Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Georgia”
Recent cooler morning and evening weather should soon lead to color in Georgia citrus fruit, according to University of Georgia (UGA) Assistant Professor and Citrus Extension Specialist Mary Sutton. “In a lot of places, we’ve already transitioned from dark green to a lighter green with some yellow starting to peek through,” Sutton reported in an update to Georgia growers. “Cooler …
A Georgia citrus industry leader believes the juice market can be a viable alternative for satsuma mandarins. But first, Georgia will need the infrastructure in place to make that a reality, says Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association. “Georgia needs an extractor, because hauling a semi-load of oranges to Florida to be juiced is risky and problematic,” …
University of Georgia Professor Liang Dong is developing sensor technologies designed to detect drought, disease and insect pressure before signs of plant stress are visible. The goal is to help farmers make faster, more informed management decisions. Dong is the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) eminent scholar in precision agriculture and also serves as associate director for research at the Institute …
University of Georgia Assistant Professor and Citrus Extension Specialist Mary Sutton recently provided an update on Georgia citrus. Topics she addressed include fruit split, sunburn and upcoming fruit quality evaluations. FRUIT SPLIT Fruit split is still being seen “pretty regularly,” Sutton reported. She noted that this is normal in summer, especially when there are extreme fluctuations between dry and wet …
Fruit split issues are starting to show up in some Georgia citrus groves, University of Georgia Assistant Professor and Citrus Extension Specialist Mary Sutton reported recently. She also noted that color break is likely to begin soon in Georgia citrus fruit. According to Sutton, fruit splits typically start at the stylar end (bottom end) of the fruit and spread vertically …
Fertilizer recommendations for citrus are still a work in progress for University of Georgia (UGA) researchers, including Mary Sutton, UGA assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist. She discussed this topic at the recent Southeast Georgia Citrus Update in Lyons. South Georgia citrus production is still in its early stage. Fertilizer recommendations are needed for the industry’s long-term sustainability. “We’re hoping …
Citrus greening disease continues to loom over the cold-hardy citrus region. While the industry expands in South Georgia and North Florida, the threat of the disease (also known as huanglongbing, or HLB) remains a focal point of citrus meetings, including on July 28 at the Southeast Georgia Citrus Update in Lyons. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and …
A part of Georgia’s citrus crop lies in the southeastern part of the state. Aubrey Shirley, University of Georgia (UGA) Tattnall County Extension coordinator, believes that portion is continuing to grow. The main threat to that growth is citrus greening disease. “If we get greening really bad and it starts to hinder production, I think the industry is so young, …
Mary Sutton, assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist at the University of Georgia, provided an update on the status of the state’s citrus crop and discussed a fertilizer trial her laboratory is conducting. FRUIT DROP AND FRUIT SIZE Sutton reported that June drop is wrapping up for much citrus. “We should see less fruit drop as we move into the …
Apurba Barman, assistant entomology professor at the University of Georgia (UGA), recently wrote about citrus leafminer (CLM) damage resuming in Georgia groves. His article provided management recommendations, including timing of insecticides. Edited excerpts follow: PEST DAMAGE As the temperature rises, so does the potential for CLM attack. CLM is a serious pest resulting in feeding damage to young shoots and …
University of Georgia (UGA) Assistant Professor and Citrus Extension Specialist Mary Sutton reported on the impact of this winter’s freeze on fruit quality and trees in Georgia: FRUIT QUALITY A Tango trial was harvested at the end of January as a winter storm was hitting. A subsample was taken prior to that on Jan. 15 and sampled again after the …
Georgia citrus growers, nurseries and numerous other agriculturists in eligible counties who suffered losses due to 2024’s Hurricane Helene may apply for assistance through the Georgia Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program beginning March 16. The application period will remain open until midnight on April 27. The application, eligibility requirements, guidance documents and additional details are available here. In September 2025, …
The Georgia citrus industry now has a better grasp on the extent of damage to the state’s crop following the recent freeze events in February and January. Dieback is present in both younger and older trees, says Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist. “For most of the older, established trees that have gotten some …
Citrus greening disease has yet to find its footing in Georgia’s commercial citrus. But if it does, Georgia’s growers need a plan in place to manage the disease. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association (GCA), emphasized that message during last week’s GCA annual meeting in Tifton. “There is a very small amount of the disease in commercial …
Georgia’s young citrus trees appear to have endured more impact from the recent freeze event than older, mature trees. That’s an initial assessment made by Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist. “I’m still getting reports, and we’re just starting our evaluation, but we’ve got a lot of leaf drop and leaf burn. There is …
The Georgia Citrus Association’s (GCA) annual conference is less than a week away. Georgia growers are encouraged to attend the Feb. 24 meeting and learn about various trends impacting the industry in the cold-hardy citrus region. The event takes place at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and member …
A South Georgia citrus producer is upbeat after last weekend’s winter storm, which brought plunging temperatures and blistery wind conditions, threatened his grove. Jaime Patrick of Patrick Farms in Omega admitted it would still be a few days before he had a clearer view of the overall impact from the freeze. But he is optimistic. “It’s going to take us …
The vector of citrus greening disease remains in low numbers in Georgia. University of Georgia (UGA) researchers are hoping the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) stays that way. Led by UGA entomologist Apurba Barman, UGA Extension is monitoring for the insect in hopes of limiting its migration throughout South Georgia. “The good thing is, so far, we’ve found ACP in only …
As citrus acreage expands in Georgia, the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference has added the fruit to its educational seminar lineup in recent years. This year’s conference, held in Savannah in early January, featured various citrus topics, including pest and disease management, new varieties and economics of citrus production in the state. Greg Fonsah and Guy Hancock, ag economists …
A recent tour of Brazilian citrus provided Georgia growers with valuable information on how to capitalize on production amid huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and owner of JoNina Farm, was one of seven producers who attended the week-long tour this fall. One of the main observations was Brazil’s strong production despite the prevalence …
