citrus rootstock

Annual Meeting of the Florida State Horticultural Society

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

The Florida State Horticultural Society (FSHS) announces that it will hold its 131st annual meeting on June 10 through June 12, 2018, at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel located at 1617 SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With over 100 technical presentations and special sessions with invited speakers, there will also be a welcome reception, Extension luncheon, …

Foliar Nutrition Research Update

Tacy CalliesNutrition

By Rhuanito S. Ferrarezi, Alan L. Wright, Kelly T. Morgan, Philip A. Stansly, Monica Ozores-Hampton and Robert Ebel Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening is endemic in Florida, resulting in billions of dollars of losses since the state’s first detection in 2005. The disease induces visual symptoms in leaves and branches, while severely impacting citrus fruit yield and quality. Fibrous root …

Living with Yellow Dragon Disease

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Nutrition

A grower nutrition survey reveals production practices for successful HLB management. By Tripti Vashisth and Christopher Vincent These days, in nearly every conversation about HLB, mineral nutrition comes up in some way. It seems that in a conversation between three people, there will be about four opinions on what, why, where and how to provide nutrition to citrus trees in …

California Watershed Order Revised

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner

The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) recently adopted significant revisions to the Eastern San Joaquin River Watershed Agricultural Order. The order will impact all irrigated regulatory programs statewide, including those that do not currently operate with a coalition system as in the Central Valley. Two years ago, the SWRCB released the first draft of revisions to the order …

irrigation

Water and Nutrient Tips for HLB

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Irrigation, Nutrition

  University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Davie Kadyampakeni offers water and nutrient management tips for HLB-affected trees. He was a presenter at a recent citrus nutrient management seminar in Immokalee hosted by multi-county citrus Extension agent Mongi Zekri. The seminar drew approximately 60 people to the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. Kadyampakeni’s tips include …

Tools for Integrated Management of Citrus Psyllids and Leafminers

Tacy CalliesPests, Psyllids, Research

By Jawwad A. Qureshi, Philip A. Stansly and Lukasz L. Stelinski Pest management has always been important for citrus production in Florida. It has become even more critical following invasion of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and citrus leafminer (CLM), due to their association with huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening) and canker diseases, respectively. ACP and CLM develop and reproduce …

An Inside Look at Brazil’s Citrus Production Practices

Tacy CalliesProduction

By Stephen Futch and Ariel Singerman This article summarizes observations on citrus production during a June 2017 trip to Araraquara and the Southwest region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW The citrus industry in São Paulo is divided into five production regions (North, Northwest, Central, South and Southwest). This regional classification is based upon climatic characteristics and …

citrus greening

UF/IFAS Researchers Awarded $10.5M to Work on HLB Resistance/Tolerance

Daniel CooperCitrus, Citrus Greening, Industry News Release, Research

With citrus greening devastating Florida’s $8.6 billion-a-year citrus industry, three University of Florida scientists will use $10.52 million in federal grants to study ways to help growers cope with the disease, including research on genetic editing that may produce potentially resistant fruit and trees. Since greening — or huanglongbing (HLB) — was first reported in Florida in 2005, Florida’s citrus …

citrus greening

USDA Invests in Fighting Citrus Greening Disease

Daniel CooperCitrus, Citrus Greening, Industry News Release, Research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced awards to combat citrus greening disease. The funding to support research and Extension programs is made through the emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program (CDRE). CDRE was authorized as part of the 2014 Farm Bill. “The need to advance research and Extension to develop management …

Root Weevil Management: Above and Below Ground

Tacy CalliesPests

By Jawwad A. Qureshi and Larry Duncan Root weevils are a major pest group for many kinds of plants, with at least nine species that colonize citrus. Species commonly infesting citrus include Diaprepes root weevil (Diaprepes abbreviates), blue-green citrus root weevils (Pachnaeus litus and Pachnaeus opalus), little leaf notcher (Artipus floridanus), Fuller rose beetle (Asynonychus godmani) and Sri Lanka weevil …

HLB

Tools for Growing Citrus in the HLB Era

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Production

Economist Tom Spreen thinks advanced production systems (APS) and citrus under protective screen (CUPS) offer hope for some growers in the face of HLB. Spreen, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor emeritus, discussed APS and CUPS at a recent Gulf Citrus Growers Association economic seminar in LaBelle. Spreen says growing with APS “means you have …

cold

FAWN’s Cold Protection Toolkit Explained

Ernie NeffFreeze Protection

Citrus growers and other agriculturists can use the Florida Automated Weather Network’s (FAWN) Cold Protection Toolkit to make decisions when using irrigation for cold protection. FAWN Project Manager Rick Lusher provides an overview of what he calls the toolkit’s “step-by-step guide.” “You can look at a four-day forecast from the National Weather Service, and then you can go down to …

grapefruit

Events Educate Growers on Cold-Tolerant Citrus

Jaci SchreckengostFreeze Protection, Top

Events across the Southeast are being held to help meet growers’ needs for information and resources on growing cold-tolerant citrus. Many north Florida and south Georgia growers are interested in these crops as weather patterns begin to shift. One event was Cold Tolerant Citrus Production for the Southeastern Coastal Plain, held on Dec. 13. “We’re trying to have a meeting …

Freeze Probability and Protection Efforts

Ernie NeffFreeze Protection

Florida hasn’t had a widespread tree-killing citrus freeze in years. That’s very fortunate since the industry has been dealing with the highly destructive HLB disease since 2005 and with negative impacts of Hurricane Irma since September. However, a damaging freeze is always a possibility at this time of year. Consequently, multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt held a winter weather …

Growing Citrus in the HLB Era

Tacy CalliesHLB Management

By Jim Gravley The entire citrus industry has changed since the arrival of HLB (citrus greening). To ensure success and produce a quality product, the grower must adapt and truly understand the issues brought on from the infection of HLB. The disease was officially identified in 2005 in South Florida, and we are still fighting to save this great industry. …

florida citrus

Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees Chosen for 2018

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release

Two distinguished leaders will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame (FCHOF) during the 56th Citrus Celebration Luncheon on Friday, March 9, 2018, at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. L. Gene Albrigo, of Daytona Shores, and Marvin D. Kahn, of Sebring, will be honored at the luncheon, scheduled to take place at 11:30 a.m. Gene Albrigo has led …

Update on Citrus Undercover Production Systems Research

Tacy CalliesHLB Management

By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Alan Wright and Rhuanito Ferrarezi  Authors’ note: This article was written before Hurricane Irma passed through Florida. We are still assessing the full impact and implications of storm damage to both University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus undercover production systems (CUPS) facilities and will provide updates in future articles. Citrus …

Current Challenges to Florida Citrus

Tacy CalliesCitrus Greening, Diseases

Editor’s Note: This article was written before Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida and damaged the state’s citrus industry. This article is part of the special 100th anniversary coverage of the Citrus Research and Education Center, found in the October 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. By Tom Nordlie What are the current challenges to Florida’s citrus industry? To a …

orange

Citrus Crop Forecast: Florida All Oranges at 54 Million Boxes

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast

The 2017-2018 Florida all-orange forecast released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 54 million boxes, 21 percent less than last season’s final production. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and Florida Citrus Mutual both issued statements indicating they are concerned that the forecast did not accurately account for the full damage inflicted by Hurricane Irma. Listen to the …

A Look Back at 100 Years of Citrus Innovation

Tacy CalliesHistory

By Beverly James, Alec Richman, Brad Buck, Samantha Grenrock and Tom Nordlie The year was 1917. In April, the United States entered World War I. Florida’s population was fast approaching 1 million, and agriculture was the state’s most important economic driver. Citrus cultivation, introduced to Florida 400 years earlier by Spanish explorers, had spawned an industry following the Civil War. …