March

All In For Citrus Podcast, February 2025

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast

In the February episode of the All In For Citrus podcast, Michael Rogers provides an update on activities at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. He said the beginning of the year is the time when current and future projects are evaluated. “The months of February and …

weather

Foliar Disease Watch in Florida

Daniel CooperDiseases, Tip of the Week

By Megan Dewdney Spring is the time to start thinking about foliar disease management in Florida. Depending on the type of citrus being produced and the market destination, different diseases will be important. POSTBLOOM FRUIT DROP The disease that affects all citrus, particularly oranges, is postbloom fruit drop (PFD). This disease is highly dependent on the weather during bloom. Currently, …

brassinosteroids

When to Apply Brassinosteroids to Improve Valencia Fruit Quality

Daniel CooperPGRs, Tip of the Week

By Fernando Alferez and Divya Aryal Like the work being done with Hamlin sweet orange, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are studying the effect of brassinosteroids (BRs) on the internal maturation of Valencia sweet orange fruits. The conditions of the treatments are the same as in Hamlin: A treatment of 186 milliliters of BR …

survey

Survey Shows Popular Scions and Rootstocks

Daniel CooperRootstocks, Survey, Varieties

The Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey seeks input from growers on key issues affecting their groves. The survey has been conducted for many years, has tracked the trajectory of HLB and reported on production practices. While not a scientific survey, it has reflected general trends over the years. Last month, we published results on trunk-injection therapy and the …

CRDF

CRDF Approves Funding for Key Research Projects

Daniel CooperCRDF, Research

Rick Dantzler, Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) chief operating officer, reported that the foundation’s January board of directors meeting was a productive one that resulted in the approval of several key citrus research projects. “We had a great meeting. The board approved funding to use a strain of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to kill the progeny of psyllids,” Dantzler said. …

herbicide tolerance

Strategies for Managing Herbicide Tolerance

Daniel CooperTip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery Tackling herbicide tolerance in weeds is a critical aspect of effective weed control in citrus groves. It helps prevent both current and future weed management challenges. Herbicide tolerance occurs when certain weed species naturally survive and reproduce after herbicide treatment. Unlike herbicide resistance, where genetic changes allow weeds to survive and spread, herbicide tolerance doesn’t involve any …

Sneak Peek: February 2025 Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

The citrus section in the February issue of Specialty Crop Grower is coming soon. It’s full of features for growers to dive into. First up is part two of results from the Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey. (See part one here.) Learn out what percent of growers say they are replanting and how many are participating in the …

nutrient management

Rejuvenate HLB Trees With Precision Nutrient Management

Daniel CooperNutrition, Tip of the Week

By Meryam Manzoor, Jamie D. Burrow, Taylor Livingston and Tripti Vashisth Effective nutrient management and accurate nutritional analysis are critical for tree growth and maximum yield. Historically, nutrient management for healthy citrus trees involved annual leaf sampling from July to August, with subsequent fertilization plans based on a single nutrient analysis. Almost all commercial citrus groves in Florida are affected …

priorities

Top Priorities: HLB Resistance and Hurricane Recovery

Daniel CooperHLB Management, hurricane

With 2024 in the rear view mirror, we asked leaders of key citrus organizations what their priorities are for this year. Here’s what they had to say. TREE OF THE FUTURE “For the last 2.5 years, our research strategy at the Citrus Research and Development Foundation has been to kill the bacteria that causes HLB — Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) …

hlb

Weathering the HLB Storm

Daniel CooperHLB Management

Specialty crop growers might be aware of the disease sweeping through Florida’s citrus industry. Its impact has been tremendous and has tested the survival of the state’s signature crop. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the official confirmation of citrus greening disease (also known as huanglongbing or HLB) in Florida. In the past two decades, the state’s output …

milton

Survey Tracks Hurricane Milton Impacts and OTC Usage

Daniel Cooperhurricane, planting, Survey

The Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey seeks input from growers on key issues affecting their groves. While not a scientific survey, it has reflected general trends over the years. This year’s survey asked growers to weigh in on major events like the impact of Hurricane Milton and the performance of trunk-injection therapies. HURRICANE MILTON Hurricane Milton made landfall …

navel oranges

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Navel Oranges After OTC and Milton’s Impact

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source

By Peter Chaires As fall approached and Hurricane Milton was not yet on the radar, growers were quietly discussing promising results from oxytetracycline (OTC) therapy. As one would expect, results are as variable as the products, methods of application and factors in the field. However, the view from 40,000 feet was encouraging. Growers not only reported positive observations in their …

controls

Controls Needed to Effectively Evaluate Treated Trees

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Ute Albrecht, Gabriel Pugina and Caroline Tardivo Two years have passed since trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) was approved for HLB management in Florida. Many growers have adopted this technology. While most reported positive responses, others did not. The plant physiology team at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education …

root recovery

Making the Most of ReMedium TI® Injections

Daniel CooperHLB Management, OTC Expert

Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: How do I get the best performance out of my ReMedium TI® injections? Tom Johnson: Getting the most out of your ReMedium TI® injections begins by properly evaluating individual tree size and tree health. While that may sound …

alico

Alico on Harvesting, Hurricanes and OTC Treatments

Daniel CooperHarvesting, hurricane

Alico Citrus in Florida harvested 3.1 million boxes of oranges for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, an increase of 14.7% from the prior year. That’s slightly higher than the 13.5% increase for the Florida citrus industry as a whole. HARVEST AND PRICES Alico harvested 1.194 million boxes of early- and mid-season oranges for juice in the recent fiscal …

December

Sneak Peek: December 2024 Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperSneak Peek

Citrus Industry magazine has been proudly serving growers for more than a century. In the December issue, AgNet Media announces some important changes to the 105-year-old brand. Beginning in January of next year, Citrus Industry content will become a part of Specialty Crop Grower magazine. The Citrus Industry website and weekly e-news will continue as is. Learn about the reason …

root recovery

Positive Early Harvest Reports

Daniel CooperHarvesting, HLB Management, OTC Expert

Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions on trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: Are there any 2024–25 early harvest reports that have come from citrus growers using ReMedium TI®? Tom Johnson: Yes. There are several reports, but some of the numbers still need to be confirmed before they are reported. However, I …

trunk-injection

Grower Meeting Features Trunk-Injection Results and Hurricane Relief

Daniel CooperEvents, HLB Management, hurricane

Florida Citrus Mutual hosted a grower informational meeting on Nov. 13 at Kenny and Cookie Sanders’ Grove House in Zolfo Springs. About 80 citrus growers gathered for the event to hear more about the latest research on trunk-injection therapy and discuss recovery efforts after Hurricane Milton. Ute Albrecht, associate professor of plant physiology with the University of Florida Institute of …

root recovery

Increased Yields Are Significant Return on Investment

Daniel CooperHLB Management, OTC Expert

Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: How is ReMedium TI® performing in the fight against citrus greening? Tom Johnson: The reported overall performance of ReMedium TI® has been stellar over the last two years. The reports from the second year of injections are just …

Hamlin

Apply Brassinosteroids to Improve Hamlin Brix

Daniel CooperHLB Management, PGRs, Tip of the Week

By Fernando Alferez and Divya Aryal Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of plant growth regulators with several effects on plant growth and development. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) work in the last few years has shown that BR treatments may influence internal maturity in Hamlin sweet orange if performed at the right time. Research has …