Which Rootstock to Select

Tacy CalliesRootstocks, Tip of the Week

Valencia trees on high-vigor (left) and low-vigor (right) inducing rootstocks in a Central Ridge field trial. Note the higher yield efficiency of the smaller trees on the right and the leaning of these trees due to Hurricane Irma. By Ute Albrecht Rootstock selection is critical for longevity and productivity of a grove. The decision should be based on compatibility with …

citrus crop forecast

U.S. Citrus Processing Report

Ernie NeffProcessing

In 2020-21, 57% of U.S. citrus was used for processing, and most of the processed fruit was oranges, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reported in September. Florida produced 81% of all U.S. oranges for processing, while California and Texas produced the remainder. Florida and Texas had smaller orange crops for the processed market in 2020-21 compared with …

Black Spot Management Strategies Updated

Ernie NeffDiseases

The title of Megan Dewdney’s Citrus Expo presentation was, “Shorten the skirts? Whether skirting improves citrus black spot fungicidal management.” The answer was “no,” based on trials she conducted to make that determination. But while skirting doesn’t appear to improve citrus black spot (CBS) fungicide programs, she pointed out that “there are other good disease management reasons to skirt.” Dewdney …

Making Sense of Biologicals: Seaweed for Citrus Stress Management

Tacy CalliesMSOB

Florida provides an environment conducive to producing a variety of crops 365 days a year. It has beautiful sunshine, an ideal climate and ample rainfall for most of the year. These conditions allow Florida growers to produce some of the best citrus in the world. But Florida citrus is not immune to the harsh realities that can come with growing …

Lessons on Yield and Root Health From Modified Nutrition

Tacy CalliesNutrition

By Davie Kadyampakeni, Evan Johnson, Kelly Morgan and Ali Atta Citrus production in Florida has been decreasing over the last 15 years due to several factors, with huanglongbing (HLB) a major driver. This disease has severe effects on citrus growth and production, including stunted vegetative growth, misshapen small fruits and poor color development, root mortality, stunted branches, excessive fruit drop, …

rubio

Economic Trends, Disaster Analysis Discussed

Ernie NeffEconomics

The economic trends of Florida’s citrus industry and how the impacts of a natural disaster are determined were discussed recently by a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) economist. Christa Court, assistant professor of regional economics and director of the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program, said Florida citrus production and yield are trending downward. “But we …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, August 2021

Tacy CalliesAll In For Citrus Podcast, hurricane

This month’s All In For Citrus Podcast gives growers valuable advice for dealing with hurricanes and tropical storms. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) team describes how to prepare for and recover from these weather events, as well as the impacts they can have on Florida’s economy. Before getting to the information about storms, the …

Behind Florida’s Production Decline

Ernie NeffProduction

In addition to recently projecting that Florida orange and red grapefruit production will likely decline for the foreseeable future, economist Tom Spreen provided some of the reasons. OLDER, LESS PRODUCTIVE TREESSpreen, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor emeritus, cited an older tree inventory and declining fruit per tree as contributors to projected yield declines. He said …

Maximizing Rootstock Seed Production

Tacy CalliesSeed

By Fernando Alferez, Deived Uilian de Carvalho, Daniel Boakye, Tim Gast and Manjul Dutt Endemic HLB in Florida has provoked increased pressure to replant and reset infected groves. This has resulted in concern from citrus growers and nursery operators about seed availability for the most popular rootstocks in the state. In the past, all rootstock fruit (both early and late …

First Citrus Canker Detection in Alabama

Ernie NeffDiseases

Citrus canker has been detected in a residential area of Baldwin County, Alabama, which is bordered by Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Federal and state plant health officials confirmed the identification of the disease from foliage and fruit samples collected by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries’ (ADAI) routine citrus survey.  This was the first detection of citrus …

citrus

Grapefruit Challenges and Opportunities

Ernie NeffGrapefruit

A recent report summarizes the U.S. grapefruit market’s challenges, including citrus greening disease and hurricanes, and opportunities. Lijun (Angelia) Chen and Lisa House with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences authored the report, titled “An Overview of the Grapefruit Market in the U.S.” “The U.S. grapefruit industry has been facing fierce challenges in both production and …

Renewed Effort to Stop Chinese Citrus Imports

Ernie NeffTrade

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida recently urged U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to re-implement a prohibition on the importation of five varieties of citrus from China. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in April 2020 decided to allow the importation of the Chinese varieties. “The USDA’s decision continues to risk an increase in unfair trade competition …

Tradition Meets Innovation

Tacy CalliesProfile

A new generation of leadership at IMG Citrus takes the helm. After serving as chief executive officer of IMG Enterprises for 42 years, Michel Sallin is passing the torch to his three children. Siblings Melanie Ressler, Timothee Sallin and Chloe Gentry have been appointed as co-CEOs of IMG Citrus and Cherrylake. The businesses are both subsidiaries of IMG Enterprises, a …

Update on Oak Mulch Research to Fight HLB

Ashley RobinsonHLB Management, Research

Researchers have been looking for ways to help Florida citrus growers fight HLB, and spreading oak mulch around the drip line of citrus trees appears promising. Lukas Hallman, a graduate student at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) is doing research to find what is in oak trees …

citrus

Disaster Assistance Programs for Citrus

Ernie Neffcrop insurance

Two disaster assistance programs available to citrus growers were discussed during the virtual 2021 Louisiana State University AgCenter Citrus Symposium. The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) are both offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Services Agency (USDA-FSA). Jamie Rodreguez, a USDA-FSA county executive director in Louisiana, made the presentation. Rodreguez said …

project

Florida Citrus Industry Continues Decline

Tacy CalliesCitrus Greening

Florida citrus production has decreased for almost two decades. According to Marisa Zansler, director of economic and market research at the Florida Department of Citrus, the two main factors for the state’s steady decline are citrus greening (huanglongbing, known as HLB) and Hurricane Irma. Zansler presented staggering statistics during the Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference on Feb. 26 that showed …

Texas Freeze Leaves Citrus Crop in Trouble

Ashley Robinsonfreeze

The historic cold snap that has frozen Texas this week has left citrus growers with little hope for saving their crops. “We’ve had the perfect trifecta this season,” says Dale Murden, citrus grower and president of Texas Citrus Mutual. “We’ve endured the lingering drought, Hurricane Hanna and now the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre — all on top of the pandemic. …

Growers Tour Indian River CUPS Houses

Tacy CalliesCUPS

Citrus growers from several of Florida’s production regions joined researchers recently for a look inside 14-foot high screenhouses that protect trees from HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids. The CUPS (Citrus Under Protective Screens) Field Day took place at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center (UF/IFAS IRREC) in Fort Pierce. Johnny Ferrarezi, …

New Louisiana Citrus Research Facility

Ernie NeffResearch

The Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation has constructed a citrus research facility at the Docville Farm in partnership with the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter. The new facility, called the Center for Louisiana Citrus Innovation and Research, is in Violet, Louisiana. “This facility will be utilized to support Louisiana citrus growers as well as promote citrus and other specialty …

Louisiana Faces Several Citrus Woes

Ernie NeffLouisiana

Hurricanes, development, demographics, disease and other issues combined in recent decades to severely reduce citrus acreage and crops in Plaquemines Parish, which has the majority of Louisiana growers. According to Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter, the state has only 841 acres of citrus remaining. Anna Timmerman, LSU AgCenter horticultural Extension agent, discussed the industry’s woes in the parish that she …