Updates for Citrus Nutrient Best Management Practices

Josh McGill BMPs, Nutrition

By Kelly T. Morgan, Davie Kadyampakeni and Tripti Vashisth This article reviews current University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus fertilizer recommendations and provides updated information about recently approved recommendations for secondary macronutrients and micronutrients. Citrus growers have been very concerned about fertilizer applications and nutrient management since citrus greening (huanglongbing or HLB) was found in …

Fertilizer Exemption Issued Due to Hurricane Ian

Josh McGill BMPs, Florida, Regulation

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) recently issued an emergency rule allowing growers enrolled in best management practices (BMP) programs to apply replacement fertilizer to reestablish crops impacted by Hurricane Ian. Under the rule, producers can make those applications without fear of being out of compliance with their respective BMP manuals. The emergency rule will be in …

florida citrus

BMP Verification Visits Suspended

Josh McGill BMPs

The requirement that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) conduct Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation verification visits has been temporarily suspended for several counties impacted by Hurricane Ian. The action was taken Oct. 31 by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried. The 60-day suspension is effective for the counties of Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, …

Injectable Oxytetracycline Registered

Josh McGill Pesticides

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) on Oct. 28 granted a 24(c) special local need registration for the injection of ReMedium TI for the control or suppression of HLB. The TJ BioTech product is oxytetracycline (OTC) hydrochloride, an antibiotic. “EPA (the federal Environmental Protection Agency) has 90 days to object, but it is my understanding that growers …

Hurricane Ian Citrus Damages Could Hit $675 Million

Josh McGill Economics, hurricane

Total Florida citrus crop and tree losses from Hurricane Ian are estimated to be from $417 million to $675 million by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). FDACS’ Hurricane Ian’s Preliminary Estimates of Damage to Florida Agriculture report echoed a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) preliminary assessment of $147 million to $304 …

Industry Leaders React to Low Forecast

Josh McGill Crop Forecast

Immediately following the lowest federal crop forecast for Florida citrus in many decades, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Florida Department of Citrus Executive Director Shannon Shepp expressed optimism that the industry will strive to recover. Their statements referred to Hurricane Ian, which destroyed much fruit and damaged trees in major portions of the state’s citrus belt. The U.S. Department …

fruit fly

Oriental Fruit Fly Eradicated in Florida County

Josh McGill Florida, Pests, Regulation

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) announced on Sept. 23 that the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) has been eradicated from Pinellas County. In June, FDACS Division of Plant Industry positively identified oriental fruit flies detected during routine trapping. Additional flies were discovered during expanded trapping activities. A quarantine was established in the St. Petersburg area that …

Agencies Act to Assist Florida Agriculture

Josh McGill Florida, hurricane

Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association reported the following actions that Florida government agencies took during and after Hurricane Ian to aid impacted agricultural entities, including citrus. SUSPENSION OF WEIGHT RESTRICTIONSThe Florida Department of Transportation announced it suspended the size and weight restrictions for divisible loads on any vehicles transporting emergency equipment, services, supplies and agricultural commodities, including citrus and sugar. …

CRAFT Adds Assistant Program Manager

Josh McGill CRAFT

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation recently hired Tina Buice as assistant program manager. The Highlands County resident had previously worked for nearly two decades at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry (FDACS DPI). She was most recently an environmental specialist in the FDACS DPI Avon Park office. Through her work with …

Support for HLB Product Label Requests

Josh McGill Pesticides

Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) has been working with product registrants to gather industry support for two 24(c) label requests being presented to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). REMEDIUM TIThe first request, from TJ BioTech, is related to the use of ReMedium TI via injection in citrus trees suffering from citrus greening. Research has proven oxytetracycline injection …

Florida Black Spot Quarantine Expanded

Josh McGill Diseases, Florida, Regulation

Federal and state agriculture officials have expanded the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. They have added four sections in Collier County and five sections in Glades County. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of …

Woman of the Year in Agriculture Named

Josh McGill Awards, Florida

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) named Madeline Mellinger the 2022 Woman of the Year in Agriculture. Mellinger founded Glades Crop Care, Inc. in 1972 and is still the company’s chief operating officer. Glades Crop Care provides integrated pest management and crop counseling services to more than 65,000 acres of plants and more than 60 varieties of fresh …

Non-Certified Donaldson Trees: Limited Availability for Growers

Josh McGill Florida Department of Citrus, HLB Management

The Florida Department of Citrus’ Program for Expedited Propagation (PEP) of HLB-tolerant and resistant trees was conceived during the 2022 Florida legislative session following the discovery of the Donaldson tree among the collection at Whitmore Farms. The goal is to provide the resources needed to ramp up availability of Donaldson trees and others like it, so that growers interested in …

Oriental Fruit Flies Found in Florida

Josh McGill Florida, Pests

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has confirmed the presence of Oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis, in Pinellas County. Two male flies were captured during routine trapping in a methyl eugenol-baited fruit fly detection trap in St. Petersburg on May 17. Expanded intensified delimitation trapping over the 80-square-mile surrounding area resulted in two additional males being captured …

CRDF Recommends Lowering Box Tax Rate

Josh McGill CRDF, Regulation, Research

In May, Florida citrus growers voted on whether to continue a research order that allows them to impose a tax on their production to fund scientific studies. The referendum passed with 76% voting in favor of the self-assessment. After the vote, all eyes turned to the June Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors meeting, which was held …

Florida State Budget and OJ Action Reported

Josh McGill Florida, Legislative, Orange Juice

In a recent Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) newsletter, the grower association told how the Florida state budget addresses citrus issues and reported FCM’s position on an orange juice petition.  STRONG SUPPORTThe 2022–23 Florida state budget signed June 2 by Gov. Ron DeSantis totaled $109.9 billion and included more than $37 million in support for the state’s citrus industry. Citrus support …

Nursery Owner Wins Judgment Over Destroyed Trees

Josh McGill Citrus, Citrus Greening, Legal

The owner of a commercial nursery has won a $1.2 million judgment against the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) for the destruction of citrus trees in the 2000s, AP News reported. A jury in Orlando determined the state agency had destroyed more than 160,000 citrus plants in an effort to stop citrus greening, AP reported. The jury …

Results of the Florida Citrus Research Order Referendum

Josh McGill CRDF, Regulation, Research

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) announced that the state’s citrus growers reauthorized the Florida citrus research order in a statutorily required referendum conducted by the department. The results of the ballots returned yielded 76% “yes” votes representing 69% of total citrus acres. The Florida Citrus Research Order has a six-year cycle and is subject to renewal …

Important Clarifications on the Florida Citrus Research Order Referendum

Josh McGill CRDF, Regulation, Research

As the voting period for the Florida Citrus Research Order winds down, it is important that growers have a clear understanding what the vote is for and the role the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) plays in the process. Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of CRDF, says this clarification is important to be sure growers have the correct information, …

Program to Provide HLB-Tolerant Trees

Josh McGill Florida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus, HLB Management

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on May 18 received an update on a propagation program intended to quickly produce and commercialize trees showing tolerance or resistance to HLB disease, also known as citrus greening. The program will focus on the Donaldson tree and other escaped trees. The Donaldson is a tree at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Whitmore Farm that …