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 Impacts Mediterranean Citrus
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 …
Congressmen Urge USDA to Buy California Navels
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
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
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
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 …
Psyllids Reach Historically High Levels in Brazil
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
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
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
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 …
Safeguard Produce Supply, Coalition Urges
The Global Coalition of Fresh Produce recently called on national and international policymakers to implement measures to safeguard the supply of affordable and safe fruits and vegetables worldwide. The coalition also sought to ensure the viability of the fruit and vegetable industry. The coalition made the requests in a report titled Global Value Chains for Fresh Produce: An Urgent Call …
Updates on Florida Citrus Diseases
Researcher Megan Dewdney recently provided updates on citrus canker, postbloom fruit drop (PFD) and algal spot. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor of plant pathology at the Citrus Research and Education Center. CANKERFruit is most susceptible to canker when it is from 3/8 to 1.5 inches in diameter, Dewdney said. The fruit’s …
Grower Sees More Damage From Season’s Second Freeze
Another freeze event last weekend could spell doom for some citrus trees produced in the cold-hardy citrus region. Kim Jones, president of the Cold Hardy Citrus Association, discussed the dire situation facing growers in the region. “I think we had some damage to some new growth that had come out from the last freeze. I can’t tell how much, but …
Postharvest Water Requirements for Packers
By Clara Diekman, Micah Gallagher, Taylor O’Bannon and Michelle Danyluk Compliance dates for all water associated with the Produce Safety Rule (PSR, Subpart E) has previously been delayed, pending completion of the rule. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in the fall of 2022 that postharvest water requirements in the PSR will be enforced on large farms beginning …
Bugs Under the Covers
Individual protective covers (IPCs) do an excellent job keeping HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) out of young citrus trees, showing a 99.6% reduction in ACP compared to control trees. But they don’t provide “one and done” pest control, according to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock. In fact, IPCs “create a perfect environment …
Seeing Success With Louisiana Citrus Grown Indoors
A three-year Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSU AgCenter) study is investigating the pros and cons of growing citrus inside or in containers. “So far, we are finding that the pros are outnumbering cons,” said Anna Timmerman, LSU AgCenter horticulture agent in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. Early results of Timmerman’s research show that growing citrus indoors produces a high-quality …
The Essential Elements of Reset Management
By Mongi Zekri For maximum efficiency of a grove, it is essential that every location is occupied by a tree and that every tree is healthy. Prompt replacement of dead and declining trees means higher average long-term returns from the grove. If the declining trees remain in the grove, they keep getting weaker and yield less fruit each year. Therefore, …
Fundecitrus Researchers Attend Citrus Congress
Researchers from Brazil’s Fundecitrus participated in the 14th International Citrus Congress held in Mersin, Turkey, Nov. 6–11. The event brought together participants from public and private research institutions, as well as the production and commercial sectors of citrus. Representatives from 28 countries participated in the congress, including the United States, South Africa, Australia, Israel and several countries in Europe. Fundecitrus …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Growers Recall the Way It Used To Be
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette It’s hard to imagine how the early pioneers managed to grow, pick, pack and ship their fruit without the technological means we have today. In doing various oral history interviews this year, that point was really brought home to me. One grower recalled how irrigating his family’s grove meant moving the actual water pipes manually from …
Peel Protection Key for Citrus Growers
Citrus growers producing for the fresh market should always ensure their fruit’s peel remains unblemished and without defect. This will protect the fruit against infection and consumers choosing not to purchase the fruit. Mark Ritenour, professor of postharvest technology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, spoke during the recent Cold-Hardy Citrus Field Day at the …