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The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors invited six full proposals on combining other antimicrobials with oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) during its April meeting. “If growers are going to pay the labor costs for workers to crawl underneath a citrus tree to treat it with OTC-HCl, maybe there are other things that could be mixed with the injection,” …
By Brandon White Taking a wholistic, helicopter view of nutrient management programs can be beneficial in reducing high input costs and environmental implications in the continued era of HLB. START WITH THE SOILAn obvious first stop on the considerations list is the soil. It’s the foundation of the system. Almost any economically feasible thing growers can do to improve organic …
Lukasz Stelinski for years has promoted saving money on HLB control by spraying for Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) only when their populations reach a certain threshold. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor still promotes that concept, but with a slightly new twist. TRUNK INJECTION SHOWING PROMISEIn a virtual seminar on April 25, Stelinski advised growers …
Federal legislators have followed through on previously announced plans to try to overturn the Department of Labor’s (DOL) rule to determine wages for temporary foreign agricultural workers under the H-2A program. H-2A workers harvest a majority of Florida’s citrus crop. Legislators introduced House and Senate Congressional Review Act resolutions to nullify the DOL’s adverse effect wage rates (AEWRs) methodology rule. …
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I was recently conducting an oral history interview with cousins John D’Albora and Frank Sullivan in Cocoa, Florida. They took me to see the historic home of Edward Postell Porcher, one of the 17 original Florida Citrus Hall of Fame inductees in 1962. (Note: Sullivan does tours of the Porcher home for special events; see a …
Some growers are taking a closer look at citrus under protective screen (CUPS), while others have already adopted the production system. CUPS has been proven to protect trees from HLB and hurricane damage. The May issue of Citrus Industry magazine features grower brothers who are early adopters of CUPS. Jerry and Keith Mixon have 150 acres of CUPS production in …
Citrus growers discussed their challenges and voiced their needs during a farm bill listening session held April 24 in Newberry, Florida. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-15), chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, along with bipartisan members, including Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-03), Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09), Rep. Austin Scott (GA-08), Rep. Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-01), listened to …
Sugar Belles on four different rootstocks in Georgia showed different levels of damage from the December 2022 freeze, reported Jake Price, Lowndes County Extension coordinator for University of Georgia Extension. The Sugar Belles at a Valdosta research plot planted in 2018 have put on the first flush of foliage after being mostly defoliated. The trees are snuggly located between windbreaks …
This year’s first male flight of California red scale is noticeably later than in prior years, according to Sandipa Gautam, area citrus integrated pest management advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension. The cold and wet winter has had a notable impact on pest populations. “Usually, March 1 is tentatively the time when we see the first male flight in …
By Fernando Alferez Five years of University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) data in trials across the state have shown that individual protective covers (IPCs) are effective in preventing HLB until they are removed. This has been shown in sweet orange varieties such as Valencia and Hamlin. In these varieties, it has been demonstrated that the …
April was a busy month for citrus events with both the Citrus Growers’ Institute and the Florida Grower Citrus Show taking place. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), joined the All In For Citrus podcast to discuss the success of the two events. Both gatherings …
There’s a campaign to help growers “be sure” about their stewardship. The Be Sure campaign from the Growing Matters Coalition is marking its fifth anniversary. Growing Matters is a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to scientific discourse on the stewardship, benefits and alternatives of neonicotinoid insecticides in North America. The joint effort is led by Bayer CropScience, Syngenta, Valent U.S.A. LLC , BASF Agricultural Solutions and Mitsui Chemicals Agro, Inc. In …
Researchers are offering a lebbeck mealybug detection workshop in Fort Pierce on April 25. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC). Register for the meeting here. Lebbeck mealybug (Nipaecoccus viridis) is an invasive pest that can cost the …
By Alessandro Franco, Faisal Shahzad and Tripti Vashisth Gibberellic acid (GA) is one of the most commonly used plant growth regulators which affects flowering, fruit and vegetative growth. Multiple monthly GA foliar applications have reduced preharvest fruit drop and increased yield in huanglongbing (HLB)-affected sweet oranges. The potential impact of these findings is huge for commercial citrus production. However, there …
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube of Florida on April 6 reintroduced the U.S. Citrus Protection Act to prohibit the importation of commercially produced fresh citrus fruit originating from China. “Floridians annually produce millions of cartons of citrus fruits, millions of gallons of citrus juices and hundreds of thousands of citrus byproducts, right here in the USA,” Steube said. “It’s unacceptable that we allow our adversary to import …
The city of Weston in Florida reported in early April that one male peach fruit fly was found in a trap near Davie, Florida. This pest attacks at least 50 different hosts, including citrus, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The city reported that a perimeter has been established that includes a number of municipalities as …
Sustainable Citriculture, a voluntary initiative by citrus growers and orange juice industries in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, has completed two years in search of sustainable development for Brazilian citriculture. The initiative, which is committed to preserving natural resources, has created a set of actions and partnerships that seek to encourage responsible food production and environmental protection. Its goals include …
By Fernando Alferez and Muhammad A. Shahid Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a natural group of hormones that regulate physiological and biochemical attributes that include seed germination, flower development, root formation and resistance to various abiotic and biotic stresses. BRs have shown promise in reducing pests and diseases in a wide range of plants, including citrus. A commercial formulation of BRs has …
The reinvigorated Florida Grower Citrus Show was a crowd-pleaser in its first year hosted by AgNet Media. The annual event was relocated to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) facilities in Fort Pierce. It was streamlined from a two-day format to a one-day event. The show brought together exhibitors who …
The Florida Farm Bureau Federation County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (FFBF CARES) is seeking nominations of farmers and ranchers who are implementing best management practices (BMPs) to enhance and conserve the state’s natural resources. Nominations will be accepted through June 16. Farmers and ranchers may nominate their own operation or that of a colleague. Learn more about the program and …
