The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has announced the opening of the nomination process for the Woman of the Year in Agriculture and the Agricultural-Environmental Leadership awards. Nominations for both awards must be submitted by March 1. “Florida agriculture thrives because of the extraordinary people who dedicate their lives to it,” said Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. …
Joyner Honored With UF Distinguished Alumnus Award
The University of Florida honored College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) alumnus Michael Joyner (Bachelor of Science, 1986) with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the agriculture industry and his dedication to serving the university. Throughout his career, Joyner has made a lasting impact on the lives of agriculturists, shaping policies and initiatives …
Florida Student Honored for Citrus AI App
The Citrus AI app created by Rohan Dash, an 11th-grade student at Pine View School in Sarasota County, earned first place in the 2024 Congressional App Challenge for the 17th Congressional District of Florida. The app is designed to support Florida’s citrus industry by analyzing crop health, predicting threats and optimizing resource usage. “Rohan Dash’s Citrus AI app stands out …
Citrus Achievement Award Celebrates 25 Years
For a quarter of a century, the Citrus Achievement Award has grown into the gold standard of industry recognition for those who have made and continue to make a significant impact within and even beyond the Florida citrus community. The Citrus Achievement Award is presented to an individual grower, allied member, legislator, researcher or anyone else who stands out through …
Adams, Graham and Richey to Join Hall of Fame
The late Charles W. Adams, James H. “Jim” Graham and Daniel R. “Dan” Richey will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame March 28, 2025. ADAMS Adams (1879–1945) was a partner in Adams Packing Association and Growers Fertilizer Corporation. He impacted the citrus industry with his progressive ideas for growth. Adams moved from Michigan to Florida in 1911 …
UF/IFAS Researcher and Postdoc Honored
A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher and her postdoc have been inducted into the Sigma Xi scientific research honor society. The inductees are Sandra Guzmán, assistant professor at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) and Gregory Conde, postdoctoral research associate in Guzmán’s Smart Irrigation and Hydrology Laboratory. “Dr. Guzmán and Dr. …
Belief in the Future of Florida’s Citrus Industry
This is the fifth installment of Q&A features with Brenda Eubanks Burnette, the 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner. Why do you believe in the future of Florida citrus? Burnette: I think Florida citrus growers, like most other farmers, are the most resilient, stubborn and steadfast people you’ll ever meet. We have multi-generational families who have helped shape the state of …
UF/IFAS Colleagues Laud Lukas Hallman
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) colleagues have acknowledged Lukas Hallman for his distinguished achievements and contributions as a graduate student. Hallman completed master’s and doctoral degrees in horticultural sciences in the last six years as a UF/IFAS graduate research assistant. He worked in Associate Professor Lorenzo Rossi’s Plant Root Biology Laboratory at the Indian River …
Ritenour Receives Two Honors
An expert in postharvest technology for Florida’s fresh produce industry recently received two honors in one week. Mark Ritenour’s professional colleagues with the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) named him a fellow at the society’s annual conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also began his role as associate director for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) …
The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and an Infamous Moment
This is the fourth installment of Q&A features with Brenda Eubanks Burnette, the 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner. What are some of the resources available to the public through the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame? Burnette: The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame includes a digital database of Florida citrus crate labels, postcards, citrus industry photographs and a variety of artifacts, …
UF/IFAS Researcher and Ph.D. Candidate Honored
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus researcher Lorenzo Rossi and his Ph.D. candidate Lukas Hallman have been invited to join Sigma Xi, an international honor society of scientists and engineers. Rossi is an associate professor at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce. Sigma Xi lists more than 200 Nobel …
Association Names Danyluk Researcher of the Year
The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) has presented University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Professor Michelle Danyluk its 2024 Researcher of the Year Award. The award was presented at FFVA’s recent annual convention in Marco Island. The honor is given to individuals who have dedicated themselves and their work to improving Florida agriculture. Danyluk works in …
Bringing Back the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant
This is the third installment of Q&A features with Brenda Eubanks Burnette, the 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner. What was the motivation to revive the Miss Florida Citrus Pageant and what did it take to get the program up and running again? Burnette: LaVoyce Leggett Porter, the 1966 Florida Citrus Queen, asked me if I would be interested in resurrecting …
Seeking the Finest of the Florida Citrus Industry
Nominations are being sought by Nov. 1 for potential inductees to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Eligible nominees are distinguished leaders who have made significant contributions to the Florida citrus industry in any of the following fields: pioneering, harvesting, packing, processing, marketing, science or education. Nomination forms are available by contacting Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Executive Director Brenda …
Memoirs of a Florida Citrus Queen
This is the second installment of Q&A features with Brenda Eubanks Burnette, the 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner. Burnette’s citrus career began in 1981 when she won the Florida Citrus Queen Pageant. Outside of winning, do you have a favorite memory or two surrounding the pageant? BURNETTE: At that time, the Florida Citrus Queen received a car to use for …
Save Those Citrus Documents and Memorabilia!
This is the first installment of four Q&A features with Brenda Eubanks Burnette, the winner of this year’s Citrus Achievement Award. This month she asks industry members to help preserve citrus history and discusses her belief in the citrus industry’s future. If someone has old family documents and records related to the citrus industry, what should they do? BURNETTE: As …
Teenager Awarded for Investigation of Alternative Trunk-Injection Treatment
Tanishka Balaji Aglave of Valrico, Florida, received the $10,000 H. Robert Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research for her investigation into a natural alternative treatment against citrus greening disease (known as huanglongbing, or HLB). Aglave, a 15-year-old who attends Strawberry Crest High School and grew up on a citrus farm, injected the trunks of infected citrus trees with an extract from …
Brenda Eubanks Burnette Takes Home Citrus Achievement Award
One of the highlights of the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference is the presentation of the Citrus Achievement Award trophy. This year’s winner, Brenda Eubanks Burnette, was presented with the trophy during the event’s industry luncheon. Burnette received several standing ovations as she was presented with the award. Frank Giles, editor-in-chief of AgNet Media, said it was refreshing to step …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Congratulations, Brenda!
For nearly a decade, Brenda Eubanks Burnette has filled Citrus Industry magazine’s Pieces of the Past column with wonderful stories that have preserved Florida’s citrus heritage. Because of her dedication to the industry, she has been selected as this year’s Citrus Achievement Award winner. So, this month we are using her column space to share a few well-deserved congratulatory remarks …
Texas Researcher Honored for HLB Work
Texas A&M researcher Kranthi Mandadi has received the 2024 American Phytopathological Society (APS) Syngenta Award given to select scientists working in areas of crop protection and plant pathology. Mandadi is an associate professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco. He was selected for the award primarily for his breakthrough research on fastidious, …