Brazil’s Fundecitrus on Feb. 15 participated in a meeting with state and local government representatives to discuss the country’s citrus greening (HLB) situation. Representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Supply (SAA) of the state of São Paulo and mayors of some municipalities in the citrus belt also attended. Mayors and representatives of city halls expressed concern about the economic …
First Step Taken to Establish a Georgia Citrus Commission
The Georgia House of Representatives Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee passed legislation that would establish a Georgia Citrus Commission. It must now go to the House Rules Committee before being discussed in the Senate. A citrus commission would be a huge step for an industry that has already exploded in Georgia, said Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association …
IPCs Changing the Florida Citrus Landscape
The use of individual protective covers (IPCs) to safeguard young citrus trees from HLB has become a common practice in Florida groves in recent years. Fernando Alferez, an assistant professor of citrus horticulture with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), has led the research effort to study IPCs and their effectiveness in preventing HLB. He …
Examining Hamlin Survivor Trees
By Gary England, Fred Gmitter and Manjul Dutt In 2014, most groves in Central Florida had citrus greening infection rates approaching 100%, but a Lake County grower reported that some trees in his Hamlin on Swingle blocks seemed to be relatively healthy. Some visual HLB symptoms were observed on these “surviving” trees, but they did not have the massive fall …
New President Has Plans for Cold Hardy Citrus Association
Mark Clikas, who became president of the Cold Hardy Citrus Association (CHCA) in February, has a recovery focus and sales goal for the group. “My focus is to get the members of CHCA more involved in the organization to help the growers improve the citrus trees’ health after the major freeze event around Christmas 2022,” he said. “My goal is …
New Miss Florida Citrus Crowned
Casana Fink of Ocala was crowned the 2023 Miss Florida Citrus Feb. 25 in Winter Haven. She will help promote the Florida citrus industry over the next year. Fink was chosen during the Miss Florida Citrus and Miss Winter Haven Program held at Polk State College. Fink, 24, is a graduate of the University of Florida, where she was a …
In Defense of Florida’s Citrus Industry
By Marisa L. Zansler The Florida citrus industry has endured many challenges throughout its storied history, but never more so than over the past 18 years. During this time, the devastating impact of HLB has become more apparent and entrenched as the root cause of declines in the production of oranges, grapefruit and specialty citrus. HLB, combined with recent weather-related …
Florida Citrus Land Sales Remain Strong
While the real estate boom in Florida has cooled somewhat in the past year, it didn’t temper the turnout for the annual Lay of the Land Conference, which is hosted by SVN Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate. The Feb. 23-24 event drew record attendance to the recently opened Bonnet Springs Park event center in Lakeland, Florida. The event hosts speakers …
Sweet Valley Citrus Expansion Could Stall
Trees in the Sweet Valley Citrus region have been in high demand in recent years. Plantings of satsuma mandarins and other citrus varieties have steadily risen the past few years in Georgia, Alabama and North Florida. That steady climb is expected to stall this year, however. Following the Christmas freeze event that rattled the industry in the Southeast in December …
Pest Management Findings Shared
Foliar sprays of insecticides timed to citrus flushing provided a significant reduction in Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) populations compared to standard grower practices, researcher Jawwad Qureshi reported. Timing sprays to flushing also led to a reduction in sprays, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor of entomology said in a virtual presentation on Feb. 22. …
Thinking Outside the Box With Satsumas
Satsuma mandarins are big business in the Georgia and North Florida citrus industry. Satsumas are desirable from the consumer perspective, and the fruit’s cold hardiness is suited for the northern reaches of citrus production. Cold hardiness was proven to be especially important after freezes in late December and in January. But a problem with satsumas is that the fruit matures …
BMP Updates Highlighted at Workshop
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a water and nutrient management workshop at the Citrus Research and Education Center in mid-February. In addition to seminars, a grove tour was provided to demonstrate a nutrient-rate trial currently underway at the center. Kelly Morgan, UF/IFAS professor of crop nutrition, spoke on recent activity to update citrus …
Sneak Peek: March 2023 Citrus Industry
The March cover of Citrus Industry magazine features a fresh face in a key industry leadership role for Florida. Morgan McKenna Porter is bringing youthful energy to her new title as president of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors. In the cover story, learn about her background as well as her CRDF goals for helping growers …
Florida Processed Orange Standards Reduced
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on Feb. 22 reduced processed orange maturity standards for the remainder of this season due to the negative effects of 2022’s Hurricane Ian. The emergency rule, proposed by the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), requires that all processed oranges have a Brix value of no less than 7.0. The rule also stipulates that there shall …
Celebrate Sunkist Citrus Day
Sunkist Growers is celebrating its 130th anniversary and California roots with Sunkist Citrus Day on March 1. In anticipation of the day, the fresh citrus cooperative discussed its history and products. Sunkist began in 1893, making it the longest-standing agricultural co-op in the United States. Sunkist’s first advertisement was published in Des Moines, Iowa, in March 1908 to promote the California …
PIECES OF THE PAST: From Flunky to Hall of Fame
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette John Jackson, John Veldhuis and Bob Battaglia have been working on a digital book about Lake Region Packing Association (LRPA) that is now available. In talking with them, I came across an oral history interview done on J.B. “Babe” Prevatt in 1977 by Paul Weaver at the University of Florida. Prevatt was with LRPA for 46 …
Why There Is a Lack of HLB in Georgia
HLB has yet to become a major problem for Georgia’s citrus producers. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, attributes the disease’s lack of presence in Georgia’s commercial groves to multiple factors. “It still comes down to the fact that, number one, you don’t see symptoms for a while. A lot of our trees are young,” …
Freeze Recovery Advice
Winter Storm Elliott brought freezing temperatures to the cold-hardy region Dec. 24–28, 2022, resulting in significant injury to citrus. Danielle Williams, Muhammad Adnan Shahid and Mujahid Hussain, all with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), provided storm recovery advice in a recent edition of the Cold Hardy Citrus Connection newsletter. Following is a summary of …
Rectify Injection Available for HLB in Florida
Rectify, AgroSource, Inc.’s 95% oxytetracycline hydrochloride-based tree-injection product, is expected to be available for use against HLB in Florida citrus as early as Feb. 24. The product will be available to growers through existing commercial agricultural product distributors. AgroSource petitioned and received a Special Local Needs (SLN) approval for Rectify by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) …
All In For Citrus Podcast, February 2023
With spring fast approaching, Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, addresses important crop care items that should be on growers’ checklists. He shares his comments in the February episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. After the destruction left behind from last year’s hurricanes, Rogers …