Hemp Advice: Start Small, Be Cautious

Ernie NeffAlternative Crops

There are numerous challenges facing potential growers of industrial hemp in Florida, said Jerry Fankhauser at the recent Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference. Fankhauser is assistant director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station and lead oversight manager of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Industrial Hemp Pilot Project. Researchers involved in the project are looking …

fresh

Keeping Fresh Fruit Marketable

Ernie NeffFresh

Mark Ritenour with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) discusses research efforts to keep Florida’s fresh fruit marketable. Ritenour is a postharvest horticulturist at the Indian River Research and Education Center. Ritenour begins with maximum residue limit requirements for chemicals in fresh citrus for export. A UF/IFAS website provides pesticide residue limits by various major …

Root Hair Enhancement With Low Phosphorus Concentrations

Tacy CalliesNutrition

By Laura Waldo and Arnold Schumann It has been the accepted belief for many years that citrus varieties and rootstocks do not develop root hairs. However, research has shown that root hair growth can be stimulated when soil phosphorus (P) concentrations are extremely low. It is possible that in Florida, citrus roots could fail to produce root hairs due to …

Now Is the Time to Watch for PFD

Ernie NeffPFD

With bloom breaking out in Florida citrus groves, plant pathologist Megan Dewdney recommended growers keep an eye out for postbloom fruit drop (PFD). Dewdney works for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred.  “We have actually observed some diseased flowers,” Dewdney said March 3 at an OJ …

acp

Advice for Psyllid/HLB Control

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Psyllids

Even with the virtually 100 percent level of HLB infection found in Florida citrus trees, reducing Asian citrus psyllids improves tree health and yield, entomologist Lukasz Stelinski says. Stelinski is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center.   Stelinski reports that trials the late UF/IFAS researcher Phil Stansly …

Nutrition: No One Size Fits All

Tacy CalliesNutrition, Research

By Tripti Vashisth Constant supply and soil application of macronutrients and micronutrients can improve the health and productivity of HLB-affected citrus. A 20 to 50 percent higher than University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) recommended rate of micronutrients is beneficial for HLB-affected trees. However, the nutrition program should be customized for each grove, as no one …

Hemp Production Has Risks

Ernie NeffAlternative Crops

There are risks and significant costs in growing hemp, Tyler Mark warned about 50 attendees at the Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference 2020. The event, hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Food and Resource Economics Department, took place Feb. 27 at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. Mark, a University of …

Highlights from the PRVCGA Annual Meeting

Ernie NeffCitrus, Public Relations

The new Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association (PRVCGA) 4-H Citrus Club had a strong showing at the association’s annual meeting on Feb. 25 at the Turner Agri-Civic Center in Arcadia. Eighteen trees grown by club members were sold at the event. This included several grapefruit and tangerine trees that sold for more than $200 each, and the grand champion …

project

Environmental Review Required Before Project Implementation

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

(USDA/FSA) — The National Environmental Policy Act requires federal agencies to consider all potential environmental impacts for federally-funded projects before the project is approved. For all Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs, an environmental review must be completed before actions are approved, such as site preparation or ground disturbance. These programs include, but are not limited to, the Tree Assistance Program, Emergency …

sales

Florida Grove Sales and Prices Reported

Ernie NeffMarket

SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate summarized Florida citrus land sales in 2019 during the company’s annual Land Conference Feb. 27-28. Company founder and managing director Dean Saunders pointed out that citrus acreage in Florida is approximately half of its pre-HLB disease level. He said the 300 boxes of production that are now considered good would have been a …

Algal Spot: A Re-emerging Disease

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Megan M. Dewdney Algal spot has not been seen frequently for many years, but in the last few years I have been getting more questions about identification and management. The disease is caused by a green alga, Cephaleuros virescens. The alga is not considered a parasite, as it grows superficially, but it does cause damage to trees if left …

graft

Some Scions Incompatible With US-1283 Rootstock

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release, Rootstocks

By Kim D. Bowman and Ute Albrecht The US-1283 rootstock was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2014, based on field performance with Hamlin 1-4-1 sweet orange in trials at two different locations in Florida severely affected by huanglongbing disease. One of these trials was in St. Lucie County and of 14 years duration, while the second …

nutrition

Nutrition Questions in Need of Answers

Ernie NeffNutrition

A sheet of “Nutrient Management Concept Questions” was passed out at the January Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board meeting in Fort Pierce. It included questions that growers and researchers have agreed need to be answered in future nutrition-related research funded by CRDF. Rick Dantzler, CRDF chief operating officer, explains how the questions were developed. “We had a Nutrition …

Oranges

Working Toward Better Juice Oranges

Ernie NeffAll In For Citrus Podcast, Orange Juice

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) geneticist and plant breeder Jude Grosser discusses the need for new juice oranges and some new cultivar choices. Grosser says one reason for new varieties is the decline in orange juice sales. “In my opinion, the best way to combat that is to have a higher quality orange juice that’s …

PIECES OF THE PAST: Paying Tribute to Pioneers

Tacy CalliesPieces of the Past

Recently, I came across an old letter A.F. Camp wrote to John T. Lesley in 1979. I thought it was so interesting that I shared it with the members of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Selection Committee. I wanted them to think about how hard things were “back in the day” in considering the contributions of some of the …

HLB

Root Health Update

Ernie NeffRoot health

Evan Johnson, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant pathologist at the Citrus Research and Education Center, updates efforts to help citrus tree roots cope with HLB. He starts by noting that around 10 years ago he and former UF/IFAS researcher Jim Graham discovered “that HLB causes severe damage to the root system.” They hoped …

Tim Hurner Receives Recognition

Tacy CalliesAwards

Tim Hurner will be inducted into the Florida Association of County Agricultural Agents (FACAA) Hall of Fame at the annual Extension Professional Associations of Florida meeting in Panama City in September. Hurner served Highlands County as the citrus Extension agent and county director for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 2019. …

Planning for Foliar Disease Management in 2020

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Megan Dewdney and Evan Johnson In 2019, the trend of fewer problems with foliar fungal diseases for Florida citrus continued, which was good news for the industry. Despite the El Niño conditions during the spring, little postbloom fruit drop (PFD) was observed because the temperatures were low (< 75 F) when it rained during bloom. The southern parts of …

orange juice

Senate Wants Orange Juice to Flow Again

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release, Legislative, Orange Juice

(NSF) — Travelers might again get a free cup of Florida’s homegrown beverage when they cross the state line, through funding tucked in the Senate’s proposed budget. But helping the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) bring back free orange juice could hinge on a bigger debate, as the operations of state welcome centers remain locked in a legislative battle about …

Managing Orange Production Costs

Ernie NeffEconomics, Production

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension economist Ariel Singerman discusses a recent article he wrote titled “How Much Can Florida Growers Afford to Spend on Caretaking Processed Orange Groves?” The article addresses the grove management decisions growers must make in the face of recent orange price declines. It points out that an average grower would …