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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “labor”
Trade and labor used to top the concern list for Florida’s specialty crop growers. Not anymore. The biggest concerns now are input prices and availability, says Mike Joyner, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) president. Joyner reports that in talking to growers in the field, he has heard of fertilizer costs doubling – if growers can even get it. “The …
Planting of new improved citrus scion/rootstock combinations to demonstrate sustainable and profitable citriculture is one of eight new research projects slated for the 27,000-acre DeLuca Preserve in Osceola County, Florida. The rootstocks and scions will come from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center citrus breeding program. The eight projects are …
Brandon White with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences discussed the pros and cons of several types and methods of citrus fertilization at Citrus Nutrition Day on Oct. 26. The event was held at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. White recently became the new commercial fruit crop agent for Florida’s Lake …
By Yiannis Ampatzidis and Ute Albrecht Optimizing nutrition is important for tree health and productivity and can improve tolerance to stresses and diseases. Good nutrient management requires regular field monitoring to identify problems and examine crop responses. Leaves need to be collected and sent to a specialized laboratory for detailed information on macronutrients and micronutrients, which is time-consuming and costly. …
The Florida Citrus Commission’s (FCC) Scientific Research Advisory Council (SRAC) on Oct. 13 discussed recent studies and projects addressing the linkage between orange juice (OJ) and health. The FCC governs the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), which spends much effort promoting the health benefits of OJ. PUBLISHED STUDIESRosa Walsh, director of scientific research at the FDOC, shared three recently published …
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors met on Sept. 28. Rick Dantzler, CRDF chief operating officer, shared highlights from the meeting. “The primary action was the endorsement of the idea to pull together a group of plant breeders from across the country to help us decide where to invest our funding in plant improvement,” said Dantzler. …
Lourdes Pérez Cordero is the new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension agent for Highlands County. She did not grow up in the citrus industry, but you wouldn’t know that upon meeting her. Pérez, who recently started her new job, is eager and enthusiastic to engage with local citrus and vegetable growers and connect them to …
Cover crops, which are not planted for harvest and sale, offer numerous potential benefits to Florida citrus growers. The benefits and additional information were addressed in a presentation offered at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) booth at Citrus Expo in August. The crops can improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. …
By Yiannis Ampatzidis and Ute Albrecht Nutrient management is important for citrus production. Regular nutrient assessments should be conducted to optimize nutrient balance and prevent deficiencies or over-fertilization. Optimizing nutrition is important for tree health and can improve tolerance to stresses and diseases. Good nutrient management requires regular field monitoring to identify problems and examine crop responses. Leaves need to …
Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) government is growing citrus on trellis systems in an effort to reduce vigor, increase flowering and fruit production, and potentially open the way to robotic harvesting. The trial being conducted by NSW’s Department of Primary Industries (DPI) at the Dareton research center is part of the National Tree Crop Intensification in Horticulture project. The …
By Nabil Killiny, Anders Omsland, Haluk Beyenal and David R. Gang The suspected causative agent of citrus greening disease, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is one of many plant pathogens that has not been isolated and grown in pure culture. One major reason for this is its small genome size; it is missing the genes for several metabolic pathways critical for …
The September issue of Citrus Industry magazine largely focuses on two topics: nutrient management research and highlights from the return of the in-person Citrus Expo. NUTRITION RESEARCHSeveral features authored by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences authors share the latest strategies for improving nutrition of citrus trees. Yiannis Ampatzidis and Ute Albrecht discuss the newest technologies that …
The Asiatic A strain of citrus canker was recently found in the Upper Gulf Coast area of Texas, posing a significant threat to the state’s commercial citrus production. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Citrus Center are collaborating on surveys to detect the disease. They are also removing and properly …
Codex DNA, Inc. has announced a collaboration with researchers from several organizations to identify scalable therapeutic measures against HLB. The multidisciplinary team has been awarded a grant worth nearly $15 million from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to develop cost-effective and sustainable solutions to the disease. Other collaborators include the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research …
By Amit Levy and Tripti Vashisth In Florida, where almost all citrus trees are infected with huanglongbing (HLB), it is important to have an easy and reliable method to check the severity of the disease. Each tree responds differently to Candidatus liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the bacterial pathogen that causes HLB. Compare it to COVID-19, where some people had the virus …
The global citrus fiber market is expected to surpass $500 million by 2031, growing at a 6% annual rate, according to a recent report by market research firm Fact.MR. The firm reported that the citrus fiber market was about $300 million in 2020. It stated that as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, consumer eating habits switched to natural alternatives; that significantly …
By Lauren Diepenbrock In the past few years, several citrus growers have been impacted by yet another non-native pest in their groves. This time it is not an insect or mite; it’s a snail. Bulimulus sporadicus is a relatively new pest to Florida, first found in Duval County in 2009. It has quickly moved throughout much of the state, causing …
I recently acquired a visitor’s guide for Plymouth Citrus Products Cooperative. The guide invited visitors to tour the cooperative’s facilities located in where else but Plymouth, Florida, which is between Orlando and Leesburg. According to the guide, the cooperative provided “quality canned and frozen citrus products, citrus pulp and molasses.” Visitors were encouraged to take a guided tour that showcased …
Federal researchers announced that they have found an innovative way to treat pathogens (harmful bacteria) and pests in citrus trees and potato and tomato plants without the use of antibiotics. The researchers are with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The research was done in collaboration with the University of Florida and AUM LifeTech Inc. The …
Cutrale recently announced it has achieved a gold score in sustainability for all its orange farms in Brazil and the United States. The award is from the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) – Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA), a widely recognized sustainability standard. The FSA was developed by the SAI to enable food and beverage businesses from all crops and countries to …
