U.S. House Gives Citrus Tax Incentive Overwhelming Bipartisan Support The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a measure Wednesday that provides growers with an incentive to plant more trees and bolster the ailing Florida citrus industry. By a 400-20 vote, Republicans and Democrats approved the Emergency Citrus Disease Response Act which allows growers to immediately expense the cost of planting …
Browning Reports from the International Citrus Congress
The International Citrus Congress is taking place this week in Brazil. Scientists and citrus industry members from around the globe are gathering to learn the latest research not just on HLB, but on all aspects of citrus production. Florida is well represented at the event. Harold Browning, Citrus Research and Development Foundation chief operations officer, is among the attendees. Southeast …
Pruning to Rehabilitate HLB-Affected Sweet Orange Trees
By Tripti Vashisth and Troy Gainey In the last 11 years, Florida orange production has declined more than 60 percent. This dramatic reduction in yield is attributable to multiple causes, including loss of citrus acreage in the state, citrus canker and other diseases, but huanglongbing (HLB) is now recognized as the primary reason for declining citrus yields. HLB-affected trees are …
FCM Applauds House Ways and Means Committee for Passing Citrus Bill
Florida Citrus Mutual on Wednesday applauded the House Ways and Means Committee for passing a measure that would provide growers with an incentive to plant more trees and bolster the ailing Florida citrus industry. Sponsored ContentA Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight HLBOctober 25, 20245 Facts About Fire Ants and How to Control ThemApril 30, 2024BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS …
New Knowledge on Citrus Black Spot
By Megan Dewdney, Jeff Rollins, Nan-Yi Wang and Ke Zhang Citrus black spot (CBS) has become established in the groves of Collier and Hendry counties. In other citrus-growing regions of the world where CBS is present, the sexual fruiting bodies of the fungus, known as pseudothecia, form in decomposing leaf litter. Approximately 50 to 180 days following leaf drop, the …
Injecting Citrus Tree Trunks with Bactericide May Help Stem Greening
By: Brad Buck GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A chemical treatment known as a bactericide could help preserve citrus trees from the potentially deadly and costly greening disease, a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study shows. Citrus is estimated as a $10.9 billion-a-year industry in Florida and the finding could be key to helping the state’s …
Scenes from Citrus Expo’s Silver Anniversary
Citrus Expo 2016 Citrus growers and industry members turned out in full force for the 25th anniversary of Citrus Expo. They came seeking answers on citrus greening and other production challenges, as was evidenced by the large turnout at the “Now Is the Time” seminar program. Sponsored ContentA Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight HLBOctober 25, 20245 Facts …
Southern Gardens Citrus to Host HLB Webinar
Rick Kress, senior vice president of research commercialization for Southern Gardens Citrus will present a webinar titled “Can We Live Without Citrus?” on August 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT. Can you imagine what your store would look like if the orange juice section was suddenly empty or produce shelves were void of all oranges, grapefruit, lemons and …
UF/IFAS Scientists Zeroing in on Better Mandarins
In their quest to develop higher quality mandarins, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are zeroing in on the traits that will help them breed the best fruit. Last year, they released the mandarin cultivar currently known as ‘7-6-27,’ which UF/IFAS researchers say is soaring with interest, and with more than 100,000 trees already ordered. Sponsored …
Saving Florida’s Citrus Industry Through Collaboration and Innovation
From Kevin Shea, Administrator, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: The Florida citrus industry is under siege and the invader is a tiny bug called the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The ACP spreads a disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, and together they are destroying groves that have been cultivated by families for generations. But all is …
BASF Announces Label for Priaxor® Fungicide for Florida Citrus
BASF announces that Priaxor® fungicide has received federal and Florida approval for use on all citrus varieties in Florida. Priaxor® fungicide is already being used in sugarcane and vegetables throughout the state and the United States. Priaxor® fungicide is a mixture of the active ingredient in Headline® fungicide and a new systemic fungicide Xemium®. Testing in Florida has shown the …
New Book to Debut at Citrus Expo
Citrus growers now have yet another reason to attend the 2016 Citrus Expo. They can receive a complimentary copy of a brand new book, “The Critical Importance of Citrus Tree Nutrition.” Authored by citrus Extension agent Mongi Zekri, the book will debut at the Citrus Expo Shindig, a special party to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary. The shindig takes place …
California Citrus Challenges: Water Tops HLB
Asian citrus psyllids are detected sporadically in the San Joaquin Valley — home to most California oranges and mandarins — and are endemic in Southern California lemon country. But as far as anyone knows, the pests that spread HLB in Florida and Texas have not spread the disease into California’s commercial citrus groves. California HLB detections have been limited to 17 …
Senator Rubio: ‘If We Don’t Have Replanting, We’re Going to Lose the Industry’
On July 21, 2016, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) visited the Lakeland area to tour a citrus grove affected by citrus greening. Sen. Rubio was joined by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. They visited Gapway Groves in Auburndale to meet growers and industry leaders to discuss the grave problem facing Florida’s citrus industry. Rubio and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) …
Rubio, Nelson Urge Senate Leaders To Address Citrus Greening in Tax Legislation
RUBIO, NELSON URGE SENATE LEADERS TO ADDRESS CITRUS GREENING IN TAX LEGISLATION LATER THIS YEAR (Washington, D.C.- July 21, 2016: News Release from office of Sen. Rubio) – U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) today urged Senate leaders of both parties to make citrus greening a priority in tax legislation expected to be considered by Congress …
Editorial: Florida’s Controversial Algae Bloom
Comments from AgNet Media’s Gary Cooper and a Guest Commentary from a Former Florida Lawmaker As a Florida native having grown up on a small farm in eastern Palm Beach County, I’ve had firsthand knowledge of South Florida’s algae blooms for decades. As a professional journalist dedicated to the ag news beat in Florida for nearly 40 years, and having …
IndexBox Marketing: Orange Market in Crisis
According to a report by IndexBox Marketing, the orange market is in crisis. One of the main reasons is the citrus greening disease, widespread in the key centers of orange cultivation. This is why a reduction of the global orange market volume is expected once again in 2016. Orange yield reduction affects consumption worldwide. In this case, a distinction should …
Citrus Forecast Has Valencia Oranges Up Slightly
The final citrus crop forecast of the 2015-16 season, issued by Mark Hudson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Statistics Board, is up 100,000 boxes, now at 81.5 million boxes. The total comprises 36.1 million boxes of non-Valencia oranges (early, mid-season, Navel and Temple varieties), unchanged from last month, and 45.4 million boxes of Valencia oranges, up 100,000 boxes …
World Growth and the Drop in Orange Juice Production
By Marcos Fava Neves Editor’s Note: Welcome to Citrus Industry magazine’s newest column, Global Perspectives, authored by Marcos Fava Neves, an international expert on global agribusiness issues who comes from a family of farmers and is a worldwide defender of agriculture. As a professor of planning and strategy at the School of Business at the University of São Paulo, Neves …
A Look at Brazilian HLB Management
University of Florida citrus Extension agent Steve Futch recently took a trip to Brazil with other Florida citrus industry members. The weeklong trip was spent meeting with large and small growers and learning about HLB management practices. He says that you have to look beyond just your property and see how you can work with neighbors to manage psyllids. Those …