By Anirban Guha Heat stress could take a toll on citrus tree health and fruit yield. In Florida, the hot season lasts more than four months. Long, hot, oppressive summer days can heat up leaves and fruit and make the trees extra thirsty. Also, high soil evaporation, irregular rainfall and poor soil water-holding capacity can often lead to summer drought …
Expectations for Brazil’s 2022–23 Orange Crop
Brazil’s 2022–23 orange harvest is expected to yield a crop of 414.4 million 40.8-kg boxes (MBx), an increase of 15% over the prior season’s production. That forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) in its semi-annual report on Brazilian citrus. Most of Brazil’s 2022–23 orange harvest will come from the state of São Paulo …
All In For Citrus Podcast, June 2022
In the June episode of the All In For Citrus podcast, Michael Rogers, director of the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), speaks live and on-the-scene during the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference in Bonita Springs. He said the great turnout for the event, hosted by Florida Citrus Mutual, is indicative of the fighting spirit of the state’s citrus growers. …
Experimenting With Cover Crops: Results From Three Years of Trials
By Sarah Strauss, Antonio Castellano-Hinojosa, Davie Kadyampakeni, Ramdas Kanissery and Tara Wade Cover crops, which are planted specifically for soil enhancement and not for sale or harvest, can improve soil conditions and production for a variety of crops. However, there have not been many studies documenting changes to soil conditions and production when using cover crops in citrus. The University …
Lemon Acreage Increasing in Chile
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service, lemon acreage planted in Chile grew from 5,911 hectares in 2016–17 to 8,038 hectares in 2021–22. PLANTED AREASSince lemons are sensitive to low temperatures and frost, producers are in the central and northern regions of Chile, where temperatures are higher compared to the southern regions. Growers strategically plant citrus …
Rootstocks and Fertilization for Finger Limes
Rootstock selection and fertilization are important for those considering growing finger limes in Florida. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences horticulturist Tripti Vashisth addressed both of those topics in a recent virtual Finger Lime Symposium. Vashisth concluded that Volkamer lemon, UFR-5 and US-802 rootstocks appear promising for finger limes. She noted that a vigorous rootstock influences tree …
Forum for Growers Sparks Conversations
By Ajia Paolillo Florida citrus growers are undoubtedly under pressure while they work daily to maintain tree health and produce quality fruit that is profitable. Growers are constantly switching gears to budget increasing production costs, address labor issues and, of course, fight HLB and other problems in the grove. Growers are fighting HLB from many different directions, including enhanced nutrition, …
What Southeast Citrus Growers Should Be Watching For
A prolonged dry spell across the Southeast should have citrus growers ensuring their young trees are properly irrigated. But Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, cautions growers about applying too much water. “The real young trees don’t have much of a root system, of course. It has been pretty dry. But you don’t want …
Keeping Soil pH at the Optimal Level
By Brandon White This time of year is the end of the peak nutrient demand for citrus trees. Regardless of the types of fertilizer or inputs applied in the groves, trees have been taking up nutrients while growing in full tilt during the spring season. One of the greatest factors determining how well trees take up nutrients is soil pH. …
Florida Growers Consider Bamboo Potential
An event in Lake Placid, Florida, on the potential of bamboo as an alternative commercial crop drew a large turnout of growers. Citrus growers, in particular, are interested in crops that could go on marginal grove land until a more viable solution to HLB comes along. Bamboo might fill that need, according to Phillip Rucks, owner of Phillip Rucks Citrus …
CRDF Seeks Growers for Rootstock Trials
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) is seeking Florida citrus growers on the Ridge and in the flatwoods of Southwest Florida to potentially be grower-cooperators in large rootstock trials. The goal of the new trials is to identify plant material with the traits needed by growers to realize the highest possible pound solids per acre and increase tree viability …
CUPS Grower: ‘It Is a Calculated Risk’
Although it was National OJ Day, the Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network held its spring meeting May 4 at a Polk County facility growing citrus for the fresh market. The Story Companies and Dundee Citrus Growers Association (CGA) conducted a tour of Story’s 11-acre citrus under protective screen (CUPS) pod. The Story pod is one of numerous such pods at …
An Alternative Approach to Citrus Greening
“Life as a citrus grower is a perilous journey,” says Chip Henry. Among the toughest perils the third-generation Florida grower has endured are the freezes of the 1980s, the threat of losing his land to highway construction, and the scourge of citrus greening. Henry’s story begins with the founding of O.E. McGuire Groves in Apopka by his maternal grandparents in …
Preparing to Plant Cover Crops
By Sarah Strauss If you’ve been exploring methods to improve your soil health, chances are you’ve come across the use of cover crops. Even though we call them “crops,” these plants are not harvested and are only planted to improve soil health. The benefits of cover crops to soil health include increasing soil organic matter and microbial diversity and activity …
How Weather Affects Pesticide Applications
By Matt Smith Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. Weather affects what pests you might be spraying for and the worker doing the spraying. There are environmental safety risks …
Let’s Talk About CUPS
By Thomas H. Spreen Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) is a relatively new technology being adopted to help spur expansion of fresh citrus production in Florida. Large screen houses (approximately 10 acres) are constructed. In the current arrangement, several screen houses are located together to facilitate caretaking and harvest. Trees are planted at high densities (more than 300 trees per …
Assessing the Safety of a Water Distribution System
By Taylor O’Bannon, Matt Krug and Michelle Danyluk The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently proposed changes to the pre-harvest Agricultural Water (Subpart E) section of the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (PSR). Removing the annual water distribution system inspection is not one of the proposed changes. Rather, water testing for generic E. coli and developing a microbial …
Final Forecast for Brazil’s 2021–2022 Citrus Season
According to Fundecitrus and its cooperators, the final 2021–2022 orange crop for the São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt in Brazil is 262.97 million boxes. This final figure was 10.61% smaller than the initially expected volume published in May 2021, corresponding to a significant crop loss of 31.20 million boxes. This was an “on year” for the alternate-bearing, …
Phosphorus Recommendations and Soil pH Amendments
By Kelly T. Morgan and Davie Kadyampakeni Most information provided in the 2020 3rd edition of Nutrition of Florida Citrus Trees is still sound for healthy citrus trees under Florida production conditions. Past information on nutrients, application methods, leaf and soil sampling, and irrigation scheduling are also effective for management of huanglongbing (HLB)-affected trees. However, research conducted since HLB was …
Dealing With Diaprepes Root Weevils
By Ajia Paolillo Managing diaprepes root weevils in the grove is essential for root health and overall tree health. The most concerning root weevil for citrus growers is Diaprepes abbreviatus. Diaprepes larval feeding causes significant injury and damage to citrus root systems. LIFE CYCLE AND FEEDING Let’s begin with the life cycle stages of the diaprepes root weevils. Adults emerge …