From nutritional supplements to managing irrigation to grower outreach and education, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are finding additional ways to support Florida citrus growers in their fight against citrus greening disease. Twelve projects were funded by the state legislature-funded Citrus Initiative program in 2017-2018 that looked at possible short- and long-term solutions that …
Cold-Hardy Citrus for North Florida
By Xavier Martini and Peter Andersen Cold-hardy citrus has a long history in North Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Georgia. Records show that sweet orange, citron, lemon, lime and pummelo were brought to Saint Augustine, Florida, from Spain in 1565. However, it was not until the late 1700s that the Jesuits introduced satsuma (Citrus unshiu) to what is now Louisiana. SATSUMA …
Current Challenges to Florida Citrus
Editor’s Note: This article was written before Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida and damaged the state’s citrus industry. This article is part of the special 100th anniversary coverage of the Citrus Research and Education Center, found in the October 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. By Tom Nordlie What are the current challenges to Florida’s citrus industry? To a …
A Look Back at 100 Years of Citrus Innovation
By Beverly James, Alec Richman, Brad Buck, Samantha Grenrock and Tom Nordlie The year was 1917. In April, the United States entered World War I. Florida’s population was fast approaching 1 million, and agriculture was the state’s most important economic driver. Citrus cultivation, introduced to Florida 400 years earlier by Spanish explorers, had spawned an industry following the Civil War. …
Citrus Production in Argentina
By Stephen H. Futch and Ariel Singerman In May of 2017, we visited the northwestern citrus production region of Argentina in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta and Tucumán. The purpose of the trip was to learn more about Argentina’s citrus industry and programs being developed to deal with both the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and huanglongbing (HLB). Argentina has a …
Two Main Concerns for Citrus in Hurricane Irma
The threat of Hurricane Irma has been looming over Florida. Now, the state is roughly three to four days from facing the storm. While people prepare their hurricane kits, Florida citrus growers are doing what they can to protect their groves. However, at this point, very little can be done. Calvin Arnold, center director of the Southwest Florida Research and …
Harvesting Charges for Florida Citrus
By Ariel Singerman, Marina Burani-Arouca, Stephen H. Futch and Robert Ranieri This article summarizes the charges for harvesting citrus in Florida during the 2016–17 season. The estimates provided are key for computing on-tree prices and to estimate economic returns to citrus growers. The estimates are based on a survey of harvesters conducted in May 2017. A total of 15 harvesters …
Freeze Damage Symptoms and Recovery for Citrus
By Mongi Zekri, Chris Oswalt, Steve Futch and Laurie Hurner The extent of cold injury to citrus depends on a number of factors, and its expression may occur over an extended period of time. Factors responsible for freeze damage include minimum temperature, duration of freezing temperatures and stage of tree acclimation. Susceptibility of trees to freezing temperatures can also be …
BASF Announces Label for Priaxor® Fungicide for Florida Citrus
BASF announces that Priaxor® fungicide has received federal and Florida approval for use on all citrus varieties in Florida. Priaxor® fungicide is already being used in sugarcane and vegetables throughout the state and the United States. Priaxor® fungicide is a mixture of the active ingredient in Headline® fungicide and a new systemic fungicide Xemium®. Testing in Florida has shown the …
Sneak Peek: August 2016 Citrus Industry
The August issue of Citrus Industry magazine is coming soon! In this edition, growers will have the opportunity to earn one Core CEU by reading an article on pesticide formulations and taking the accompanying test. Other features offer new knowledge on citrus black spot and guidelines on how to evaluate HLB treatments in the grove. In addition, University of Florida …
Stay Informed On Citrus Expo
Are you interested in keeping up to date on the latest Citrus Expo news? Then the Citrus Expo e-newsletter is just what you need! Weekly updates inform you of all the details you need to know to get the most from Citrus Expo. Seminar previews, important announcements, prize giveaways and more are included. In this week’s issue, our “Speaker Spotlight” …
Three Key Meetings for CRDF
The February board meeting of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) covered a lot of ground according to Rick Dantzler, the foundation’s chief operating officer. “We had a big day on the day of the board meeting. There were three meetings: 1) our monthly board meeting; 2) a research summit with citrus organization leaders, the CRDF board and CRDF …
Tahiti Limes From Brazil to Be Imported Into United States
The federal government has drafted a pest risk assessment for the importation of fresh Tahiti limes (Citrus latifolia) for consumption from Brazil into the continental United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) assessment describes potential pests associated with the commodity. APHIS shares draft pest …
Trying to Reason With Hurricane-Season Forecasts
By Matt Smith It’s September in Florida, which means two things: the start to the latest “rebuilding year” for Florida football and the traditional peak of hurricane season. It was in September of 2017 that Hurricane Irma cut just about the worst path imaginable for Florida’s citrus growers. Along with causing physical damage to groves, Irma also contributed to disease …
Reminders on Requirements for Fruit Movement
Florida’s fresh citrus industry was recently reminded of federal requirements for movement of fruit from some disease quarantine areas to contiguous states and to the European Union (EU). The reminders came from Paul Mears with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) during Citrus Packinghouse Day. Mears is the Florida Citrus Health Response Program (CHRP) …
Focused on Finding Solutions
By Michael Rogers As we approach a new citrus-growing season, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers and Extension agents working throughout the state renew their focus on finding solutions that growers can use in the short term to sustain their operations. While we value our longer-term research projects, efforts that provide tangible applications that …
South African Grapefruit Growth Continues
The growth in South African grapefruit plantings is expected to continue in 2021–22, increasing by 3% to 9,200 hectares, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) stated in a recent report. The area planted to grapefruit grew by 25% over the past seven years. Limpopo province is the leading growing region for grapefruit in the country, accounting for …
In-Person Growers’ Institute Is Next Week
After being presented virtually for the past two years as a result of COVID-19, the 2022 Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute will once again be an in-person event on April 5. The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at South Florida State College’s Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts in Avon Park. The institute is …
Fruit Size and Spraying Interval Are Key for Canker Control
The size of fruit that should be sprayed, the spraying interval and ways to avoid copper phytotoxicity were among the citrus canker topics plant pathologist Megan Dewdney offered growers recently. Dewdney said fruit are most susceptible to canker when they are between 3/8 inch and 1.5 inches in diameter. The fruit rind becomes much more resistant when the fruit is …
Be Prepared for Postbloom Fruit Drop
A La Niña weather pattern is most likely this spring, with higher-than-average temperatures and below-average rain predicted in Florida, researcher Megan Dewdney reported in a Feb. 24 presentation about postbloom fruit drop (PFD). That could have some influence on the severity of PFD, since its preferred climate is humid and subtropical, and the fungus moves with rain splash and wind-borne …