planting

CUPS Research in Indian River Area

Ernie NeffCUPS

Research into citrus under protective screen (CUPS) in the Indian River area was discussed by students of Rhuanito (Johnny) Ferrarezi at the Florida State Horticultural Society meeting in June. The project at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) grows grapefruit, the citrus of most economic importance in the Indian River region. Ferrarezi, a University of Florida Institute of …

florida

Orange Production Up Slightly From June Forecast

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast, Grapefruit

ORANGESThe 2018–2019 Florida all-orange forecast released by Mark Hudson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now 71.6 million boxes. The total is comprised of 30.4 million boxes of non-Valencia oranges (early, mid-season and Navel varieties), unchanged from the June forecast, and 41.2 million boxes of Valencia oranges, up 200,000 boxes from last month. California non-Valencia oranges remained at …

Peace River Growers Talk Production and Marketing

Ernie NeffMarket, Production

Production levels and techniques as well as citrus marketing were topics at a recent Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association roundtable meeting in Wauchula. Executive Director Kait Shaw summarizes the discussion. “I think a lot of the growers felt that it had been a pretty good year,” Shaw says. “Things are starting to look up from greening.” She says growers …

Update on Grapefruit Nutrition

Ernie NeffGrapefruit, Nutrition

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Rhuanito “Johnny” Ferrarezi reports on research leading to fertilizer recommendations for grapefruit, especially in the Indian River area. Grapefruit has been especially hard hit by HLB, the devastating citrus disease discovered in Florida in 2005. “We are entering the second season (of the research project) and we hope to have …

Growers Have a Bigger Problem Than HLB

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Market

“A bigger gorilla by far than HLB, going into the future, is slumping market demand for citrus products from Florida and apparently from other producing areas in the United States as well,” declares Apopka citrus grower Chip Henry of McGuire Groves. He believes the decline in demand for Florida citrus products is related to HLB reducing fruit quality. “Consumers are …

Psyllids

Psyllids, Yield and Weed Control

Ernie NeffPsyllids, weeds

Recent University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research shows that HLB-spreading psyllids can feed on weeds, and that good weed control can increase fruit yield. The research results were presented by UF/IFAS weed scientist Ramdas Kanissery, who works at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee. Kanissery said his work on psyllids feeding …

uf

UF/IFAS Helps Assess, Manage New Fruit Bug

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release, invasive, Pests, Research, Top

Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are already trying to help growers figure out how to effectively manage the problems created by an invasive pest  – confirmed last week in Highlands County — that could further erode citrus production at a time when growers are just beginning to turn the corner on managing …

PIECES OF THE PAST: Back When Bushel Baskets Were the Next Big Thing

Tacy CalliesPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette While some things stay the same in citrus, others clearly do not. Today’s growers are experimenting with drones and other technology in the grove, but back in the 1920s, bushel baskets were making waves in the industry. Here’s an interesting excerpt from a March 1921 Citrus Industry article titled “Citrus Fruits in Bushel Baskets” by M.S. …

orange

Orange Grower: ‘Best Year I’ve Ever Had’

Ernie NeffProduction

Hardee County orange grower Kenny Sanders said at a grower roundtable meeting on June 25 that he produced 409 boxes per acre in the 2018–19 Florida citrus season. “This is the best year financially I’ve ever had in the citrus business,” Sanders said at the Wauchula gathering hosted by Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association. “In 2012, I picked 500 …

Understanding Glyphosate Formulations

Tacy CalliesResearch, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery, Steve Futch, Brent Sellers and Camille McAvoy Glyphosate is a popular post-emergent herbicide among Florida citrus growers for its broad-spectrum of weed control under trees and in row middles. The use of glyphosate as a “burn-down” application alone, or in combination with other herbicides, is a standard practice in citrus groves. Various glyphosate-containing product formulations are available …

Nelsen Reappointed to Advisory Committee

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner

Joel Nelsen, former president of California Citrus Mutual, has been reappointed to the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee. This committee advises the U.S. secretary of agriculture and the U.S. trade representative on a myriad of policy issues. Nelsen has served on this committee since the George W. Bush administration. He has been the committee chair for the …

Technology: Consider the Costs

Ernie NeffTechnology

Tara Wade, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences economist, has some advice for growers considering new technology for the grove. “What we’d like growers to do is start to think about all the costs involved … do the math before they invest,” she says. “Growers have to constantly think about the trade-offs” of adopting new technology …

UF/IFAS

Jack Payne Announces Retirement

Daniel CooperAgriculture, Citrus, Citrus Greening, Research

After serving nearly 10 years as the senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Jack Payne announced he will retire next year. His last day with UF/IFAS will be July 1, 2020. Payne has overseen Extension offices across Florida and its 12 research and education centers since …

Study Shows Mandarin IPM Needs Work

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, IPM, Pests

According to a study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, current integrated pest management (IPM) techniques used in California mandarins may need to be adjusted to allow for differences between mandarins and oranges. The study suggests that following guidelines for oranges may lead to an overuse of pesticides in some situations. Almost all mandarins in America are grown in …

Update on Brassinosteroids for HLB Management

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

By Fernando Alferez, Christopher Vincent and Tripti Vashisth Brassinosteroids (BR), a relatively newly discovered class of plant hormone, regulate several developmental and physiological processes in fruit crops such as grapes, pears and cherries and in some non-edible plants. BR also induce disease resistance against different pathogens in a great number of crop plants. A form of BR (epibrassinolide) was shown …

TCP Might Help Trees Tolerate HLB

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Nutrition

Laboratory tests of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) indicate it has potential use as a fertilizer that might help citrus growers cope with HLB, says Laura Waldo, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) laboratory manager. “The hope is that it can help a tree by inducing root hair development and thereby allowing the tree to uptake nutrients …

orange peels

Study Aims to Use Orange Peels for Better Heart Health

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release, Research

You’ve heard an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Now orange peels may improve your heart health. Yu Wang, an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, part of the U.S. Department …

Farewell to Futch

Tacy CalliesCitrus

After 34 years of faithful service to citrus growers, University of Florida Extension agent Steve Futch readies for retirement. By Tacy Callies Steve Futch’s Florida citrus roots sprouted more than a century ago. His great-grandfather owned a Wauchula grove in about 1905. As a boy, Futch’s first hands-on citrus experience was hoeing trees in the family orange groves. Later, he …

CRDF to Retain Steve Futch

Ernie NeffCRDF

Multi-county citrus Extension agent Steve Futch is set to retire from the University of Florida on June 30. He will become a contract scientist with the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) on July 1. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler announced the decision to retain Futch at a CRDF meeting in May. Dantzler said Futch will “help us out …

HLB

Possible CRDF/UF Administrative Split Looms

Ernie NeffCRDF

The University of Florida (UF) indicated its intention to decertify the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) as a UF Direct Support Organization (DSO) in September. CRDF President Larry Black and Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler spoke about the potential split during CRDF’s Executive Committee meeting on June 6. Black and Dantzler reported on their attendance at a UF Board …