Canker Is Manageable, Grower Crop Advisor Says

Ernie Neff Grapefruit, Pests

Tom Stopyra, technical crop advisor for the Packers of Indian River, told more than 75 growers at an Immokalee seminar last week how his company gets excellent canker management utilizing a four-pronged program: “You have to control the leafminer. You have to have frequent copper sprays at a lower rate. You have to have windbreaks and sanitation, which is the …

BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS IN A UNIQUE PRODUCT FOR HLB MANAGEMENT

Morgan Cole Sponsored Content

BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS IN A UNIQUE PRODUCT FOR HLB MANAGEMENT A groundbreaking study recently conducted by renowned Brazilian agro-science has resulted in a formula for the effective management of citrus greening, a disease that has severely affected citriculture in Brazil and worldwide for a long time. It was in the laboratories of the Citrus Center of the Agronomic Institute of …

impactful

PIECES OF THE PAST: An Impactful Citrus Sisterhood

Daniel Cooper Miss Florida Citrus, Pieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette It’s amazing to see how impactful the Florida Citrus Queens have been in marketing our crops! From swimming with dolphins to posing on top of the sign for the host hotel of the annual pageant, these women worked overtime to sell Florida citrus. Dick Pope, founder of Cypress Gardens, was a master at using the Florida …

citrus-producing

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Implications of New Citrus-Producing States

Daniel Cooper Citrus Nursery Source

After Alabama was recently designated a “citrus-producing state,” there were questions on how this might impact the movement of citrus plant material and fruit. Citrus Nursery Source reached out to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Plant Industry and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA-APHIS-PPQ) …

pests

Freeze Does Not Have the Same Effect on All Pests

Daniel Cooper Cold Hardy, freeze, Pests

The Christmas freeze event in 2022 affected some insect pests in the cold-hardy citrus region more so than others, according to Xavier Martini. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor spoke about his findings during the recent Citrus Health Forum held at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy. Martini addressed …

CRISPR

CRISPR Is Bringing Citrus Closer to HLB Resistance

Daniel Cooper Breeding, HLB Management, Research

You’ve probably heard the term CRISPR in recent years. It is a relatively new breakthrough in science that has applications in human health and even in the fight against HLB. Nian Wang, a professor of microbiology and cell science with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), has been on the forefront of CRISPR research. Here …

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 …

trunk-injection

Fall Tree Health After Initial Trunk-Injection Treatments

Daniel Cooper HLB Management

By Frank Giles and Maegan Beatty As growers deployed their first application of oxytetracycline (OTC) via trunk-injection this summer, expectations were high but tempered by the fact the therapy is not expected to turn the massive HLB ship around in just one season. By this fall, after the seasonal cooldown, growers were still reporting generally positive signs from the treatments. …

february

All In For Citrus Podcast, January 2024

Tacy Callies All In For Citrus Podcast

If you grow citrus in Florida, you’ve probably heard the term CRISPR used in discussions about gene editing to find HLB resistance. CRISPR is complicated science but holds great promise in fighting both human and plant diseases. At the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Nian Wang, a professor of microbiology and cell science, has been …

weed management

Brassinosteroid and Weed Management Research Updated

Daniel Cooper HLB Management, weeds

Brassinosteroids for HLB-infected trees and the latest on year-round weed management were discussed at a Jan. 17 OJ Break at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, Florida. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt hosted the event. UF/IFAS assistant professors Fernando Alferez and Ramdas Kanissery made the presentations …

New Center to Accelerate HLB Solutions

Tacy Callies Breeding, Technology

By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP My job is to help you make money. By changing the way the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) does business in pursuing citrus solutions, I hope to change your business for the better. We’ve just launched a UF/IFAS Crop Transformation Center (CTC). It has the potential to speed delivery …

PIECES OF THE PAST: Gratitude for Growing Florida Citrus

Tacy Callies Pieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette December is always a favorite month for me. It’s a time to reflect on the trials and tribulations from the past year and a time to be thankful for the blessings in our lives that have brought us through difficulties. December brings anticipation for the upcoming year and what lies ahead. For citrus growers, December also …

Alabama Designated as Commercial Citrus Producer

Tacy Callies Diseases, Regulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) announced it has designated Alabama as a commercial citrus-producing area. This action provides Alabama with protections that are afforded under the citrus canker regulations applying to commercial citrus-producing states. USDA APHIS regulates the interstate movement of certain plants, plant parts and other articles from areas of the …

Florida Citrus: The Road Back

Tacy Callies Economics, Florida

By Tom Spreen The Florida citrus industry has experienced a difficult stretch of years since the record crop year of 2003–04, when over 240 million 90-pound boxes of oranges were produced. INDUSTRY DECLINEIn 2004, multiple hurricanes crisscrossed the Florida peninsula. They were the first hurricanes to hit the citrus-producing area of Florida since Hurricane Dora in 1964. The hurricanes themselves …

phytophthora diseases

Phytophthora Diseases in California Citrus

Daniel Cooper California Corner, Diseases

Greg Douhan with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) recently wrote about phytophthora diseases in California citrus. Edited excerpts follow: There are at least four species of Phytophthora species (P. citrophthora, P. parasitica, P. syringae and P. hibernalis) associated with citrus in California. The three diseases in citrus caused by these fungal-like pathogens are phytophthora root rot, phytophthora …

areas

Fundecitrus Repudiates Articles About Citrus Greening

Daniel Cooper Brazil, Citrus Greening

Fundecitrus says it repudiates recent articles that claim productivity in Brazil’s São Paulo and Minas Gerais citrus belt will be reduced by 60% in the next five years due to citrus greening disease. Fundecitrus says Chilean and Spanish news portals published such reports on Nov. 14.  According to Fundecitrus, this information is not valid, nor was it ever provided by …

IPCs Prove to Be Game-Changer in Citrus Production

Josh McGill IPCs, Production

By Amir Rezazadeh Citrus trees face many threats that can impact fruit development and overall tree health. Pests, including aphids, mites and other insects, can damage fruit and transmit diseases. Extreme weather events, such as hailstorms or heavy rains, can cause physical harm, leading to blemishes and reduced market value. In addition, citrus growers have faced persistent challenges because of …

Trekking Toward HLB-Resistant Trees

Josh McGill Breeding, HLB Management, Research

By Michael Rogers Much has been discussed recently about the promise and potential of utilizing CRISPR technology to create HLB-resistant trees for Florida’s citrus growers. The primary objective in citrus gene editing is to develop new varieties that are resistant to HLB disease while remaining non-transgenic. To achieve this goal, researchers make alterations to or eliminate specific genes within the …

Insights on India’s Citrus Industry

Josh McGill HLB Management, International

Fundecitrus researcher Franklin Behlau lectured about canker and HLB and participated in other ways at the recent Asian Citrus Congress in Nagpur, India. His lecture addressed the advancement of HLB (also known as greening) in the Brazilian citrus belt and the work carried out by Fundecitrus in combating HLB and canker. Behlau also moderated a technical session and participated in …