Growing Citrus Trees With Oak Mulch

Ernie NeffHLB Management

Lukas Hallman, a graduate student at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC), is doing research to find what is in oak trees that apparently helps citrus cope with HLB. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences operates the IRREC. “Anecdotal reports from Florida growers claim that citrus trees growing within the drip line of large …

nominations

Four to Join Citrus Hall of Fame

Ernie NeffAwards

The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame will induct four new members in 2021. They are John L. Jackson of Sorrento, Florida; the late Lew J. Prosser of Plant City, Florida; Adam H. Putnam of Memphis, Tennessee; and Steven D. “Steve” Sorrells of Arcadia, Florida. They will be inducted during a luncheon tentatively scheduled for Nov. 5 at Florida Southern College …

Things to Be Thankful for This Year

Tacy CalliesTip of the Week

By Ruth Borger Despite 2020 being a challenging year with a lot to complain about, there are many things to be thankful for. This is the time of year to take a few minutes to reflect on what we have to be grateful for. Here are just a few things to be thankful for that come quickly to mind. A …

Figure 2. A drone may be used to deliver spot treatments.

Citrus Growers Tell What Technology They Use

Ernie NeffTechnology

Representatives of two Florida citrus-growing operations recently shared ways their companies have utilized drones, electronic sensors and advanced spray technology to enhance their operations. Joby Sherrod, director of grove operations for Duda & Sons, and Timothee Sallin, co-CEO of IMG Enterprises, were participants in a virtual Florida-Israel Agriculture Innovation Summit. Duda and IMG have approximately 11,000 acres and 10,000 acres …

Five Years of Fresh Fruit Production in CUPS

Tacy CalliesCUPS

By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Napoleon Mariner and Timothy Ebert According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Florida grapefruit production for the 2019–20 season was only 12 percent of the production recorded in 2003–04, prior to the arrival of huanglongbing (HLB) disease in the state. A major goal of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …

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Black Spot Likely in More Florida Counties

Ernie NeffDiseases

Although citrus black spot has only been detected in commercial groves in five Southwest Florida counties, it is still spreading and likely to be in additional counties, according to plant pathologist Megan Dewdney. The five counties with detections are Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor at …

USDA OJ Purchases Set Precedent

Ernie NeffOrange Juice

Marisa Zansler, economist for the Florida Department of Citrus, recently gave the Florida Citrus Commission an update on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section 32 purchases of orange juice (OJ). A summary of her report follows. The purpose of USDA Section 32 purchases is to help alleviate depressed markets for domestically produced agriculture products. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service also …

Get the Science on Climate Change

Ernie NeffWeather

“Our climate is changing and, with that, comes more extreme events,” said Ashley Smyth, an assistant professor of soil and water science at the Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead. The center is part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). “Just look at the most recent hurricanes. As they cross the Gulf, they …

Advice for Cold-Hardy Citrus Growers

Ernie NeffMarketing

North Florida citrus growers who are new to the industry received some marketing advice and background information recently from Vero Beach grower and packer Dan Richey. He gave a presentation during a virtual annual meeting of the Cold Hardy Citrus Association on Sept. 23. Richey, president and CEO of Riverfront Packing, urged the growers to have a plan and to …

Diversifying Citrus Pest Management

Ernie NeffPests

The use of chemicals for HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) and other pests has raised several concerns, Jawwad Qureshi reported in a virtual Florida Citrus Growers Institute presentation. Those concerns include pest resistance, costs and diminishing biological control of pests, as well as concerns about health and the environment. Qureshi, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …

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Orange Juice Import Impacts

Ernie NeffOrange Juice

Economist Tom Spreen discussed the impact of imports in the United States orange juice (OJ) market at the Sept. 16 Florida Citrus Commission meeting. Spreen is retired from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Spreen’s analysis began with increased imports in 2017 after Hurricane Irma struck Florida. Largely as a result of the storm, nearly 24 …

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New Guide to USDA Disaster Programs

Ernie NeffIndustry News Release

To better assist agricultural producers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a new brochure, Disaster Assistance Programs at a Glance. The brochure is a quick reference guide to available Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) assistance programs. The guide gives a short description of each program and lets growers quickly …

Weird Trunk Disorders in Groves

Ernie NeffCitrus Expo

Florida growers, Extension agents and others have been baffled by unusual trunk symptoms during what Evan Johnson termed “the year of the weird trunk disorder.” Growers spotted the disorders, which were similar to phytophthora, in groves over the past one and half to two years. Johnson addressed three of the disorders, which have been found in multiple counties. Johnson, a …

Growing Finger Limes in Florida: Lessons Learned So Far

Tacy CalliesLimes

By Manjul Dutt and Jude Grosser Finger lime, a distant relative of sweet orange and grapefruit, is a relatively new crop species for Florida. It is an Australian native species that has been gaining in popularity and importance in the last few years because of its unique fruit characteristics and disease tolerance, which sets it apart from conventional sweet orange …

New Insurance Options for Florida Citrus Growers

Ernie NeffInsurance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) recently announced a new crop insurance hurricane endorsement and an improved citrus crop insurance plan. The hurricane endorsement, Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI), covers a portion of growers’ underlying crop insurance policy deductible when their county is within or adjacent to the area of sustained hurricane-force winds. HIP-WI is …

Rootstock Effects on Valencia and Hamlin in Large-Scale Commercial Plantings

Tacy CalliesResearch, Rootstocks

By Ute Albrecht, Sudip Kunwar and Jude Grosser Prior to 1865, the only rootstocks used in Florida were sour orange and sweet orange. Use of grafted trees instead of seedling trees became necessary because of the devastating effects of phytophthora on sweet orange. Sour orange was widely used as a rootstock because of its resistance to phytophthora and other positive …

Juice Imports, Fruit Prices and Production Costs

Ernie NeffEconomics

In a recent presentation titled “Juice Imports, Fruit Prices and Cost of Production,” Ariel Singerman provided the price and yield required to break even growing oranges in Southwest Florida. “Average cultural cost of $1,847 requires prices for E&M (early and mid) and Valencias to be $2.31 and $2.01 per pound solids, respectively, just to break even,” the University of Florida …

Technology Helps Growers Count Citrus Trees

Tacy CalliesTechnology

In his quest to find the right drone and other artificial intelligence to help ensure citrus growers get an accurate count of their crop, Yiannis Ampatzidis and his research team have developed a system known as Agroview. The technology saves farmers time and money and helps them accurately count their trees, which is important for insurance purposes. The latest results …

Alico: Citrus Price Improvement Could Be Coming

Ernie NeffEconomics, Industry News Release

Alico, Inc., one of Florida’s largest citrus producers, announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2020 and the six-month period ending March 31. Some highlights regarding the company’s citrus operation follow. For the six-months ending March 31, Alico Citrus harvested approximately 5.61 million boxes of fruit, an increase of 23.3 percent from the same period a year …

FDOC Shifts Money to Marketing

Tacy CalliesFlorida Citrus Commission

Florida Department of Citrus money unused because of the coronavirus pandemic will be directed toward increasing orange juice sales, as projections of this season’s citrus production have declined. The Florida Citrus Commission agreed Tuesday to add $277,000 to an ongoing digital ad campaign, with most of the money coming from employee travel plans that were halted because of the deadly …