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By Tacy Callies Citrus Expo is well known for being a gathering place for industry leaders of all types — growers, researchers and other professionals. They come together at this popular annual event to get educated, network with peers and conduct business. CITRUS SCHOLARSHIPSupporting young people who are interested in agriculture — and in citrus, particularly — is becoming increasingly …
By Marcos Fava Neves With the announcement of the 2019–20 crop in Brazil and Florida’s season over, more information is now available to see where the global orange juice market is headed. HIGHER FLORIDA INVENTORIESAs of July, Florida had 71.6 million boxes of oranges, 200,000 boxes more than the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s June estimate. Inventories in Florida are high. …
By Ariel Singerman This article summarizes the major changes in the cost of production for processed oranges in Florida since the outbreak of huanglongbing (HLB). To deal with the disease, growers have significantly changed their cultural practices. Those changes have had a considerable impact on the cost of production per acre. NOMINAL COSTS VS. REAL COSTSHowever, given that inflation also …
The August issue of Citrus Industry magazine has everything you need to make the most of your time at Citrus Expo. The complete guide to the event includes a seminar schedule, exhibitor directory, details about the new hands-on citrus session and more. The Vegetable and Specialty Crop Expo is once again being held jointly with Citrus Expo. The general session …
By Lukasz L. Stelinski, Jawwad A. Qureshi and L. Gene Albrigo Florida citrus production has a long and trailblazing history of implementing integrated pest management (IPM). In 1950, the director of the Florida Citrus Experiment Station, A.F. Camp, proposed an “Ecological Survey of Citrus Pests and Disorders” to provide a comprehensive survey of the ecology of citrus groves throughout Florida …
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette On the cover of the April 1949 issue of Citrus Industry magazine, there is a paragraph that references the beginning of Florida Citrus Mutual. It simply states: “Now that Florida Citrus Mutual is definitely and permanently organized, it behooves every citrus grower in Florida to give this super-cooperative organization his loyal and whole-hearted support. With prices …
By Ramdas Kanissery, Camille McAvoy and Mongi Zekri Some weeds are more difficult to manage in the production system than others due to their ability to grow in an available niche. If given a chance to establish, Guinea grass and goatweed can be the two most difficult weeds to manage. This is not just because they both are prolific seed …
By Tacy Callies The average age of principal farm operators in Florida is 60, according to the 2018 State Agricultural Overview for Florida published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As current growers approach retirement age, who is going to step in to fill their role? This is a question that’s often asked in Florida citrus, especially given the industry’s …
By Tripti Vashisth, Lisa Tang and Sukhdeep Singh In citrus, huanglongbing (HLB) causes an increase in the mature fruit drop rate up to three months prior to commercial harvest. This preharvest fruit drop results in a great reduction in yield and overall grove productivity. Since the plant growth regulators that improve fruit retention on healthy trees do not have consistent …
By Ernie Neff It’s common belief — and probably true — that small Florida citrus growers have suffered more than larger growers as a result of HLB. Del Murphy might agree, but his family’s 66-acre citrus grove east of Avon Park is doing well by any Florida standard. He says the Murphy Partnership production program seems to be working “as …
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette While some things stay the same in citrus, others clearly do not. Today’s growers are experimenting with drones and other technology in the grove, but back in the 1920s, bushel baskets were making waves in the industry. Here’s an interesting excerpt from a March 1921 Citrus Industry article titled “Citrus Fruits in Bushel Baskets” by M.S. …
Four articles on grove management will give citrus growers food for thought in the July issue of Citrus Industry magazine. The first article tells how one grower handles HLB. Del Murphy discusses production practices that have helped him cope with the disease. Bactericides, irrigation and nutrition management are among the topics he addresses. The second article is for growers who …
By Ramdas Kanissery, Steve Futch, Brent Sellers and Camille McAvoy Glyphosate is a popular post-emergent herbicide among Florida citrus growers for its broad-spectrum of weed control under trees and in row middles. The use of glyphosate as a “burn-down” application alone, or in combination with other herbicides, is a standard practice in citrus groves. Various glyphosate-containing product formulations are available …
The Florida Citrus Commission approved a preliminary 2019-20 budget for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) based on an estimate of 71.40 million boxes of oranges and 4.51 million boxes of grapefruit. Presented Wednesday, the department’s total preliminary budget is $14.82 million with an overall budget decrease of about $4 million over the previous year, which is largely due to …
By Fernando Alferez, Christopher Vincent and Tripti Vashisth Brassinosteroids (BR), a relatively newly discovered class of plant hormone, regulate several developmental and physiological processes in fruit crops such as grapes, pears and cherries and in some non-edible plants. BR also induce disease resistance against different pathogens in a great number of crop plants. A form of BR (epibrassinolide) was shown …
After 34 years of faithful service to citrus growers, University of Florida Extension agent Steve Futch readies for retirement. By Tacy Callies Steve Futch’s Florida citrus roots sprouted more than a century ago. His great-grandfather owned a Wauchula grove in about 1905. As a boy, Futch’s first hands-on citrus experience was hoeing trees in the family orange groves. Later, he …
By Yiannis Ampatzidis Citrus growers face issues from an increasing number of pests and diseases. Rapid and accurate tools for early pest and disease detection are needed to improve precision and timely management. Almost all agrochemicals (e.g., pesticides) applied in specialty crop production are made uniformly with conventional spraying equipment, despite the fact that pathogen distribution is typically patchy. Uniform …
By Marcos Fava Neves In the last three decades, world fruit production went from 338 to 865 million tons. CHANGES IN THE CITRUS SECTORCitrus represents 17 percent of fruit production but is growing at a slower rate (140 percent) than the 155 percent growth rate seen in the total category of all fruits. Within the citrus sector, oranges represented 67 …
The 28th annual Citrus Expo is quickly approaching! AgNet Media, organizer of the event, is excited to once again bring the citrus industry together. Citrus Expo will take place Aug. 14–15 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. All pre-registered growers will automatically be entered for a chance to win a John Deere gun safe, courtesy of …
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I recently came across an old 1925–26 catalog for the Glen Saint Mary Nurseries Co., which was founded in 1882 and located in Winter Haven, Florida. The catalog claimed to have the “Largest Citrus Nurseries in the World,” and the company was a longtime advertiser in Citrus Industry magazine. Glen Saint Mary’s president was H. Harold …
