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Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Georgia”
When Lindy Savelle ended her career in federal law enforcement, including stints overseas, she and her husband decided to move back to land they owned in South Georgia. They researched different crops they might grow and settled on citrus. She tells her story in a recent Grower Talks Podcast produced by the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. “Citrus is …
University of Georgia (UGA) plant breeder Wayne Hanna released three seedless citrus trees in 2016. All carry the brand name “Frost” to identify them as UGA products. There is a tangerine (Sweet Frost), a lemon (Grand Frost) and a grapefruit (Pink Frost). Earlier this year, the trio became a quartet with the addition of a navel orange (Southern Frost). Hanna says …
Georgia’s citrus production could flood the market in less than three years. By 2024, there is projected to be more than 59 million pounds of citrus ready for harvest, says Jake Price, University of Georgia Extension coordinator for Lowndes County. That is compared to the 8.4 million pounds that is ready for harvest this year. Price explains there is an …
The University of Georgia (UGA) Plant Molecular Diagnostic Lab is a key resource for Georgia citrus growers hoping to stay sustainable. While it is a fee-based service lab for the UGA Department of Plant Pathology, it provides free testing for citrus producers concerned about citrus greening, says Jonathan Oliver, UGA assistant professor and small fruits pathologist. “The diagnostic lab here …
The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is not yet well established in Georgia. University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist Jonathan Oliver wants to keep it that way. The ACP vectors citrus greening disease (HLB), which has decimated Florida’s citrus production. Oliver encourages producers to scout their groves regularly to avoid a similar fate happening in Georgia. “It’s …
Citrus acreage in Georgia continues to increase. While it didn’t double like it did in 2020, it still increased by 50%, says Jake Price, University of Georgia Lowndes County Extension coordinator. During a citrus growers’ summer update meeting on Aug. 25 in Lowndes County, Price said that Georgia’s citrus acreage has ballooned to 2,700 acres in 46 counties. The state …
One Georgia grower sees citrus as an emerging industry in Georgia with huge potential. Justin Corbett even compares it to another popular crop that’s dominated the state’s fruit landscape. “I think it has the potential to be a big industry. I compare it to blueberries 10 or 15 years ago. I just hope we don’t follow the same path they …
Due to COVID-19, the 2021 Georgia Citrus Association (GCA) Conference will not be held in person. Instead, the GCA is launching a new website and membership platform. This state-of-the-art tool will allow members to view presentations by experts at any time. Topics include weed management, citrus diseases and disorders, testing for diseases, precision agriculture, crop insurance, cold protection and the …
Ongoing citrus rootstock trials being conducted by the University of Georgia (UGA) hold promise for Georgia’s growing citrus industry. Jake Price, UGA Extension agent and Lowndes County Extension coordinator, has produced six local citrus rootstock/variety trials with varying objectives. The oldest trial, planted in 2014, is growing Owari satsuma trees on standard and new trifoliate hybrid rootstocks. Each year, as …
The citrus industry is expanding in Georgia. With that growth comes the need to slow the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the vector of HLB disease. Although not yet found in Georgia’s commercial citrus production, there have been confirmed HLB-positive residential citrus trees. The disease has the potential to greatly hinder the state’s citrus industry. Therefore, University of …
As the Georgia citrus industry continues to grow and prosper, growers should be aware of the potential signs of citrus pests and diseases that could be looming in their groves. Bill Barber, Certified Crop Advisor and owner of Barber Ag Services, delivered a presentation during the 2021 virtual Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. He addressed pests and diseases presently …
Georgia Citrus Association (GCA) President Lindy Savelle provided information on the association during the recent Georgia Citrus Update webinar, presented by Fort Valley State University. According to Savelle, the fifth annual GCA Conference is still scheduled for Feb. 22 at the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton Campus Conference Center. The association’s board of directors will meet later this month to …
Two associations representing Georgia citrus growers expressed strong concerns about a federal proposal to remove restrictions on the ports of entry into which South African citrus may enter the United States. Removal of port restrictions would allow the importation of the citrus into all U.S. ports, including Savannah, Georgia. The restriction removal was proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s …
The majority of trees in Georgia’s young citrus industry have come from other states. “That statistic could soon be changing, meaning that the majority of trees could come from nurseries within the state,” said Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association. Savelle reported that three greenhouses in Georgia have been inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) …
Georgia’s citrus crop was harvested before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, so the state’s small but growing citrus industry has thus far avoided impacts from the disease. “We don’t think marketing will be affected by COVID, but harvesting (next season) could become problematic if our harvest crews experience problems,” said Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association. “Although …
The citrus industry in Georgia is quickly gaining ground. Extension agents from Fort Valley State University (FVSU), University of Georgia (UGA) and the University of Florida (UF) hosted a virtual conference on April 27 providing updates from UGA Extension on citrus production in Georgia. Topics discussed during the meeting included current citrus production numbers in Georgia, tree sources, yield forecasts …
Like several organizations in Florida, the Georgia Citrus Association (GCA) has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse its decision to allow fresh citrus from China into the United States. GCA President Lindy Savelle asked for the reversal and expressed “strong opposition” to the April 15 USDA decision in an April 17 letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture …
A grower is excited about the potential of citrus in the South Georgia/North Florida region. Kim Jones, who owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida, and is part-owner of a similar facility that will soon open in Tifton, Georgia, believes citrus will be the alternative crop producers are looking for to stabilize their farming operations. “Right now, the row …
(USTR) — Consistent with recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the field hearings scheduled in Florida and Georgia on April 7 and April 9 by the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Commerce will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date. Interested parties are still encouraged to submit written comments and information …
By Clint Thompson Georgia grower Joe Franklin believes the citrus market will stay profitable despite industry leaders expecting the state’s citrus acreage to double by the end of this year. SALES OUTLETS“The school systems are a good outlet for us,” Franklin said. “I was in Atlanta (recently). I’ve never seen so many people in my life. It’s like that in …
