Gibberellic Acid Applications: Day vs. Night

Josh McGillHLB Management, PGRs, Tip of the Week

By Alessandro Franco, Faisal Shahzad and Tripti Vashisth Gibberellic acid (GA) is one of the most commonly used plant growth regulators which affects flowering, fruit and vegetative growth. Multiple monthly GA foliar applications have reduced preharvest fruit drop and increased yield in huanglongbing (HLB)-affected sweet oranges. The potential impact of these findings is huge for commercial citrus production. However, there …

Can Brassinosteroids Help Citrus Cope With Disease and Extreme Weather?

Josh McGillDiseases, Research, Weather

By Fernando Alferez and Muhammad A. Shahid Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a natural group of hormones that regulate physiological and biochemical attributes that include seed germination, flower development, root formation and resistance to various abiotic and biotic stresses. BRs have shown promise in reducing pests and diseases in a wide range of plants, including citrus. A commercial formulation of BRs has …

citrus

Changes to U.S. Citrus Crop Forecast

Tacy CalliesCrop Forecast

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) released its latest citrus crop forecast on April 11. Florida’s grapefruit crop forecast for 2022–23 rose 6%. Projected production for the state’s other citrus varieties was unchanged. FLORIDA GRAPEFRUITThe all-grapefruit forecast for Florida is now 1.7 million boxes, up from 1.6 million boxes in March. Florida’s red grapefruit forecast …

Brazil’s Final Orange Forecast for 2022–23

Josh McGillBrazil, Crop Forecast

The final 2022–23 orange crop forecast for Brazil’s São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt is 314.21 million 90-pound boxes. While the crop declined 0.6% from the February forecast, it is much larger than the country’s 2021–22 crop. The Valencia and Valencia Folha Murcha varieties declined by 1.1% since February to 105.01 million boxes, and the Natal variety declined …

Trunk Injection Inspires Interest in Planting

Josh McGillEvents, HLB Management

The Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute, presented by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, was held in Avon Park on April 4. The annual educational event drew a good crowd of growers and allied industry. After nearly two decades of fighting HLB, and more recently fallout from hurricanes, those in attendance expressed a renewed sense of optimism …

Gibberellic Acid Shows Promising Results on Hamlin

Josh McGillHLB Management, PGRs, Research

By Tripti Vashisth and Taylor Livingston Grower-led trials in 2022 showed positive results of gibberellic acid (GA) treatment on Hamlin trees in Florida. This article primarily discusses two growers’ trials in detail. Both sites showed improvement in fruit production from the GA application. Many growers have adopted GA applications in the past year as part of their grove management strategy. …

Lessons From Hurricane Ian Will Help Growers

Josh McGillhurricane, Survey

Researchers will assess 20 to 30 Florida citrus groves impacted by 2022’s Hurricane Ian to learn lessons that will help growers in the future. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers Christopher Vincent and Tripti Vashisth and their teams will conduct the assessment. The research will be funded by a $280,000, one-year grant from the U.S. …

European

Florida Forecast Sees Small Gains

Tacy CalliesCrop Forecast

The Florida 2022–23 all-orange forecast inched up 1% in March to 16.1 million boxes while the grapefruit forecast rose 7% to 1.6 million boxes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) forecast for Florida tangerines and tangelos was unchanged at 500,000 boxes.    The entire rise of 100,000 boxes in the orange forecast was in the …

Black Spot Management by Variety and Age

Josh McGillBrazil, Diseases

In Brazil’s São Paulo citrus belt, infections of fruit by black spot usually occur from petal fall, in September/October, until the end of the rainy season, usually in April. Black spot can reduce production by up to 85%. Some studies have shown that the amount of fungicide applications to control black spot can be established according to the orange variety. …

Examining Hamlin Survivor Trees

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research, Varieties

By Gary England, Fred Gmitter and Manjul Dutt In 2014, most groves in Central Florida had citrus greening infection rates approaching 100%, but a Lake County grower reported that some trees in his Hamlin on Swingle blocks seemed to be relatively healthy. Some visual HLB symptoms were observed on these “surviving” trees, but they did not have the massive fall …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, February 2023

Josh McGillAll In For Citrus Podcast

With spring fast approaching, Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, addresses important crop care items that should be on growers’ checklists. He shares his comments in the February episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. After the destruction left behind from last year’s hurricanes, Rogers …

china

Brazil’s Orange Forecast Climbs Slightly 

Josh McGillBrazil, Crop Forecast

The third 2022–23 orange crop forecast for Brazil’s São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt amounted to 316.23 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms each. That is 0.7% higher than the projected crop in December 2022. This increase is mainly due to the production of Pera Rio orange. Pera Rio’s harvest is close to complete with higher-than-expected yield. The forecast …

Alico Shares Quarterly Update

Josh McGillfinancial, hurricane, Industry News Release

Alico Citrus harvested 841,000 boxes of early- and mid-season (early/mid) oranges for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2022. That’s a decrease of approximately 6.1% from the same period in the prior fiscal year. The company will complete harvesting of early/mid oranges in the current fiscal year. It said it will recognize an overall decrease in the number of early/mid …

Trunk Injection for HLB: What You Need to Know

Josh McGillHLB Management

Some Florida citrus growers have recently started oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) injection into tree trunks to help manage HLB. Other growers are considering it. Researcher Ute Albrecht offered a list of best practices for the product’s use during a Jan. 31 presentation in Immokalee. The presentation was made at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida …

Sting Nematodes and IPCs

Josh McGillIPCs, Pests, Tip of the Week

By Larry Duncan and Fernando Alferez Newly planted citrus trees are far less tolerant of pests and diseases than when mature. Sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) was not considered a serious economic threat to Florida citrus until successive hard freezes in the 1980s caused widespread replanting of groves. Patches of stunted, declining trees caused by the irregular distribution of sting nematodes …

Considerations for Managing Citrus Black Spot

Josh McGillDiseases

In Florida, citrus black spot (CBS) is present primarily in commercial groves in five southwest counties (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee). The disease can cause up to 60% yield loss in severe situations with little management, researcher Megan Dewdney reported in January. More commonly though, growers with infestations experience fruit drop levels of 10% to 20% in a minimally …

Planning Your 2023 Pest Management

Josh McGillPest Management, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Diepenbrock Pest management is a year-round challenge in Florida citrus. With the warm climate, pests are at the ready as soon as plant resources are available to them. With knowledge of insect and mite biology in relation to tree phenology, plans can be developed to protect fruit and maintain productive citrus trees. Populations of some highly problematic pests …

Updates on Florida Citrus Diseases

Josh McGillDiseases

Researcher Megan Dewdney recently provided updates on citrus canker, postbloom fruit drop (PFD) and algal spot. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor of plant pathology at the Citrus Research and Education Center. CANKERFruit is most susceptible to canker when it is from 3/8 to 1.5 inches in diameter, Dewdney said. The fruit’s …

Argentine

Pest Risk Assessment of Citrus Imports From Egypt

Josh McGillInternational, Pests, Regulation

Editor’s note: The comment period has been extended to give stakeholders additional time to submit comments. The draft pest risk assessment will be available for review and comment until March 14, 2023. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has drafted a pest risk assessment for the importation of fresh oranges and tangerines from Egypt into …

Florida orange

The Promise of Gibberellic Acid

Josh McGillHLB Management, PGRs

Researcher Tripti Vashisth shed additional light on the promise of gibberellic acid (GA) applications in rejuvenating HLB-affected orange trees during a Jan. 11 presentation. Some of the important messages that the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor highlighted were: VALENCIA TRIALIn a 2016 to 2022 Valencia field trial, GA applications made from September to January …