tangerines/mandarins

Turkey Tangerine Forecast Climbs

Ernie Neff International

Tangerine production in Turkey is expected to climb 14% in 2020-21, to 1.6 million metric tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service reported. The fruit will have good harvest quality due to favorable timing of rains and temperatures. Production will exceed that of 2019-20 because of freezing conditions and heavy storms during the 2019-20 bloom period, but will …

Mexfly Quarantine Area Removed

Ernie Neff Pests

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine area in Lasara in Willacy County, Texas. The quarantine removal was effective June 9. On Nov. 5, 2020, USDA/APHIS and TDA established a Mexfly quarantine in that area and restricted interstate movement of regulated …

South Africa Orange Production to Increase

Ernie Neff International

Orange production in South Africa is expected to increase by 2%, to 1.65 million metric tons, in the 2020-21 marketing year. This production estimate was reported in June by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS). The area in South Africa planted with oranges is estimated to grow by 3%, to 46,000 hectares. Increases in the amount of …

Morocco Developing New Citrus Varieties

Ernie Neff International

The National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) in Morocco is developing new early- and late-season harvest varieties to support a prolonged production season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported. This will allow producers to supply markets for longer periods of time and help Morocco remain competitive in international markets.   In May, INRA launched a call …

EU Citrus Production on the Rise

Ernie Neff International

Citrus production in the European Union (EU) is expected to rise 10.4% in the 2020-21 season to 11.7 million metric tons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The FAS June report attributed the production increase to favorable weather conditions and rebound production mainly in Spain and Italy following a significant drop in 2019-20. “EU citrus …

Varieties for the Indian River Region

Ashley Robinson Varieties

In response to HLB, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus breeding program is focused on developing improved varieties and rootstocks for sustainable and profitable production. Rootstock and scion performance trials have been established throughout the state. UF/IFAS citrus breeder Fred Gmitter touched on some of the experimental trials being done in Florida’s Indian River …

Mexico Could Increase Organic Citrus Production

Tacy Callies Mexico, Organic

By Francisco Seva Rivadulla Citrus growers in Mexico are beginning to explore types of production that are more respectful of the environment and associated with a healthier lifestyle, including organic production. “The organic citrus sector is still small, as its market share does not reach 5%, but gradually foreign demand is causing organic citrus to have an increasing presence in …

Acreage Reflects Consumer Demand

Tacy Callies California Corner, Varieties

Shifting consumer trends have helped dictate which varieties are most popular among California citrus growers. Bruce Babcock, professor in the School of Public Policy at University of California, Riverside, explained that over the past 15 years or so, there have been some notable changes in California citrus acreage. “What we’ve seen is just explosive growth in acreage devoted to mandarins. …

New Anthracnose-Causing Fungus Identified

Ernie Neff Diseases

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have identified an Australian strain of fungus that causes citrus anthracnose. “Our research group at the University of Melbourne analyzed Colletotrichum collected from samples of anthracnose lesions on citrus leaves, twigs and fruit,” researchers Weixia Wang and Paul Taylor wrote. “The study identified six Colletotrichum species infecting Australian citrus. One of these is a …

citrus acreage decline

Grower Instigates Sap Analysis Research

Ernie Neff Nutrition

Indian River area citrus grower Cody Estes provided the impetus for an upcoming research project into the use of sap analysis for monitoring citrus tree nutrient levels. The analysis method has been used in other crops. Advocates declare it to be a relatively inexpensive way to quickly determine nutrient status so growers can make corrections before nutrient excess or deficiency …

Insurance Deadline for Florida Citrus Growers

Tacy Callies Insurance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds Florida citrus tree and fruit growers that the final date to apply for crop insurance coverage for the 2022 crop year is April 15. Current policyholders who wish to make changes to their existing coverage also have until the April 15 sales closing date to do so. Federal crop …

South Africa Citrus Exports to Break Record

Ernie Neff Export, International

The South Africa citrus industry will likely break all export season records with an estimated 158.7 million cartons in 2021, the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa (CGA) reported recently. If the estimate is reached, it would represent a third consecutive season of record export volumes, with 130 million cartons exported in 2019, followed by 146 million cartons in 2020. …

Highlands County Youth Citrus Project Winners

Ernie Neff Awards

Rylan Turner’s tree was crowned Grand Champion of the Highlands County Youth Citrus Project, and Christopher Garrison’s tree garnered the Reserve Grand Champion award. Those two trees were sold in a live auction during the livestock auction night at the Highlands County Fair on Feb. 18. Lykes Bros. purchased the Grand Champion tree for $1,400 and Big T Tire bought …

Imports Threaten EU Citrus Industry

Tacy Callies International

By Francisco Seva Rivadulla Citrus imports in the European Union (EU) are causing a large oversupply in the market. According to the Valencian Association of Farmers, the largest organization of agricultural producers in Spain, a new record of 2,198,146 tons of citrus were exported to the EU from January to October 2020. This represents an increase of 15.4% over the …

Stem Pitting Disease Caused by Citrus Tristeza Virus

Tacy Callies Diseases

By Amit Levy, Peggy Sieburth and Ozgur Batuman When we hear or read about citrus tristeza virus (CTV), we usually think about the decline of sweet orange or grapefruit trees on sour orange rootstocks. However, there are other diseases caused by different isolates of the virus. One of these diseases is stem pitting, mostly caused by the VT isolate of …

Control Methods for Major Pests of Cold-Hardy Citrus

Tacy Callies Pests

By Xavier Martini and Danielle Sprague Cold-hardy citrus, that is, citrus grown above the 30th parallel north, is a blooming industry. In less than 10 years, the acreage in North Florida has gone from almost nonexistent to approximately 1,000 acres. Growers in the region plan to plant more in the coming years. In Georgia, there are approximately 2,000 acres across …

Georgia Trials Offer Rootstock Choices

Ernie Neff Rootstocks

Ongoing citrus rootstock trials being conducted by University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension in Lowndes County hold promise for increased yields, improved fruit quality and greater disease resistance. Jake Price, UGA Extension agent and Lowndes County Extension coordinator, has six local citrus rootstock/variety trials with varying objectives. The trees are custom-produced by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified citrus nurseries in …

Third Packer for Cold-Hardy Citrus

Ernie Neff Packing

A third packinghouse started packing fresh South Georgia and North Florida citrus in 2020. The newest packer, The Satsuma Company, is in Tifton, Georgia. The others, Corbett Brothers in Lake Park, Georgia, and Florida Georgia Citrus in Monticello, Florida, have been packing citrus since 2016. “I have visited all three facilities in South Georgia and North Florida,” said Lindy Savelle, …

Citrus Holiday Traditions

Tacy Callies Tip of the Week

By Ruth Borger and Megan Dewdney Oranges and other citrus have a special place during holiday celebrations. We find them in our decorations, on our dinner table, shipped to friends and families across the country, and sometimes, if you are really good, in your Christmas stocking. But where did these traditions come from? And when did they become part of …

Managing COVID-19 Risks in the Citrus Industry

Tacy Callies COVID-19

By Joyjit Saha, Matthew Krug and Michelle D. Danyluk The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed so much. SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) is primarily transmitted person-to-person, with no evidence it is transmitted by food or food packaging, including citrus and citrus products. Managing COVID-19 among workers is extremely important. COVID-19 impacts on the health of employees can have catastrophic …