Citrus Growers Get Update on Trunk Injection

Josh McGillHLB Management

The Gulf Citrus Growers Association (GCGA) hosted a luncheon on Dec. 7 at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center featuring a presentation by Tom Johnson, chief executive officer of TJ BioTech. The company is the manufacturer of ReMedium TI, the widely discussed formulation of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCI) that has shown promise as a treatment for HLB. The product is …

Limoneira Using Liquid Natural Clay to Strengthen Sustainability

Josh McGillIndustry News Release, Water

Norwegian company Desert Control has developed a liquid natural clay (LNC) that reportedly restores and enhances soil ecosystems to reduce usage and improve efficiency of water, fertilizers and natural resources for agriculture and other uses. It has signed contracts with the Limoneira Company to apply LNC to citrus trees in California and Arizona. The project’s initial scope is to apply …

Dreyfus Orange Juice Has 30% Less Sugar

Tacy CalliesOrange Juice

Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has announced the development of a new product made from not-from-concentrate (NFC) orange juice that offers a 30% reduction in natural sugar content. The new product has more than triple the dietary fiber content while preserving original taste (Brix value) and vitamin C level, the company stated.     The product is the result of a five-year effort …

Getting Antibiotics Where They Need To Go

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

Purdue University’s Kurt Ristroph has received a $1 million federal grant to develop nanocarriers as an antibiotic delivery system to help plants fend off citrus greening disease, also known as HLB. The grant is part of the 21.7 million recently awarded for HLB research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “The mixing technology we’re …

wage

Basics of the H-2A Final Rule

Josh McGillLabor, Regulation

The 2022 H-2A program final rule was published Oct. 12 and became effective Nov. 14. The vast majority of Florida citrus is harvested by temporary foreign workers within the H-2A program, so the rule has many implications for the state’s citrus industry. Jamie Fussell, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association director of labor relations, discussed the final rule during the Nov. …

New Advancements in Herbicide Spraying

Josh McGillTechnology, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery, Yiannis Ampatzidis, Mahesh Bashyal and Shea Teems Weed control is vital for profitable citrus production since weeds compete for nutrients and water, can harbor diseases and pests, and get in the way of equipment and workers. Without proper management, weeds lead to reduced crop yield and economic losses. Chemical weed control using herbicides is the most common …

Groundcovers Promote Water-Use Efficiency and Pest Management

Josh McGillIrrigation, Pests

By Sandra M. Guzmán, Larry Duncan, John Santiago and Lorenzo Rossi The implementation of pest management technologies might have an impact on other management areas in the grove. Landscape fabric groundcovers, for example, have been used for pest management in citrus production. Groundcovers also recently have been used to promote the homogeneous availability of water for uptake by roots, better …

Changing Psyllids to Make Them Incapable of Spreading HLB

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research

By Kirsten S. Pelz-Stelinski and Lukasz L. Stelinski Managing Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) remains a consideration for growers because psyllids transmit the citrus greening disease pathogen, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), to newly planted trees. There are several tools that can reduce psyllid populations or mitigate the symptoms of HLB and improve the health of infected trees. However, additional methods that …

diversification

Cold-Hardy Citrus Research Initiatives

Josh McGillCold Hardy, Research

The Fruit Crop Physiology Lab at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy is focused on developing a sustainable and profitable cold-hardy citrus industry in the southern United States. To do that, it is conducting research-driven Extension projects. The NFREC is part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The lab collaborates …

Oxytetracycline Product Promises Timely Relief From HLB

Josh McGillHLB Management

What may be the closest thing yet to a timely silver bullet for HLB was discussed Oct. 26 at Lake Alfred’s Citrus Research and Education Center. Josh Steinbronn, director of research and development at TJ BioTech, said trunk injection of his company’s ReMedium TI oxytetracycline product suppresses Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the causal agent of HLB. He added that injection …

Evolution of Sting Nematode Integrated Pest Management

Josh McGillPests, Research

By Homan Regmi, Larry Duncan and Johan Desaeger Two field trials were initiated in a Polk County, Florida, commercial grove of 15-month-old Valencia on Kuharske trees in 2019 to measure the effectiveness of integrated pest management (IPM) tactics for managing sting nematodes (Belonolaimus longicaudatus). Six chemical nematicides, many newly released, were compared in one trial. In the second, perennial peanut …

Quality Aspects of Citrus Juices

Josh McGillOrange Juice

By Renée Goodrich and Charles Sims In this era of huanglongbing (HLB), almost every scientific and popular press article alludes to HLB’s impact on fruit and juice quality. The citrus industry uses the term “high-quality” to denote a fruit, product or byproduct that has an array of positive, expected and measurable attributes. Consumers also use terms referring to quality, but …

California Citrus Mutual Expects Increased Crops

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, Crop Forecast, Mandarins

The California Citrus Mutual (CCM) Marketing Committee —comprised of growers, shippers and marketers — anticipates the state’s 2022–23 navel orange and mandarin crops will be larger than last season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also predicted larger California crops in its initial citrus forecast for the 2022–23 season. The navel orange crop will be approximately 10% over the previous season’s …

World Citrus Organisation Sets Priorities

Josh McGillIndustry News Release, International

The World Citrus Organisation (WCO) recently announced its 2022–2024 strategy priorities for what it calls “future building” the global citrus community. The five priorities are membership, engagement, statistics, nutrition and health, and promotion.  MEMBERSHIPIn 2022–2024, the WCO membership will be further consolidated to include the top citrus-producing countries and the top citrus-exporting countries. These include Africa, Brazil, China, Egypt, Greece, …

H-2A Flexibilities Offered After Hurricane Ian

Josh McGillhurricane, Labor, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification has provided Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) with general guidance regarding additional flexibilities for H-2A employers impacted by Hurricane Ian. Most Florida citrus is harvested by temporary H-2A workers. Following is a summary of the DOL answers to four questions about H-2A employer flexibilities due to the hurricane’s …

Regulatory Response to New Citrus Disease Being Developed

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, Diseases, Regulation

State and federal officials are collaborating in the development of a regulatory response to a new citrus disease in California. Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) was identified in the city of Tulare in March. The discovery is the first instance of the disease in the United States. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the U.S. Department …

Preventing Further Hurricane Damage in Groves

Josh McGillDiseases, hurricane, Pests

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) faculty recommend actions citrus growers can take to prevent further damage to root systems and future fruit drop following Hurricane Ian. DEAL WITH PHYTOPHTHORAIf standing water has occurred in groves with phytophthora problems, growers should evaluate for root damage and treat accordingly. Floodwaters resulting from heavy rains can severely impact …

Meet Matt Joyner

Josh McGillFlorida Citrus Mutual

Editor’s note: This Q&A was conducted prior to Hurricane Ian striking Florida. After the storm, Matt Joyner said that Florida Citrus Mutual is working with growers in the recovery process and collecting information to aid in any potential requests for assistance. Matt Joyner started with Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) in December of 2018 as director of government relations. In April …

CUPS Update From the Citrus Research and Education Center

Josh McGillCUPS, HLB Management, Research

By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Chris Oswalt, Napoleon Mariner, Timothy Ebert, Perseveranca Mungofa, Shankar Shrestha and Laura Cano-Castro Florida grapefruit production for the 2021–22 season was 92% less than in 2003–04, which was prior to the arrival of huanglongbing (HLB) disease [Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, (USDA NASS)]. The decrease in Florida tangerine production for the …

When Are Cover Crops Profitable?

Josh McGillCover Crops, Economics, Research

At 200 boxes per acre, cover crops can be profitable in Valencia orange production, according to a Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo presentation. Tara Wade and Shourish Chakravarty prepared the presentation. Wade is an assistant professor, and Chakravarty is a post-doctoral associate, both at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. …