European

Increased Production of Citrus Crops in China

Tacy CalliesChina, Crop Forecast

China production forecasts are increased for both mandarin/tangerine and grapefruit/pomelo crops in 2023–24 compared to the prior year. The forecasts were issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). MANDARINS/TANGERINES China’s mandarin/tangerine production is forecast at 26.9 million metric tons (MMT) in 2023–24, up from 26.5 MMT the previous year. The increase is because of a …

California Researchers Seek HLB Tolerance

Tacy CalliesCalifornia Corner, HLB Management, Research

University of California, Riverside (UCR) has received three federal grants totaling more than $11 million for research focused on instilling HLB-tolerance in citrus trees. The grants are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The funding was enabled by the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act, which authorized the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development …

sunlime

Finger Lime Interest Expands in Florida

Tacy CalliesLimes

Florida is not a major producer of finger limes — yet. Australia has the most finger lime acreage in the world, and most U.S. finger limes are grown in California and Hawaii. But Florida’s acreage is expanding, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulturist Manjul Dutt reported during a Dec. 20 presentation at the Citrus Research …

fruit fly

Queensland Fruit Fly Quarantine in California

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, Pests, Regulation

Portions of Ventura and Los Angeles counties have been placed under quarantine for the Queensland fruit fly (QFF), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced in late October. The quarantine followed the detection of two adult QFFs within the city of Thousand Oaks in Ventura County. The quarantine area measures 76 square miles. It is bordered on the …

citrus forecast

FFVA Endorses Glyphosate Renewal in Europe

Josh McGillInternational, Pesticides, Regulation

Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) recently submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service endorsing the European Union’s (EU) 10-year registration renewal efforts for glyphosate. In the letter, FFVA stressed that glyphosate herbicide has been used safely and successfully in Europe for more than 40 years. It noted that leading health regulators, including in Europe, the …

$5 Million Awarded to UF/IFAS for HLB Research

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has been awarded five federal grants totaling more than $5 million to control HLB. The grants are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).   HLB is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). The Asian citrus psyllid can transmit CLas into a …

Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery: Innovation and Industry Involvement

Josh McGillnursery

By Tacy Callies Before they were married, Nate and Anna Jameson vowed they would one day farm for themselves. They met while attending the University of Florida. Nate graduated with a Bachelor of Science in ag operations management, while Anna earned her degree in animal science. After graduation, Anna worked for Lykes Meat Group and Nate for Ben Hill Griffin …

Origin of Oranges Can Be Determined

Josh McGillInternational

A Citrus Australia study has used trace elements or isotopes to determine if an orange originated in Australia as opposed to another country. Using the same techniques, researchers can differentiate place of origin of Australian oranges into one of the five Australian growing regions. The first-of-its-kind study was conducted through an Agriculture Victoria Food to Market program. Citrus Australia noted …

No Perfect Tree Spacing for Multiple Objectives

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, planting

Looking for the perfect tree planting density to meet all of your objectives for citrus fruit quality and yield? That may not be possible, University of California Cooperative Extension’s Craig Kallsen said in a recent talk about planting density’s impact on navel orange yield and quality.  The citrus and pistachio farm advisor for Kern County gave the example of a …

Sweet New Discoveries Open Up Opportunities for Citrus Industry

Josh McGillFlavor, Research

By Xixuan Tang, Yu Wang, Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser Citrus fruits and juices are commonly consumed worldwide due to their health benefits and flavor. However, recent trends in reducing carbohydrate intake have raised concerns from consumers about citrus products because of their relatively high levels of sugar content. This concern discourages repeat purchasing and consumption of citrus fruits and …

Reduce Pests With Natural Enemies

Josh McGillPests, Research

By Jawwad Qureshi A wide range of pests colonize citrus crops. Most of these species target tree canopies, and a few feed on the roots. Damage is either direct through feeding on the plant tissues or it can be twofold if the pest is also responsible for transmitting the pathogens of a disease or making conditions favorable for the disease …

Small Drops for Chinese Citrus Crops

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International

Chinese production of tangerines/mandarins and grapefruit/pomelos in 2022–23 are both forecast to dip slightly from prior year levels. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). TANGERINES AND MANDARINSProduction of tangerines and mandarins is forecast at 26.5 million metric tons (MMT) in 2022–23, compared to 27 MMT the prior year. The forecast reflects …

Update on Japanese Citrus

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) recently issued forecasts for Japanese citrus production. Covered crops included the following: ORANGESJapanese 2022–23 orange production is forecast at 5,600 metric tons (MT), a decline of 2% from the previous year. Orange harvested area is projected to fall by 1.2% to 395 hectares. Orange imports are forecast at 80,000 MT …

Trialing Tree Immunizations for HLB, Xylella

Josh McGillHLB Management, International, Research

Australia’s Hort Innovation has announced an $8.7 million investment to trial tree immunizations that protect Australia’s horticulture industries against the deadly huanglongbing (HLB) and Xylella diseases (including citrus variegated chlorosis). Hort Innovation is a grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australia’s horticulture industry. Hort Innovation Chief Executive Brett Fifield said the investment aims to safeguard key Australian horticulture industries by …

Oranges and OJ in China: Production and Trade

Josh McGillChina, Crop Forecast, Orange Juice

Orange production in China is expected to increase in 2022–23 over the prior year, while its orange juice (OJ) production is forecast to decline. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDAFAS). ORANGESChina’s orange production in 2022–23 is forecast to reach 7.6 million metric tons (MMT), up from 7.55 MMT the prior year. The …

Mandarin Production in Japan

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International, Mandarins

Tangerine/mandarin production in Japan for 2022–23 is forecast at 921,000 metric tons (MT), down 3.5% compared to the prior year. Tangerines/mandarins account for a majority of Japan’s citrus production, and the Unshu is expected to be the leading mandarin variety at 722,000 MT. Non-Unshu varieties are forecast at 199,000 MT. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture …

Fundecitrus Researchers Attend Citrus Congress

Josh McGillEvents, International

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 …

New Finger Lime Cultivars for the Specialty Citrus Market

Josh McGillLimes, Tip of the Week, Varieties

By Manjul Dutt The finger lime is an HLB-tolerant Australian native citrus that has been gaining popularity and importance in the last few years. Finger lime has several unique fruit qualities that set it apart from conventional sweet oranges and mandarins. The primary characteristic of this fruit is the round to teardrop-shaped juice vesicles, known as “citrus caviar,” that burst …

Evaluation of Citrus × Microcitrus Hybrid Scions

Josh McGillResearch, Varieties

By Ute Albrecht, Anas Fadli and Chandrika Ramadugu Most commercially available citrus scion cultivars are highly attractive to the Asian citrus psyllid and susceptible to HLB. There are some citrus species, however, that are HLB tolerant or resistant. This may be because they are less attractive to the psyllids and/or because they restrict pathogen proliferation and therefore HLB disease development. …

orange

Southern Hemisphere Citrus Production to Rise

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International

Citrus production in the Southern Hemisphere this year is expected to increase 4.85% compared to 2021, to 24.8 million tons, according to a preliminary forecast by the World Citrus Organisation (WCO). The forecast is based on information provided by industry associations in Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay. A total of 13.2 million tons of citrus …