Citrus thrips

California Growers Gear Up for Citrus Thrips Threat

Daniel Cooper California Corner, Pests

Citrus thrips caused serious problems for many California growers last year. This year, growers appear to be gearing up in case it is another bad season for thrips. “Going into this spring, there’s a lot of eyes on it,” said Colby Campbell, general manager of Cobblestone Fruit. “Everybody’s watching, and I think everybody has made preparations. Guys have called ahead …

nutrient availability

The Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Availability

Daniel Cooper Nutrition

By Chris Oswalt Soil pH influences nutrient availability. This article considers the specific fate of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soils with elevated pH values. The discussion also assumes that these effects would be similar to conditions in the wetted zone where micro-sprinkler irrigation has raised soil pH. NITROGEN Soil pH can affect several reactions involving nitrogen in the soil …

testing

University of Georgia Lab Offers HLB Testing

Daniel Cooper Georgia, HLB Management

The University of Georgia’s (UGA) Plant Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (MDL) on the Tifton campus is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified lab performing huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) testing. It offers the advanced test to commercial growers, homeowners, nurseries, Extension and research personnel and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The molecular test per sample costs $80. Candidatus Liberibacter species associated with HLB …

california

California Citrus Growers Anticipate Good Year Despite Challenges

Daniel Cooper California Corner, Pests, Production

Two California citrus industry leaders recently shared their perspectives on the prospects of the industry.  Al Bates, chief executive officer and president of Sun Pacific, said the yield for this year’s crop is mediocre but that “the fruit size is larger and ideal from a consumer perspective.”  The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) projected a 1% increase in …

production

Turkish Lemon and Grapefruit Production to Rise

Daniel Cooper Crop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projects that lemon and grapefruit production in Türkiye (previously known as Turkey) will both increase in 2023–24. LEMON Lemon production is forecast to increase 20% to 1.58 million metric tons (MMT). The increase is due to favorable weather conditions during spring 2023. Half of the total lemon production in Türkiye …

panel

Gulf Citrus Grower Panel Discusses Trunk Injection

Daniel Cooper Events, Gulf, HLB Management

The Gulf Citrus Growers Association recently hosted a grower panel at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee to discuss experiences and results of trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) to treat HLB. Participating in the panel were Ron English, Florida’s Natural Growers/Ranch 1; David Wheeler, Wheeler Farms; and …

Crop Transformation Center

Crop Transformation Center Takes Aim at HLB Resistance

Daniel Cooper Breeding, HLB Management, Research

By Frank Giles The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has established itself as a leader in new technological frontiers like artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, the school has the 15th most powerful computer in the world. The HiPerGator, as the computer is called, will assist in AI development and on many other technological fronts. Another …

Scouting Tools and Tactics

Tacy Callies CEU

By Matt Smith Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. This article is an updated version of a previous article, “Scouting: The Tip of the IPM Spear,” published in the …

How Mexico Has Dealt With HLB

Tacy Callies HLB Management, Mexico

Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recently pointed out ways the country has successfully dealt with huanglongbing (HLB), the most devastating disease of citrus worldwide. The ministry reported that the disease has triggered socioeconomic problems in other citrus-producing countries and regions in the Americas, Africa and Asia. “With appropriate agronomic-phytosanitary management, the life of affected trees can be prolonged, …

New AgTech Expo Looks at Rapidly Moving Sector

Tacy Callies Events, Technology

The Gulf Citrus Growers Association and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center presented the Florida AgTech and AI Expo in Punta Gorda on Dec. 14. The event showcased emerging trends in technology and how some farms are putting ag technology to work in the real world. In addition to …

impacts

Potential Climate Change Impacts on South American and South African Citrus

Daniel Cooper International, Weather

Like most speakers in a recent World Citrus Organisation (WCO) climate change discussion, those addressing South America and South Africa focused on potential impacts rather than already observed impacts. SOUTH AMERICA “Whether we are negationist or pro-climate change, we should agree that something wrong is occurring in our sector,” stated a slide from Oscar Salgado, an agricultural engineer and fruit …

climate change

Climate Change Impacts Mediterranean Citrus

Daniel Cooper International, Production, Weather

Turkey’s citrus industry has already experienced effects from climate change, Okan Ozkaya, professor at Cukurova University, reported in a recent World Citrus Organisation (WCO) presentation. His presentation was titled Impact of Climate Change in the Citrus Sector in Turkey and the Broader Eastern Mediterranean Area. “Climate change has been a scenario for many years, but we started to see the …

citrus crop forecast

Congressmen Urge USDA to Buy California Navels

Daniel Cooper California Corner, Fresh

Four California congressmen recently asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack to have the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) buy $100 million worth of California navels. The orange purchase would help alleviate the impacts of storms. The letter from Congressmen Jim Costa, David Valadao, Doug LaMalfa and Josh Harder follows: We write in support of the Section 32 request submitted …

Follow Flower Bud Induction Advisories

Josh McGill Production, Tip of the Week

By Tripti Vashisth Florida flower bud induction advisories for the upcoming season start on Nov. 15. These advisories will be published biweekly until March 30, 2024. The goals of flower bud advisories are to inform growers about the status of the tree in respect to floral bud induction and to predict bloom. This is critical information since the horticultural practices …

Fruit World on Certification, California’s Citrus Season and More

Josh McGill California Corner

Fresh fruit produce company Fruit World announced its recent Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) certification out of its Reedley, California facility. The company also reported that the California citrus season is late this year, and that Fruit World’s chief executive officer will participate on a panel discussing the upcoming Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule. According to Equitable Food Initiative’s website, it …

The Push for Pruning in Brazil’s Dense Groves

Josh McGill Brazil, Pruning

Due to major problems with pests and diseases, Brazilian producers have adopted alternative practices, such as dense planting, Fundecitrus’ Citricultor magazine recently reported. These practices reduce costs, increase yield and achieve a faster return on investment. As a result of this trend, new production practices are needed to improve management, including the frequent pruning of trees, which is essential in …

tool

Psyllids Reach Historically High Levels in Brazil

Josh McGill Brazil, HLB Management, Psyllids

Populations of Asian citrus psyllids in the Brazilian states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais have hit historically high levels, Fundecitrus recently reported. Fundecitrus described the development as “alarming” because the psyllids spread citrus greening disease.  Reversing the situation requires immediate and joint action among citrus growers in the same micro-region, Fundecitrus stated. It reported that in the first half …

Capitalize on Cooperative Research

Josh McGill Research, Tip of the Week

By Larry Duncan The growers advising the Citrus Research and Development Foundation understand very well the importance of cooperative research projects between growers and scientists. Several years ago, they earmarked a portion of research funding, not for carefully managed laboratory experiments or small plot trials at state, federal or private research centers, but rather for grower-run trials testing potential HLB …

Recovery Will Require a Multipronged Management Program

Josh McGill HLB Management, hurricane, Production

By Michael Rogers The 2022–23 Florida harvest season is now behind us. Yield losses magnified by the weather events this past season position the next couple of years as “make or break” for many growers. The lingering effects of hurricane Ian will impact next season’s crop as trees continue to recover and balance out canopy regrowth with fruit production. Despite …

Repurposing Tools to Tackle HLB

Josh McGill HLB Management

By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP The hurricane-battered harvest numbers don’t show it, but we’re in a much better place in developing scientific solutions for managing HLB than we were a year ago. That’s because our scientists have discovered that tools invented to solve other problems can help address your one big problem. GIBBERELLIC ACIDFor example, gibberellic acid (GA) has …