CUPS Can Be More Profitable Than Conventional Production

Josh McGillCUPS, Economics, Research

High yields of HLB-free fruit can hypothetically be sustainably produced in citrus under protective screen (CUPS), Arnold Schumann said at a Dec. 14 field day at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). He backed that up with data showing high yields from Ray Ruby grapefruit planted at high densities and fertigated in CUPS. Trees in his CUPS facility are …

Guide Prepares California Growers for HLB Detection

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, HLB Management, Regulation

California’s Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) has developed a guide, Response for a Confirmed Huanglongbing Positive Detection in a Commercial Grove, to prepare growers for a finding of the disease. The guide is intended to educate growers about the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) huanglongbing action plan. The devastating citrus disease spread by the Asian citrus …

Touring Trials at the Whitmore Farm Field Day

Josh McGillEvents, Rootstocks, Varieties

The A.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm near Groveland, Florida, recently hosted a field day. The event was presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), New Varieties Development and Management Corporation (NVDMC) and the Florida Citrus Research Foundation. The farm opened in 1959. The 400-acre property includes 110 acres of groves on prime citrus land. Some of the state’s most popular …

Spain Lemon and Grapefruit Crops to Decline

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International

Lemon and grapefruit crops in Spain are both forecast to decrease 10% in the 2022–23 season compared to the 2021–22 season. The forecast was made by the Spanish Lemon and Grapefruit Interbranch Organisation (AILIMPO), which represents the economic interests of producers, cooperatives, exporters and industrialists of lemon and grapefruit in Spain. According to AILIMPO, increased yields from new plantations only …

brazilian

Orange Crop Forecast for Brazil Remains Stable

Tacy CalliesBrazil, Crop Forecast

The second 2022–23 orange crop forecast update for the São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt, published on Dec. 12 by Fundecitrus and its cooperators, is 314.11 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms each. This update indicates that the crop remains within expectations in relation to the projected forecast in September, with an increase of only 20 thousand boxes, which …

china

Brazil to Benefit From Suspension of UK Juice Tariff

Josh McGillBrazil, Orange Juice, Trade

The United Kingdom (UK) government recently announced the suspension of the tariff on the import of concentrated and ready-to-drink juices between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2024. The decision should benefit juice shipments from Brazil to the United Kingdom. Although the tariff suspension applies to juices from all origins, Brazil dominates global orange juice (OJ) exports. The Brazilian Association …

Economic Perspectives on the 2021–22 Florida Processed Orange Season

Josh McGillEconomics

By Thomas H. Spreen The timing of Hurricane Ian is not unlike that of Hurricane Irma in September of 2017 in that it struck before the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) crop forecast was released in October, but after the data collection process was already completed for the forecast. Therefore, the USDA forecast will not take Hurricane Ian’s impacts into …

mexfly

Brownsville Mexfly Quarantine Removed in Texas

Josh McGillPests, Regulation, Texas

Federal and state agriculture officials on Nov. 14 removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. The quarantine was removed after three generations elapsed with no additional detections in the area. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). …

Open House Showcases Research Center’s Work

Josh McGillEvents, Research

The Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee recently hosted its annual open house. The event had a great turnout of local growers and residents from nearby communities. Several school groups also attended, so students could learn more about farming in Southwest Florida and the research being conducted at the center. Originally established in 1958, SWFREC was dedicated …

CUPS Weather Hurricane Ian Well

Josh McGillCUPS, hurricane

In the search for ways to survive citrus greening, some growers have chosen the citrus under protective screen (CUPS) system as their solution. While CUPS can be costly to construct, it has proven to effectively prevent the deadly disease. But some have asked if the structures would hold up in extreme weather and adequately protect the trees. Hurricane Ian helped …

The Essential Elements of Reset Management

Josh McGillplanting, Tip of the Week

By Mongi Zekri For maximum efficiency of a grove, it is essential that every location is occupied by a tree and that every tree is healthy. Prompt replacement of dead and declining trees means higher average long-term returns from the grove. If the declining trees remain in the grove, they keep getting weaker and yield less fruit each year. Therefore, …

Orange Peels

Citrosuco Launches Natural Ingredients Unit

Josh McGillBrazil, Industry News Release

The Brazilian company Citrosuco recently announced the launch of Evera, a new business unit that will produce natural ingredients for different industries. The natural ingredients will come through reuse technology of orange waste, including husks, peels, leaves, flowers and seeds. Evera pointed out that Brazil produces approximately 13 million tons of oranges annually, equivalent to 320 million boxes, but only …

Unraveling the Relationship Between the HLB Bacterium and Trees

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research

At the heart of the HLB threatening the Florida citrus industry is a complex exchange between the citrus tree and an insidious bacterium. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers continue to study the bacterium that causes HLB. They are learning more about how it works within the citrus tree in an effort to find viable …

Researchers Study Relative of HLB Pathogen

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research

Sometimes the most niche plant pathogen packs the greatest punch. Such is the case for the Florida citrus industry, which has seen a 70% decline in its orange production since the introduction of HLB in 2005. HLB is also known as citrus greening disease.  The bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus cause this disease, which spreads via a flying insect. When the …

Flower Bud Advisories Have Begun

Josh McGillProduction

Regular flower bud advisories from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) were restarted Nov. 21 and will be provided every other week through early spring. Associate Professor Tripti Vashisth provides the advisories. The advisories provide critical information about the intensity and time of citrus blooms. Growers use this information to determine when to spray for …

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 …

Fertilizer Exemption Issued Due to Hurricane Ian

Josh McGillBMPs, Florida, Regulation

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) recently issued an emergency rule allowing growers enrolled in best management practices (BMP) programs to apply replacement fertilizer to reestablish crops impacted by Hurricane Ian. Under the rule, producers can make those applications without fear of being out of compliance with their respective BMP manuals. The emergency rule will be in …

Growers and Researcher Discuss Millennium Block Trials

Josh McGillResearch, Rootstocks, Varieties

Two citrus growers recently explained the benefits to be gained from research at the Indian River Research and Education Center’s (IRREC) Millennium Block in Fort Pierce, and a scientist discussed a grapefruit study there. The IRREC is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) facility. The 20-acre block was planted in 2019 to help growers find …

Flower Bud Advisories Promote Better Planning

Josh McGillProduction, Tip of the Week

By Tripti Vashisth In Florida, it is the time of year to start following citrus flower bud induction conditions for next year’s bloom. Citrus flower bud induction starts in the fall and usually is complete by early January. Low temperatures first stop growth and then promote induction of flower buds as more hours of low temperatures accumulate (below 68 degrees). …

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 …