budget

Florida Budget Includes $47 Million for Citrus

Daniel Cooper financial, Florida, Legislative

Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) recently reported that the Florida Legislature’s fiscal year 2024–25 budget includes $47 million to aid the state’s citrus industry. The funding for various programs is: Additionally, the Florida Legislature’s budget includes a $100 million annual appropriation for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which aims to protect working agricultural operations from development by establishing conservation easements. …

Florida Citrus Show

Visit the Vegetable Learning Stations at the Florida Citrus Show

Daniel Cooper Events, FCS24

Vegetable learning stations will be open at the Florida Citrus Show for growers to visit with experts on various production-oriented topics. The stations will be in the lobby of the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce. Plan to visit the stations from 2:00–2:30 p.m. or after the vegetable speakers’ session concludes. The learning stations will feature the following topics: …

2024 Seminar Program

HomeAttendSeminarsHotelExhibitSponsorSeminar schedule times are subject to change.Wednesday, April 3, 20248:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Registration at Trade Show EntranceDon’t wait in line, pre-register today!8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Breakfast in Trade Show Hall8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Trade Show OpenVisit exhibitor booths!11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Tailgate PartyTry exhibitor’s tailgate food and vote for your favorite!morning …

growers

Highlands Growers Learn More About Crop Transformation Center

Daniel Cooper Events, HLB Management

The Highlands County Citrus Growers Association hosted its annual meeting and banquet in early March in Sebring, Florida. The event was well attended. Growers were mostly in good spirits, hoping that trunk-injection therapy will be the bridge to the next breakthrough to return citrus production and quality to viable levels. Most believe the ultimate HLB solution will come in the …

Zambon

All In For Citrus Podcast: Meet Flavia Zambon

Daniel Cooper All In For Citrus Podcast

Last year, Flavia Zambon was named University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of production horticulture of citrus and other tree crops. She is based at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce. In the February episode of All In For Citrus, Zambon discussed her new position and how she plans …

hlb

Discovery Speeds Push for HLB-Tolerant Citrus

Daniel Cooper Breeding, Orange Juice, Research

It’s one thing for a hybrid citrus tree to tolerate HLB, but quite another thing for it to produce orange-like fruit that makes delicious orange juice (OJ). That holy grail of traits could be nearer, thanks to a team of U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientists. …

florida citrus show

The Florida Citrus Show Is a Month Away!

Daniel Cooper Events, FCS24

Citrus and specialty crop growers are invited to gather on April 3 in Fort Pierce at the Florida Citrus Show. The event takes place at the Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S Horticultural Research Laboratory. The trade show and breakfast begin at 8:00 a.m. Take the time to network with exhibitors before the general session begins at …

production

Turkish Tangerine Production to Soar

Daniel Cooper Crop Forecast, International

Tangerine production in 2023–24 in Türkiye (previously known as Turkey) is forecast to increase 55% to 2.88 million metric tons (MMT), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). The huge increase is due to favorable spring rains and temperature conditions during blossoming in March 2023. The yield in Türkiye’s Aegean region is expected to increase …

Switzerland

Studying Citrus Greening in Switzerland

Daniel Cooper Citrus Greening, HLB Management, Research

Lukas Hallman is about to embark on an internship in Switzerland to investigate the vascular system of trees affected by citrus greening. Hallman is in his final year of a Ph.D. program in horticultural sciences at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center. He is under the guidance of Lorenzo …

clean

Establishing Clean Breaks and Verification in Packinghouses

Daniel Cooper Food Safety, Packing, Tip of the Week

By Clara Diekman, Taylor O’Bannon and Michelle Danyluk Many citrus packers already rely on product lot codes to aid in the traceability of their product in the case of a contamination event. These product lots can be determined in a variety of ways, including the date of harvest, field, harvest crew, etc. Regardless of the method used to assign lot …

AgNet Media Set to Host Florida Citrus Show

Morgan Cole Events, FCS24

Citrus and specialty crop producers should mark their calendars for the upcoming Florida Citrus Show, scheduled for Wednesday, April 3, in Fort Pierce, Florida. This will be the second year of AgNet Media hosting the event, which will once again feature a tailgating theme with vendors exhibiting their products and services while sharing delicious foods. In addition, general and educational …

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 …

citrus

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: A Day of Learning About New Rootstocks and Varieties

Daniel Cooper Citrus Nursery Source, Rootstocks, Varieties

By Peter Chaires The U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory and Florida Citrus Research Foundation (FCRF) jointly held an open house, variety display and field tour at the W.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm between Leesburg and Groveland in early December. This annual event provides a great opportunity for industry members to see the latest innovations in …

Pheromone

Pheromone-Based Psyllid Control Not Viable

Daniel Cooper Brazil, Psyllids, Research

Studies with psyllid pheromones show that the insect’s behavior is altered when it is infected by the HLB-causing bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter (CLas). This makes it difficult to produce a commercial psyllid-control product based on the insect pheromone, Brazil’s Fundecitrus has concluded. “The sexual pheromone is an attractant produced by the female of the species, which promotes behavioral changes in male …

challenges

Supply Challenges and Demand Solutions

Daniel Cooper Economics, Florida Department of Citrus

By Marisa L. Zansler The landscape of the Florida citrus industry has undergone significant transformations throughout its history. Over the past decade, it has faced substantial challenges in both supply and demand. Florida orange juice (OJ) production dropped by 85%, from 615 million gallons in the 2013–14 season to an estimated 94 million gallons in 2023–24. Even as imports increased …

study

Study Analyzes the Economics of Cover Crops

Daniel Cooper Cover Crops, Economics, Research

In the face of HLB in Florida, a recent study delved into the economic viability of incorporating cover crops in citrus groves to enhance soil health and overall tree well-being. Shourish Chakravarty and Tara Wade wrote an article, Cost Analysis of Using Cover Crops in Citrus Production, about the study. Both authors are with the University of Florida Institute of …

field day

Field Day Features Mechanical Citrus Harvest

Daniel Cooper Events, Technology

By Frank Giles A recent field day showcased how technology might help citrus growers with two of their biggest challenges: sourcing labor and fighting HLB.  The event was held at Lost Lake Groves in Lake Placid, Florida, and featured machine harvest of citrus trees in an experimental super-high-density grove. The grove has 908 trees per acre and has been topped …

pgrs

PGRs: Multipurpose Tools for Citrus Improvement

Daniel Cooper PGRs, Tip of the Week

By Tripti Vashisth Canopy health of HLB-affected citrus has been directly related to disease severity, fruit drop and overall fruit production. Some success has been found with the use of certain plant growth regulators (PGRs) such as gibberellic acid (GA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) to achieve healthier trees with reduced fruit drop and increased production. HLB MANAGEMENT Application of these …

Put Research Results to Work

Morgan Cole Events, FCS24

At the Florida Citrus Show, growers will learn the latest research results that they can put to work in their groves. Doug Bournique, executive vice president of the Indian River Citrus League, encourages growers to attend the event to hear research straight from the source. The Florida Citrus Show is hosted at the University of Florida Institute of Food and …