psyllids

Grove Border Control for Psyllids

Ernie NeffPsyllids

Controlling HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids along grove borders can be part of a cost-efficient psyllid control program, says University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences entomologist Lukasz Stelinski. “Psyllids are found in borders in much greater frequencies than any other place within the grove,” Stelinski says. “This is a place that they congregate … Anything that helps protect …

brazilian

What Will Come from Brazil?

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Global Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves On the supply side, Florida expects 77 million boxes of oranges this season. Valencias account for 46 million boxes, while non-Valencia represent 31 million boxes. With reports of smaller fruit, these figures may drop before the end of the processing season. SEASON STATUSIn general, the Florida weather has been favorable this season, allowing for a good …

florida citrus

Some Declines in April’s Florida Citrus Forecast

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast

ORANGESThe 2018–2019 Florida all-orange forecast released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on April 9 is 76.5 million boxes, down 1 percent from the March forecast of 77 million boxes. This includes 30.5 million boxes of non-Valencia oranges (early, midseason and Navel varieties) and 46 million boxes of Valencia oranges. Non-Valencia production is down 500,000 boxes from the March …

aphis

Hurricane Irma Raises Black Spot Threat

Ernie Neffblack spot, Diseases

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension pathologist and associate professor Megan Dewdney reported that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist Tim Gottwald thinks there’s a “fairly high” chance that Hurricane Irma spread citrus black spot. Black spot had been confined primarily to Southwest Florida, especially Collier and Hendry counties, before Irma hit the state with damaging …

Important Insurance Deadlines Are Approaching

Tacy Calliescrop insurance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds Florida citrus growers of upcoming insurance deadlines as they relate to the Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (WHIP) and the Block Grant. WHIP Requirement for Nursery CropsThe application sales closing date for crop insurance for 2020 Nursery Crops is May 1, 2019. Nursery growers who received WHIP benefits must …

WHIP/Block Grant Insurance Requirements

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

With the Florida citrus crop insurance closing date of April 15 rapidly approaching, Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) has fielded many questions about the requirements of the Hurricane Irma WHIP (Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program) and Block Grant programs. The information below, crafted by FCM, is designed to answer general questions. The information has been approved by both the Risk Management …

march

Florida Citrus Forecast: Oranges Steady; Other Crops Down

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast

The March 2018-2019 Florida all-orange forecast released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 77 million boxes, the same as the February forecast. If realized, this will be 71 percent higher than last season’s hurricane-affected production. ORANGESThe forecast for non-Valencia production has been lowered by 1 million boxes to 31 million boxes. The row count survey, conducted February 25-26, …

Florida orange

Update on the Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release

The Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant (CRBG) program continues to move forward. As of Friday, the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) had received 718 applications and submitted more than $23.6 million to financial processing. FDEM staff has been working overtime to ensure the payments are received in an efficient manner. FDEM and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management …

farm bill

Farm Bill Implementation Listening Session Open to Producers

Daniel CooperFarm Bill, Industry News Release

Register by February 22! The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is hosting a listening session in Washington, D.C., for initial input on the 2018 farm bill. USDA is seeking public input on the changes to existing programs implemented by the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency. Each agency will take into account stakeholder input when …

forecast

Grower Replanting Initiative Program for HLB in the Works

Ernie NeffHLB Management

Editor’s Note (Feb. 20, 2019): The name of the program has been changed from the Grower Replanting Initiative Program to the Citrus Research and Field Trial Program. According to Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given “concept approval” for massive Florida grower field trials to determine what existing research might work in the …

grapefruit

Grapefruit, Tangerines and Tangelos See Small Changes in Crop Forecast

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the January and February citrus crop forecasts on Feb. 8. January’s forecast had been delayed due to the government shutdown. JANUARYJanuary’s forecast showed a decrease in Florida grapefruit, tangelo and tangerine production compared to December. Grapefruit fell from 6.4 million boxes to 6.2 million boxes. Tangerines and tangelos dropped from 1.2 million boxes to …

hlb

Deadline Extended for Submitting HLB Project Applications

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

The Huanglongbing Multi-Agency Coordination (HLB MAC) group is extending the deadline for submitting project applications to Friday, March 8, 2019. Information on applying for funding, including the application template, criteria for evaluation and the submission process, is available on the HLB MAC site.  The HLB MAC funds applied research projects that are likely to deliver a useable tool in the …

February Citrus Forecast Is Confirmed

Tacy CalliesCrop Forecast

Now that the federal government has reopened, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) monthly citrus crop forecasts will resume. Mark Hudson, Florida state statistician for the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, reports that the Feb. 8 citrus forecast will take place as scheduled. At that time, the USDA will also be publishing the numbers from the Jan. 11 forecast that …

rubio

Rubio Calls on DeSantis to Disburse Citrus Aid

Daniel CooperCitrus, financial, hurricane, Industry News Release

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio implored Florida’s new governor Tuesday to start spreading disaster-relief money approved nearly a year ago to address massive citrus-industry damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017. Rubio said in a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis that money in a $343 million block grant needs to be disbursed to citrus growers. Rubio said the federal government shutdown has …

florida

Citrus Crop Forecast Postponed

Tacy CalliesCrop Forecast

The Jan. 11 citrus crop forecast has been postponed due to the federal government shutdown, reports Bill Curtis, agricultural statistics administrator for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Fruit and Vegetables. “Our office is currently closed, and we do not have access to any USDA information,” says Curtis. “Mark Hudson’s (Florida state statistician) federal phone has …

Government Shutdown Not Affecting California Citrus — Yet

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Citrus

An analysis by California Citrus Mutual (CCM) indicates there is no major impact at the present time on government programs that affect California’s citrus industry. This could change if the shutdown drags on, however. According to the report, “Our major priority would be the ACP/HLB program sometimes known as CHRP (Citrus Health Response Program). We are not suffering any major …

Research Update: Citrus Under Protective Screen

Tacy CalliesCUPS

By Arnold Schumann, Timothy Ebert, Laura Waldo, Danny Holmes, Napoleon Mariner, Gary Test, Chris Oswalt, Rhuanito Ferrarezi and Ricardo Lesmes Two studies with citrus under protective screen (CUPS) were established at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) and Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in 2013–14. The goal …

psyllids

Numerous ACP Found Near Visalia, California

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Citrus

A large population of Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) and nymphs were found in an older residential area northwest of Visalia, California, last week. With multiple life stages of ACP found, county and state officials have moved into eradication mode immediately. According to the Visalia Times-Delta, 250 ACP were found in four locations. California Citrus Mutual reported that up to 400 …

Components of a Healthy Citrus Soil

Tacy CalliesSoil Improvement

By Sarah Strauss and Ute Albrecht There is increasing discussion and interest in soil health from both growers and researchers. Soil health is generally synonymous with soil quality. It can impact not just sustainability, but also improve water-holding capacity, nutrient availability, yield and overall grove productivity. In citrus, soil health is particularly important because of the reduction of root mass …

citrus crop

Commissioner Putnam on the Citrus Crop Forecast

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, Industry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its second citrus crop forecast for the 2018–19 season, projecting 77 million boxes of oranges and 84.6 million boxes of citrus in total. Compared to the October 2018 USDA forecast, this estimate represents a 3 percent decrease in orange production and a 4 percent decrease in grapefruit production. However, the overall production remains …