Citrus Growers Dodge Freeze

Ernie Nefffreeze

Lindy Savelle received numerous calls and texts from relatively new southern Georgia citrus growers prior to a mild freeze the morning of Dec. 2. “They were asking, ‘What should I do?’” said Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association. The new growers were concerned because lows of 26 and 28 that morning were the coldest in the region in several …

Give the Gift of Citrus This Holiday Season

Tacy CalliesTip of the Week

By Ruth Borger Sending boxes of Florida citrus across the country to friends and family during the holidays is a beloved tradition. But it is important to work with a certified grower/gift shipper as it is illegal in Florida for individuals to send citrus via the mail or delivery services. You can find a list of Florida gift fruit shippers …

Varieties

New Uruguayan Citrus Varieties for Licensing

Ernie NeffInternational, Varieties

The Uruguayan Citrus Consortium has issued an international call for licensing several new mandarin and orange varieties for their evaluation, development, production and commercialization in North America and/or the Mediterranean Basin. The mandarins are F7P3, F4P7, F3P8 and F2P3. The oranges are NVA033, NVA036 and SELP100. An exclusive license is being offered for a period of up to 10 years. …

Citrus Industry Wants Costa for House Ag Committee Chair

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Industry News Release, Legislative

California Citrus Mutual (CCM), Florida Citrus Mutual and Texas Citrus Mutual have voiced their support that California Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) be appointed as the new chair of the House Agriculture Committee. A CCM press release stated that Costa understands the industry’s issues, such as pest and disease, trade, water and immigration. Notably, Costa was instrumental in securing federal funding …

Sneak Peek: December 2020 Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

The ability to adapt is essential in growing citrus. John Gose, the cover story subject in the December issue of Citrus Industry magazine, knows this to be true. With nearly 40 years of citrus-growing experience at Lykes Bros., Gose has had to adapt to many changes during his career. Learn how he is adapting to citrus greening and the contributions …

pruning

Pruning Principles for High-Quality Citrus

Tacy CalliesPruning

Planting citrus varieties for fresh market production has increased in popularity. With these potentially high-value crops come concerns about management practices, including pruning. Recently, Fernando Alferez informed growers in a virtual presentation about manual pruning principles. Alferez is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus horticulturist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. According to …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, November 2020

Taylor HillmanAll In For Citrus Podcast, Sponsored Content

The November episode of the All In For Citrus podcast covers a multitude of grant-funded research that the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus team both leads and collaborates on. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers begins the podcast with a discussion on research projects UF/IFAS scientists are playing critical roles in collaborative …

florida all

Field-Tested Peptide Treats Citrus Greening

Tacy CalliesCitrus Greening

Elemental Enzymes, a St. Louis biotechnology firm, has obtained a patent for a natural peptide solution to treat citrus greening disease. The peptide solution, Vismax, is readying for commercialization and is expected to reach the market by 2022. Vismax has been developed and extensively field tested, says Brian Thompson, CEO of Elemental Enzymes. Thompson gave a presentation on Nov. 18 …

Figure 2. A drone may be used to deliver spot treatments.

Citrus Growers Tell What Technology They Use

Ernie NeffTechnology

Representatives of two Florida citrus-growing operations recently shared ways their companies have utilized drones, electronic sensors and advanced spray technology to enhance their operations. Joby Sherrod, director of grove operations for Duda & Sons, and Timothee Sallin, co-CEO of IMG Enterprises, were participants in a virtual Florida-Israel Agriculture Innovation Summit. Duda and IMG have approximately 11,000 acres and 10,000 acres …

Citrus Alcohol Market to Grow

Ernie NeffMarket

Global demand for the citrus alcohol market is set to hover at approximately a 5 percent growth rate, as increasing preference for craft beer and rising alcohol consumption create fertile ground, according to a recent study. The study looked at citrus alcohol growth in more than 20 countries. “Citrus, owing to its flavor and strong acidity, has become an integral …

Cold Acclimation and Freeze Protection for Florida Citrus

Tacy CalliesFreeze Protection

By Chris Oswalt and Davie Kadyampakeni In preparation for winter in Florida, citrus growers must first understand some essential concepts related to protecting citrus from freezing temperatures. Specifically, growers need to know when and how to protect citrus trees from freeze damage. WHEN TO PROTECT When (i.e., at what critical temperature) will damage begin to occur? This temperature is dependent on …

Citrus Growers Honored for Conservation

Ernie NeffAwards, Environment

Two citrus growers are among 22 farmers and ranchers recently honored by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation (FFBF) in recognition of their superior natural resource conservation efforts. They are Travis Miller of DeSoto Grove in DeSoto County and Marlon Pendergrass of The Groves of Peace River in Hardee County. Each received the Farm Bureau’s County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship …

field hearings

Marketing: What Citrus Can Learn From Avocados

Tacy CalliesMarketing

Sales of avocados in the U.S. market have become one of the biggest produce success stories in the past two decades. During the recent Global Citrus Congress Live webinar event, John McGuigan, director of industry affairs for the Hass Avocado Board, presented a case study on how a mandatory sales levy has funded marketing programs and nutritional research that helped …

Spotting the Symptoms of Citrus Black Spot

Ernie NeffDiseases

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension recently provided the following information about identification of citrus black spot (CBS): Fruit symptoms can be observed around this time of year with the onset of color break and fruit maturity. Growers and agricultural workers should learn to identify the symptoms of CBS even if they are not located …

Florida Citrus Packers: South Africa Imports Pose Risk

Ernie NeffExport/Import

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) announced it is authorizing the importation of cold-treated fresh citrus from South Africa into all U.S. ports of entry. Previously, APHIS restricted the entry of cold-treated citrus fruit from South Africa to four U.S. ports that have cold-treatment facilities. APHIS scientists determined that citrus fruit from South Africa, …

citrus crop forecast

Northern Hemisphere Citrus Production Forecast

Tacy CalliesCrop Forecast

The World Citrus Organization (WCO) presented its first crop production forecast for the Northern Hemisphere 2020–21 citrus season during the recent Global Citrus Congress Live. Philippe Binard, the general delegate of the WCO, presented the Northern Hemisphere production forecast, prepared with information from industry associations in Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States (California and …

Global Congress Aims to Increase Citrus Consumption

Tacy CalliesInternational

Citrus suppliers have a unique opportunity to build on the sales momentum generated by the coronavirus pandemic. They should develop joint strategies to increase global consumption based on established health claims, as the avocado sector has done to such powerful effect. That was the take-home message from the inaugural Global Citrus Congress Live on Nov. 5. The virtual event drew …

florida citrus

USDA Revising Texas Citrus Grades

Ernie NeffRegulation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA/AMS) is revising the U.S. Standards for Grades of Grapefruit and the U.S. Standards for Grades of Oranges. The revision, effective Nov. 30, applies only to Texas and states other than Florida, California and Arizona. The revision will convert the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) tables from showing the acceptable number of allowable …

Strong Growth for Citrus Water Market

Ernie NeffMarket

The global citrus water market is projected to reflect strong growth in 2020 in spite of the widespread coronavirus outbreak. While lockdown restrictions have limited demand from the food-service sector, lucrative opportunities have arisen for the short-term owing to the demand for functional beverages during the crisis period. A recent report by Future Market Insights indicates that demand for the …

Alico Buys 3,280 Citrus Acres

Ernie NeffAcreage

On Oct. 30, Alico, Inc. purchased approximately 3,280 gross citrus acres in Hendry County for $16.45 million. John Kiernan, company president and chief executive officer, said, “This acquisition of the Alexander Grove from the well-respected Gardinier Florida Citrus, Inc. allows Alico to add additional scale to our existing 45,000 gross acres of citrus properties.” “This Alexander Grove appears to have …