June

All In For Citrus Podcast, May 2019

Taylor HillmanAll In For Citrus Podcast

Growers won’t want to miss the May All In For Citrus podcast. This episode addresses concerns about bactericide use in citrus, includes an interview with Scott Angle, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and provides a summary of citrus under protective screen research. First, Michael Rogers, Citrus Research and Education Center director, focuses …

Working Toward Better Orange Juice in the HLB World

Tacy CalliesBreeding, Orange Juice, Varieties

By Jude Grosser, Fred Gmitter, Yu Wang and Bill Castle It’s no secret that huanglongbing (HLB) has challenged the industry to maintain the outstanding quality associated with Florida orange juice. Moreover, increased prices and competition from new juice products and blends have reduced Florida orange juice consumption. We believe that improving the quality, especially flavor and color, of juice products …

Israel’s Dynamic Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesCitrus

By Stephen H. Futch and Ariel Singerman As home to three of the world’s major religions, Israel is one of the most diverse countries in the world. Besides its cultural diversity and historical importance, Israel is also a major citrus producer and exporter. Israel’s citrus industry began in 1882. As new immigrants moved to the country, they established many very …

mandarin

New Citrus Variety Option for Florida Growers

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Varieties

FAST TRACK is an innovative program developed through the cooperative efforts of Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. (FFSP), the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), and New Varieties Development & Management Corp. (NVDMC). Through FAST TRACK, commercial citrus growers can obtain a license to plant promising experimental citrus selections for trial and evaluation. FAST TRACK engages …

Fungal Foliar Disease Concerns for 2019

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Megan Dewdney The Florida citrus-growing seasons of 2017 and 2018 were quiet in terms of fungal foliar disease outbreaks. Small pockets of severe disease occurred sporadically, but there were no widespread reports of diseases like postbloom fruit drop, much to the relief of the industry. Greasy spot has flared up in a few locations on cultivars like Valencia, and …

fresh

Important Food-Safety Requirements

Ernie NeffFood Safety

Mark Ritenour, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) post-harvest Extension specialist, provided updates about food-safety requirements at the recent Florida Citrus Show in Fort Pierce. His focus was on impacts fresh fruit growers and packers will feel from the Food Safety Modernization Act’s requirement that the Food and Drug Administration rewrite its Produce Safety Rule. Ritenour …

orange

Citrus Breeding in Uruguay

Ernie NeffBreeding

A primary job for scientists breeding citrus in Uruguay is to help the approximately 42,000-acre industry develop fresh fruit for export, Fernando Rivas said at a recent international citrus breeders symposium in Lake Alfred, Florida. Rivas works for Uruguay’s National Institute of Agricultural Research. On. Dec. 4, Rivas told an audience of about 70 at the Citrus Research and Education …

HLB Reduction Strategies

Tacy CalliesHLB Management

By Jawwad Qureshi, Lukasz Stelinski and Fernando Alferez Management of huanglongbing (HLB) has focused on reducing the vector Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and improving tree health, thus requiring a multi-pronged approach. Several elements of an HLB management system are either available or under current investigation. Maintenance of clean nursery stock, vector management and tree nutrition are widely implemented, while incorporation …

CUPS

Good Varieties for CUPS

Ernie NeffCUPS

At a recent field day for citrus under protective screen (CUPS) in Polk County, researcher Arnold Schumann discussed varieties that appear to work well in the system. Schumann is with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center. The primary purpose of growing citrus under protective screen is to keep out the Asian …

podcast

International Citrus Breeders Draw Attention

Ernie Neffbreeders

Approximately 70 growers, researchers and others listened to citrus breeders from other countries discuss their programs and objectives in Lake Alfred, Florida, earlier this month. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) hosted the event. Michael Rogers, CREC director, provided an overview of the gathering. “This international citrus breeders symposium is …

Taking Technology to the Grove

Tacy CalliesCUPS, Technology

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 …

florida citrus

Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees Chosen for 2019

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release

Three distinguished leaders will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame at the 57th Citrus Celebration Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on March 8 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Tim Hurner of Sebring, Richard J. Kinney (deceased), formerly of Lakeland, and Peter McClure of Port Saint Lucie will be honored at the luncheon. Hurner Tim Hurner is a fourth-generation Florida …

CUPS

CUPS Heat and Cold Considerations

Ernie NeffCUPS

Growers producing fresh fruit inside the relatively new citrus under protective screen (CUPS) structures in Florida have some unique heat and cold considerations. Chris Oswalt, citrus Extension agent for Polk and Hillsborough counties, spoke on this subject at a recent CUPS field day in Alturas, Florida. “Based on some of the early data that we have from the weather stations …

grapefruit

UF/IFAS Event Combines Latest Citrus Varieties with New Breeding Research

Daniel CooperBreeding, Research

On Dec. 4 at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), citrus growers can see if they want to grow the latest varieties from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) breeders and then learn more about commercializing crops. In the morning, industry members can sample the latest citrus varieties from UF/IFAS breeders. “These are new varieties …

Research Update: Citrus Under Protective Screen

Tacy CalliesCUPS

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 …

PIECES OF THE PAST: Juice Trains Roll On

Tacy CalliesPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Anthony T. Rossi, founder of Tropicana, immigrated to New York with the dream of making movies, but ended up in the grocery business for 13 years before heading to Florida in search of warmer weather. Using the skills he’d developed in the grocery business, he began packing gift fruit boxes for Macy’s and Gimbel’s, and jars …

citrus

CUPS Protects Citrus from HLB and Storms

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, CUPS, Research

A system designed to protect citrus trees from the deadly greening disease withstood the ravaging winds of Hurricane Irma last year, University of Florida scientists say. With reinforcements installed after the storm, they’ll likely withstand even more dangerous storms. Using citrus under protective screening (CUPS), growers can keep the Asian citrus psyllids away from their trees, said Arnold Schumann, a …

new york times

Could HLB-Tolerant Mandarins Be Used in Florida Orange Juice?

Tacy CalliesResearch

By Laura Reuss, Fred Gmitter and Yu Wang Sweet orange and mandarin fruits are the most popular citrus crops worldwide. Although often mistakenly considered one and the same, oranges and mandarins are different species with specific distinctions. For instance, mandarins are smaller and easier to peel than oranges. Additionally, mandarins are primarily eaten as fresh fruit, whereas most sweet oranges …

HLB, Replanting

What to Ask When Deciding What to Plant

Tacy CalliesRootstocks, Scions, Varieties

By Nate Jameson The decision-making process for choosing a scion/rootstock combination involves multiple factors. The process starts by answering the following questions: Question 1: New planting or resetting? If the block is being reset, is still profitable and will stay in production for several years, then I suggest the grower stay with the existing combination currently planted. If the block …