County Farm Bureau and Everglades Equipment Group partnership, every Everglades John Deere Cab tractor sold in Florida will feature a decal with the 988 suicide prevention and lifeline hotline. The initiative seeks to destigmatize conversations around mental health within the farming community and ensure that support is accessible. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national …

texas

Update on Citrus Canker Quarantined Areas in Texas

Daniel CooperDiseases, Regulation, Texas

Federal and Texas agriculture officials announced on April 26 they were establishing four new quarantined areas for citrus canker in Hidalgo County and expanding one existing canker quarantined area in Cameron County.   The actions by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) were taken to prevent …

annual meeting

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Georgia Citrus Association Annual Meeting Focused on HLB and More

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source, Events, Georgia

By Peter Chaires The Georgia Citrus Association held its seventh annual meeting on Feb. 27 at the University of Georgia (UGA) campus in Tifton. As usual, the event was well organized and well attended. The agenda included topics such as: It was a value-packed day. HLB RECOMMENDATIONS Roger Smith of TreeSource Citrus Nursery in Woodlake, California, traveled quite a distance …

citrus juice sales

Citrus Juice Sales Continue to Decline

Daniel CooperFlorida Department of Citrus, Orange Juice

At its May 9 meeting, the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) learned how much retail sales of citrus juice continue to decline. Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Director of Economic and Market Research Marisa Zansler reported on the period ending April 20. Orange juice (OJ) sales were down by 11.6%, and grapefruit juice sales were down by 9%. For the fourth …

Jake Price

Georgia Research Projects Underway

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Rootstocks

Jake Price, University of Georgia (UGA) county Extension coordinator, recently provided a summary of citrus projects he has been working on: Source: Georgia Citrus Association Sponsored ContentTake the Sting Out of Fire AntsApril 2, 2025A Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight HLBOctober 25, 20245 Facts About Fire Ants and How to Control ThemApril 30, 2024

Mexfly quarantine

Texas Mexfly Quarantines Established and Expanded

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

Federal and Texas agriculture officials have established some new Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens; Mexfly) quarantines in Texas and expanded others. The dates and actions taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) were: APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement of …