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 …

Growers Discuss CRAFT Projects

Ernie NeffResearch

Four Florida growers recently discussed efforts they’ll take to cope with HLB in plantings subsidized by the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program. Their comments were part of a virtual educational session sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and Florida Citrus Mutual. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler said the projects discussed were among 103 funded …

Soft Citrus Climbs in South Africa

Ernie NeffInternational

Production of tangerines/mandarins in South Africa is expected to continue its aggressive growth and is estimated to increase by 8% to 500,000 metric tons in 2020-21. Tangerines/mandarins are referred to as soft citrus. High levels of new plantings in recent years contributed to the production increase, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service reported in June. The area planted …

EU Orange Production to Increase This Season

Ernie NeffInternational

European Union (EU) orange production is forecast at 6.5 million metric tons in 2020-21, a 5.2% increase over the previous season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported the EU forecast. Expected orange production by country is 3.4 million metric tons for Spain, 1.85 million metric tons for Italy, 915,000 metric tons for Greece, 315,000 metric tons …

Valencia Performance and Rootstock Propagation Methods

Tacy CalliesRootstocks

By Ute Albrecht, Sameer Pokhrel and Kim D. Bowman According to the 2019–2020 Citrus Budwood Annual Report, there were 772,391 (20%) rootstock propagations from tissue culture and 224,346 (6%) from cuttings out of the 3.9 million total propagations that season. The report is from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This unprecedented high number of vegetative (not from …

tangerines/mandarins

Turkey Tangerine Forecast Climbs

Ernie NeffInternational

Tangerine production in Turkey is expected to climb 14% in 2020-21, to 1.6 million metric tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service reported. The fruit will have good harvest quality due to favorable timing of rains and temperatures. Production will exceed that of 2019-20 because of freezing conditions and heavy storms during the 2019-20 bloom period, but will …

Change in Grove Practices Leads to Award

Ernie NeffAwards

Brad Turner has worked in Florida citrus more than 40 years as a grower, production manager, caretaker and nursery owner. For most of that time, he focused on using synthetic fertilizers, fungicides, insecticides and herbicides as the necessary inputs for citrus management. But a change in the way he thought citrus should be grown led to him being named a …

South Africa Orange Production to Increase

Ernie NeffInternational

Orange production in South Africa is expected to increase by 2%, to 1.65 million metric tons, in the 2020-21 marketing year. This production estimate was reported in June by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS). The area in South Africa planted with oranges is estimated to grow by 3%, to 46,000 hectares. Increases in the amount of …

Argentina Citrus Production Estimates

Ernie NeffInternational

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) in June reported changes in its 2020-21 estimates for citrus production in Argentina. The fresh lemon production estimate was increased 12% to 1.15 million metric tons. The fresh orange estimate was revised down by 30,000 metric tons, to 670,000 metric tons. The tangerine production estimate was unchanged at 360,000 metric tons. …

Improving Plant Improvement

Ernie NeffBreeding

Many in the Florida citrus industry have long believed that development of trees that are resistant to or tolerant of HLB is the key to coping with the devastating disease. In Florida, most of the work on developing such trees is conducted by researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the U.S. Department …

CRAFT Leadership to Change

Ernie NeffResearch

There will soon be leadership changes at the Citrus Research and Field Trials (CRAFT) Foundation. Tamara Wood will succeed Kristen Carlson as executive director and program manager; she was previously assistant program manager. Tom Mitchell will succeed Glenn Beck as president. Wood will manage day-to-day operations. There are no plans to hire a new assistant program manager, but the board …

California Reports Two Citrus Pests

Ernie NeffPests

The Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program in California recently detected sweet orange scab (SOS) in new areas of the state. Additionally, an unofficial lime swallowtail butterfly (LSB) sample was identified from Los Angeles County, and several LSB sightings have been reported in Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo counties. SWEET ORANGE SCABSOS is a cosmetic fungal disease that impacts …

Varieties for the Indian River Region

Ashley RobinsonVarieties

In response to HLB, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus breeding program is focused on developing improved varieties and rootstocks for sustainable and profitable production. Rootstock and scion performance trials have been established throughout the state. UF/IFAS citrus breeder Fred Gmitter touched on some of the experimental trials being done in Florida’s Indian River …

Improving Productivity in Australia

Ernie NeffProduction, Research

A new research and development program launched by Hort Innovation aims to arm growers in Australia with the tools they need to produce more fruit, including citrus, and nuts per hectare. Hort Innovation is a grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for the nation’s horticulture industry. ABOUT THE PROGRAMThe 5-year $28 million National Tree Crop Intensification in Horticulture Program will …

irrigation

CRAFT Foundation: Two-Year Program Update

Ashley RobinsonResearch

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation Inc. is in its second year of operation. CRAFT Foundation Executive Director Kristen Carlson gave a program update during the recent Florida Citrus Show. CRAFT was designed to work as a cooperative effort between growers and researchers in order to provide examples of economically feasible production management practices and programs for Florida …

The Do’s and Don’ts of Weed Control

Ashley Robinsonweeds

When developing a weed management program, there are many things for growers to consider. Application site, the stage of weed growth, herbicide selection, the amount of herbicide used, spray volume and pressure, and herbicide bandwidth are just a few of the factors that contribute to the cost and success of a weed management program. Ramdas Kanissery, weed scientist at the …

Michael Woodley: From Firefighter to Lemon Grower

Tacy Callieslemons

Michael Woodley returned to his hometown of Frostproof, Florida, in 2011 at the request of his dying mother to take care of the land and keep it in the family. After a firefighting career of more than 30 years with the Florida Forest Service that took him all over the state, he is now growing lemons on 20 acres on …

CRDF Conducts Review and Aids CRAFT

Ernie NeffCRDF

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) governing board on May 25 suggested ways the agency and its chief operating officer (COO) could improve. The board also discussed operations it is happy with. “Overall, it (the board’s review) was complimentary,” said the COO, Rick Dantzler. On the room for improvement side, the board suggested “that we needed to have a …

Monitoring Citrus Root Weevils

Tacy CalliesPests, Tip of the Week

By Larry Duncan Soilborne larvae that feed on citrus roots are the damaging life stage of Diaprepes abbreviatus and Pachnaeus spp. (bluegreen) root weevils. Newly developed adult weevils, which emerge throughout the warm months of the year, also occur in soil.  A peak emergence of adults occurs at some point each spring or early summer. Less frequently, a smaller emergence …

Effects of Grower Tools on Citrus Diseases and Roots

Ashley RobinsonDiseases, Root health

Citrus researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are taking a more comprehensive look at how tools to manage HLB affect young trees. The goal is to develop integrated approaches and update management practices for growers. After one year of the research project, some interesting results are already emerging. The research project, “Establishing Healthy …