Citrus Science Site Features Podcasts

Tacy CalliesHLB Management

Are you interested in learning more about the citrus industry’s ongoing fight to save citrus from huanglongbing (HLB) disease? Visit the Science for Citrus Health website for access to relevant and up-to-date information about control, treatment and prevention methods. The website also includes a collection of reader-friendly Research Snapshots about the new, cutting-edge tools and methods being developed by researchers …

Medfly

Fruit Fly Pests of Florida Citrus

Ashley RobinsonPests

Exotic fruit flies are considered some of the most serious of the world’s agricultural pests due to their potential economic harm and threat to the food supply. They have a wide host range of fruit, vegetables and nuts. Most of Florida’s crops fall within the host range, including the fragile citrus industry. For this reason, it’s imperative to act quickly …

Florida Grower Advises California on HLB

Ernie NeffHLB Management

Pete Spyke, a Florida gift fruit citrus grower and shipper, recently offered some advice to California citrus growers for dealing with HLB. In a letter to California’s Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program, Spyke suggested that growers continue to detect and remove HLB-infected trees. Spyke’s letter follows: Dear California Citrus Growers, Based on my observations and discussions with growers and …

HLB, Lemons and Oranges

Ernie NeffResearch

A group of scientists working in California, New York and Washington has found that Lisbon lemon trees had less of a molecular response than Washington navel orange trees to the pathogen that causes HLB. That pathogen is Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). In part, this might be because leaves of infected lemons tended to accumulate micronutrients, which led to less of …

citrus forecast

Citrus Crop Forecast Has Small Changes

Ernie NeffCrop Forecast

Reductions in the projected Florida grapefruit and tangerine/tangelo crops were the only changes in the May 12 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) citrus crop forecast. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reduced Florida’s grapefruit crop projection by 2%, to 4.2 million boxes, down from 4.3 million boxes in April. The total 100,000-box reduction was in red grapefruit, which dipped to …

Above-Average Hurricane Season Predicted

Ernie Neffhurricane

Colorado State University (CSU) researchers are predicting an above-average Atlantic hurricane season in 2021, citing the likely absence of El Niño as a primary factor. Tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures are near their long-term averages, while subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures are much warmer than their long-term average values. The warmer subtropical Atlantic also favors an active 2021 Atlantic hurricane …

U.S. Citrus Crop Forecast Takes a Tumble

Ernie NeffCrop Forecast

Florida’s Valencia orange crop projection tumbled 12% in the April 9 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) crop forecast, to 29 million boxes from 33 million boxes in March. The USDA added 200,000 boxes, or 1%, to Florida’s non-Valencia tally, bringing non-Valencias to 22.7 million boxes. In total, Florida oranges dipped to 51.7 million boxes, down 7% from March’s 55.5 million …

Instant Information on Herbicides

Tacy CalliesTip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery Citrus growers face weed management problems throughout the year due to favorable conditions that allow the rapid growth of weeds in groves. A weed-free tree row is desired in citrus to minimize competition with the trees. This can be achieved by utilizing post-emergent herbicides that control the weeds that have already emerged. Growers have several product options …

USDA Buying More Grapefruit Juice

Ernie NeffGrapefruit

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on March 5 announced an $18 million purchase of grapefruit juice in response to winter weather in Texas, the Indian River Citrus League (IRCL) reported. The February Texas freeze caused estimated citrus crop losses of at least $230 million and hit before much of the Texas citrus crop had been harvested. “For the past …

psyllids

Citrus Phenology-Based Spraying for Psyllids

Ashley RobinsonPsyllids

By targeting Asian citrus psyllids on an area-wide scale and focusing on several individual properties simultaneously, growers can minimize psyllid movement between groves, reduce HLB transmission and maintain citrus production at a profitable level. Generally, most psyllid sprays are applied on a calendar or threshold basis, resulting in high-spray frequencies and associated costs. Because of the Asian citrus psyllid’s high …

Field Trials for Cultivar Evaluation; Soil and Root Health

Ashley RobinsonAll In For Citrus Podcast, Research

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus researchers are collaborating on ground-breaking research projects to fight against HLB. They are working with researchers at the University of California-Riverside (UC-Riverside), Texas A&M and Washington State University on a project to field-test new citrus cultivars for tolerance or resistance to HLB. The research is funded by the U.S. …

Changes to U.S. Orange Crop Forecast

Ernie NeffCrop Forecast

Florida’s orange crop forecast was reduced by 500,000 boxes to 55.5 million boxes in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) March 9 citrus crop forecast. This represents a 1% reduction from the February forecast. If the March projection is realized, it will be 18% lower than last season’s final production. Florida’s Valencia orange crop forecast was reduced by 1 million …

Record Grapefruit Production and Consumption

Ashley RobinsonCrop Forecast, Grapefruit, International

Global grapefruit production in 2020-21 is forecast up slightly to a record 6.9 million tons due to favorable weather and expanded area in China and Mexico, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). Additionally, global consumption is forecast to reach a new record with the higher supplies as exports grow to their highest level in three …

florida

Florida Citrus Forecast for February Sees Some Changes

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast

The February Florida orange forecast released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 56 million boxes, up 2 million boxes from the January forecast. This represents a 4 percent increase from the January forecast. If realized, it will be 17 percent less than last season’s final production. ORANGESThe forecast change was for non-Valencia production, which now stands at 22 …

States See Changes in U.S. Citrus Forecast

Ernie NeffCrop Forecast

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) dropped another 2 million boxes from the January forecast for Florida’s orange crop but added 200,000 boxes to the state’s grapefruit projection. ORANGESFlorida’s total orange crop is now forecast at 54 million boxes, down 4 percent from 56 million boxes in December. The orange reduction was in the non-Valencia …

Breeding Hybrids With HLB Resistance

Len WilcoxBreeding, California Corner

UC Riverside scientists are working to breed new fruits that are naturally resistant to huanglongbing (HLB). The hybrid fruits will ideally share the best of their parents’ attributes: the tastiness of citrus and the HLB resistance displayed by some Australian relatives of citrus. HLB, also called citrus greening disease, has been detected in California, where 80 percent of the country’s …

Florida Orange, Grapefruit Forecast Trimmed

Ernie NeffForecast

The forecast for Florida orange and grapefruit production were each trimmed by approximately 2 percent on Dec. 10. Forecasts for all other citrus varieties in all citrus-producing states were unchanged from the initial October report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The Florida all-orange forecast is now for 56 million boxes, down from 57 million …

Citrus Industry Wants Costa for House Ag Committee Chair

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Industry News Release, Legislative

California Citrus Mutual (CCM), Florida Citrus Mutual and Texas Citrus Mutual have voiced their support that California Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) be appointed as the new chair of the House Agriculture Committee. A CCM press release stated that Costa understands the industry’s issues, such as pest and disease, trade, water and immigration. Notably, Costa was instrumental in securing federal funding …

Remedy to EU Grapefruit Tariffs Sought

Ernie NeffTrade

The European Union (EU) recently imposed approximately $4 billion in tariffs on U.S. grapefruit and other agricultural products. The tariffs, authorized by the World Trade Organization, are punishment for U.S. subsidies for the Boeing Company.   “Once again U.S. agriculture is caught in the crossfire of a dispute that is not of our making and we are used as leverage …

Florida Citrus Packers: South Africa Imports Pose Risk

Ernie NeffExport/Import

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) announced it is authorizing the importation of cold-treated fresh citrus from South Africa into all U.S. ports of entry. Previously, APHIS restricted the entry of cold-treated citrus fruit from South Africa to four U.S. ports that have cold-treatment facilities. APHIS scientists determined that citrus fruit from South Africa, …