By Juanita Popenoe and Lauren Diepenbrock Ed James has citrus in his veins. He has been working and thriving in the citrus business since he was a teenager — from hoeing orange trees to owning a caretaking business that serviced thousands of acres. That is, until about eight years ago. In 2010, James looked around his personal 45-acre citrus grove …
Studying Citrus Roots in the HLB Era
By Lorenzo Rossi, Ute Albrecht and Evan Johnson Citrus root systems are confronted with many challenges that limit resource availability needed for tree productivity. Challenges are compounded by huanglongbing (HLB), which now affects nearly all citrus trees throughout Florida’s production areas. Contrary to the above-ground portion of the tree, study of the below-ground portion is considerably more difficult. This article …
Trees Improving with Good Nutrition
Many things are improving in Florida citrus groves, and Tripti Vashisth gives most of the credit to constant and balanced fertilization. Vashisth is an assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. “You can see that tree health seems to be improving; growth is improving,” Vashisth said. …
California Growers Reach Drinking Water Accord with State
Coalitions of San Joaquin Valley growers created to help comply with water quality regulations have reached a settlement agreement with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The coalitions include the Kaweah Basin Water Quality Association, Tule Basin Water Quality Coalition and Kings River Watershed Coalition Authority. As part of the agreement, the coalitions will install kiosks to ensure safe drinking …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Citrus 70 Years Ago, as Told by Uncle Bill
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Editor’s note: Citrus Industry is pleased to welcome back Pieces of the Past to the pages of the magazine after publishing it on CitrusIndustry.net for the past year. This popular citrus history column returns to the magazine in preparation for Citrus Industry magazine’s 100th anniversary in January 2020. Leading up to the anniversary, each Pieces of …
Food-Safety Recommendations for Fresh Market Citrus
It’s time to prepare for implementation of the Produce Safety Rule. By Travis Chapin, Michelle Danyluk and Keith Schneider In preparation for implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule (PSR), growers, harvesters and packers of fresh citrus are required to attend standardized food-safety training, such as the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) grower training course, which outlines the minimum …
Taking Technology to the Grove
By Ernie Neff Jerry Mixon’s use of netting to keep birds from blueberries helped pique his interest in growing citrus under protective screen (CUPS) to exclude HLB-spreading psyllids. But he credits University of Florida researcher Arnold Schumann with helping him bring his Polk County CUPS project to fruition. Mixon met Schumann in 2015, the year after Schumann’s 1-acre CUPS was …
Research Update: Citrus Under Protective Screen
By Arnold Schumann, Timothy Ebert, Laura Waldo, Danny Holmes, Napoleon Mariner, Gary Test, Chris Oswalt, Rhuanito Ferrarezi and Ricardo Lesmes Two studies with citrus under protective screen (CUPS) were established at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) and Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in 2013–14. The goal …
Subirrigation Holds Promise for Citrus Nurseries
Savings in water and fertilizer, along with faster tree growth, can be achieved by using subirrigation in citrus nurseries. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Rhuanito (Johnny) Ferrarezi reported on the studies leading to those conclusions at a recent citrus nursery workshop. The event was held at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, …
Some Basics of Good Citrus Nutrition
Studies indicate that constant nutrition supplied by controlled-release fertilizer improves citrus yield and fruit quality, says University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulturist Tripti Vashisth. According to Vashisth, studies also show that increased applications of manganese and boron improve fruit quality. “We are seeing improvement when we are increasing the rate of manganese and boron about …
Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award Winners Include Citrus Growers
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced the recipients of the Commissioner’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award, which recognizes the environmentally innovative farming techniques of Florida’s farmers and ranchers. This year’s recipients are: Jim Strickland of Blackbeards’ Ranch in Manatee County, Chuck Allison of Wild Goose Farms in Umatilla and James Shinn of Shinn Groves/ Tree O’Groves in Lake Alfred. Florida’s …
Nutrient Recommendations for Citrus Greening
As Florida citrus growers look to recover from the damages of Hurricane Irma and continue to cope with citrus greening, University of Florida (UF) scientists suggest using a complete and balanced nutrient program in their groves. “Mineral nutrition plays a vital physiological role in the growth and development of a plant and as well as in plant-defense response,” said Tripti …
UF/IFAS Researchers Search for Solutions to Citrus Diseases with Citrus Initiative Funds
From nutritional supplements to managing irrigation to grower outreach and education, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are finding additional ways to support Florida citrus growers in their fight against citrus greening disease. Twelve projects were funded by the state legislature-funded Citrus Initiative program in 2017-2018 that looked at possible short- and long-term solutions that …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Remembering O.C. Minton
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I was in Fort Pierce recently doing interviews for an oral history project and ran across some interesting photos and information on O.C. Minton, who was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1982. A hard worker who was totally dedicated to the Florida citrus industry, Minton’s defining moments came when fighting for identification …
Move Your Jets
By Marshall Hartley At Florida Southern College, I remember doing an experiment using a large washtub with holes in the bottom. We filled the tub with very dry sand and then poured 1 inch of water over the sand and let it soak in. The water did not travel through the sand evenly. Instead, the water would find one area …
Using Soil Moisture Sensors for Citrus Irrigation
By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Davie Kadyampakeni, Rhuanito Ferrarezi and Chris Oswalt Florida citrus trees may require irrigation throughout the year due to the extremely sandy soils with low water-holding capacities, and the warm subtropical climate with distinct drought periods in spring. A soil water sensor system can provide the most reliable data for effective citrus irrigation scheduling in these …
Tree Spacing and Technology for HLB
Jim Snively, vice president of grove operations for Southern Gardens Citrus, discusses planting density and technology that may hold promise for coping with HLB. Tree density trials were planted in 2012 at Southern Gardens. After six years, the best results have come from trees planted at about 363 trees per acre, Snively reports. “Everything we’re doing today, we try to …
A Grower’s Plan to Survive HLB
An Indian River-area grapefruit grower told the crowd at Florida Citrus Mutual’s recent annual conference about his company’s plans for coping with HLB. The plans include replanting with some diverse citrus varieties at higher densities, said Daniel Scott, vice president of Scott Citrus Management. Grapefruit has for the most part proven extremely difficult to grow profitably in the face of …
The Road to Recovery
Growers discuss lessons learned from Hurricane Irma, replanting plans, grove rehabilitation, crop insurance and more. By Tacy Callies Florida citrus growers awaiting Hurricane Irma federal aid and insurance payouts are doing their best to keep crops healthy until more money is available. Paul Meador, citrus grower and head of Everglades Harvesting & Hauling in LaBelle, took a big hit from …
Current Considerations for Citrus Irrigation Management
Growers can use these tips and tools for trees impacted by HLB and Hurricane Irma. By Davie Kadyampakeni, Kelly Morgan, Mongi Zekri, Rhuanito Ferrarezi, Arnold Schumann and Thomas A. Obreza Water is a limiting factor in Florida citrus production during the majority of the year. This is because of the low water-holding capacity of sandy soils resulting from low clay …