 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
By Len Wilcox When Jim Shanley retired from his highly successful career in commodity trading, he knew what he wanted to do and where he wanted to do it: farm specialty crops in the hills overlooking Morro Bay, California. His choice of crops, however, was not so clear. He started with avocados, but it was a curious little fruit from …
Governor Rick Scott’s Securing Florida’s Future budget proposes $22 million for the Florida citrus industry. This includes $5 million supporting Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) marketing programs aimed at educating and increasing awareness among consumers of the health benefits of Florida citrus and Florida orange juice as well as $650,000 for new variety research ensuring Americans have access to the …
By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Alan Wright and Rhuanito Ferrarezi Authors’ note: This article was written before Hurricane Irma passed through Florida. We are still assessing the full impact and implications of storm damage to both University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus undercover production systems (CUPS) facilities and will provide updates in future articles. Citrus …
By Manjul Dutt and Jude W. Grosser Huanglongbing (HLB) threatens the survival of the Florida citrus industry. Both conventional cultivars and genetically engineered cultivars that can grow in the presence of HLB have been developed at the University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. Among the two citrus improvement techniques, engineering citrus remains the fastest …
By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation The effects of Hurricane Irma in early September on the Florida citrus industry were obvious and immediate. Serious loss of this year’s fruit crop, tree damage and standing water in groves were experienced. Every effort must be made to address these impacts on Florida citrus growers. The hurricane …
By Kevin M. Folta A number of websites recently made claims about detection of the herbicide glyphosate in orange juice from several leading brands1-3. It is important to understand the claims, who is making them, and how to communicate the actual risk, which the science says approaches zero. WHAT IS THE CLAIM? Moms Across America (MAM) claims that it has …
The November 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine features an in-depth article on the first citrus crop forecast of the season. The figure of 54 million boxes of Florida oranges that the USDA predicted was met with mixed reactions and caused some controversy. In the article, industry leaders and growers share their perspectives on the forecast. U.S. Department of Agriculture’s …
Editor’s note: This article is part of the special coverage on the 100th Anniversary of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, found in the October 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. By Tom Nordlie Although it’s difficult to predict future events, directors of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) …
Following is a statement from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on President Trump’s efforts to block any attempt by Nelson and others to add additional money for Florida’s citrus growers to the disaster-relief package being considered in the Senate today. “I’m disappointed that the president has nixed the disaster money for Florida’s citrus growers,” said Nelson. “He said it will …
Editor’s Note: This article was written before Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida and damaged the state’s citrus industry. This article is part of the special 100th anniversary coverage of the Citrus Research and Education Center, found in the October 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. By Tom Nordlie What are the current challenges to Florida’s citrus industry? To a …
By Beverly James, Alec Richman, Brad Buck, Samantha Grenrock and Tom Nordlie The year was 1917. In April, the United States entered World War I. Florida’s population was fast approaching 1 million, and agriculture was the state’s most important economic driver. Citrus cultivation, introduced to Florida 400 years earlier by Spanish explorers, had spawned an industry following the Civil War. …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced on Oct. 4 that the preliminary agricultural damages caused by Hurricane Irma in Florida total more than $2.5 billion. In an initial report, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimated losses for each segment of agriculture. The preliminary economic assessments account for current crop losses and ancillary losses, such as …
Editor’s note: This article is part of the special coverage on the 100th Anniversary of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, found in the October 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. By Tom Nordlie Throughout the Citrus Research and Education Center’s (CREC) 100-year history, the collective efforts of its faculty and staff have supported Florida citrus growers in myriad …
Florida Citrus Mutual announced that its Oct. 12 Citrus Crop Estimate Luncheon will be in a different format than initially planned. The morning clay shoot will not take place, and there has been a change in location for the event. The new location and tentative agenda is as follows: Bert J. Harris Jr. Agricultural Center Sam Polston Auditorium 4509 George …
By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation The August board meeting of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) provided several updates that should be shared with the industry and other readers. The CRDF/Bayer CropScience partnership announced on August 16 at Citrus Expo moves CRDF one step closer to having strong partners to develop and …
By Stephen H. Futch and Ariel Singerman In May of 2017, we visited the northwestern citrus production region of Argentina in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán. The purpose of the trip was to learn more about Argentina’s citrus industry and programs being developed to deal with both the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and huanglongbing (HLB). Argentina has a …
The October issue of Citrus Industry magazine celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). An in-depth article recaps the history of the University of Florida center, decade by decade. Also included is a timeline of major citrus events as well as CREC’s greatest accomplishments over the years. In addition, the issue looks at the present …
By Phil Stansly Impact on Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) populations: Psyllids that survived the storm will find plenty of food thanks to a huge flush that is following defoliation from the hurricane. This and almost ideal temperature conditions will spawn an explosion of ACP, starting with the first post-Irma generation less than three weeks after the storm. By five weeks and …
By Len Wilcox Ventura County, California, is perhaps the prettiest place in the world to grow lemons. Nestled between the golden slopes of the coast range and the relaxing seaside and azure-blue ocean, it is just north of Los Angeles on the famous Pacific Coast Highway. In town, Ventura seems far too urban to be an agricultural center; it is …
As growers assess the damage from Hurricane Irma, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus specialists are available to answer their questions related to hurricane recovery practices for HLB-affected citrus groves. To provide answers as quickly as possible, the UF/IFAS Citrus Growers’ Hotline (863-956-8611) has been established for growers to call with their questions. Staff will be answering the …
