In February’s All In for Citrus podcast, learn about the new faces with the University of Florida’s citrus research staff, a winter weather watch program, flowering models and how fertilization impacts fruit quality. Listen to the latest episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising Temperatures to Treat for Fire AntsJuly 1, 2025Take the Sting …
All In For Citrus Podcast, January 2019
The January All In For Citrus Podcast includes a breakdown of what’s planned for citrus research in 2019, an update from citrus Extension, a goodbye message from an industry leader and the newest cutting-edge research in fighting citrus pathogens. Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising Temperatures to Treat for Fire AntsJuly 1, 2025Take the Sting Out of Fire AntsJune 1, 2025A …
All In For Citrus Podcast
About The Podcast The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Southeast AgNet are partnering to provide the latest news on citrus-related research in a monthly podcast. The podcast, “All in for Citrus,” features short interviews with scientists working to find solutions to citrus greening and other devastating citrus diseases. “This is the latest tactic in a …
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Accepting Nominations
Nominations are being sought through Sept. 15 for potential inductees to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Eligible nominees are those distinguished leaders who have made significant contributions to the Florida citrus industry in any of the following fields: pioneering, harvesting, packing, processing, marketing, science and/or education. The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame was established in 1962. In the fall, …
Increased Rainfall Impacts Florida Citrus
Recent rainfall has been a welcome sight for Floridians, but it can be a concern for the state’s citrus growers who are producing next year’s crop. Chris Oswalt, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus agent, cautions growers about citrus canker amid the increased moisture in the region. “With rainfall, you need to be concerned about those …
Book Chronicles Florida Citrus’ Rise, Fall and Future
Fifth-generation Floridian David Sumner, who grew up in a citrus family, has written “The Rise, Fall, and Future of Florida’s Citrus Industry.” The 327-page book includes historic citrus photos dating back to the late 1800s. Sumner tells the story of Florida citrus from the end of the Civil War to the present. He visited Florida archives and conducted 53 interviews …
Citrus Crop Forecast Shows Changes in All States
The April 10 citrus crop forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) showed increases for most citrus-producing states. FLORIDA In Florida, grapefruit and tangerine/mandarin crops climbed 8% and 14%, respectively. The Florida grapefruit crop increased by 100,000 boxes, to 1.3 million boxes. The tangerine/mandarin crop rose by 50,000 boxes, to 400,000 boxes. Florida’s orange crop …
All Hands on Deck for Florida Citrus
By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP My 89-year-old father-in-law has planted new trees in his California grove in the last two years. Bruce Kelsey believes in the future of citrus, and that reinforces my belief in the future of citrus. I’m not saying everything Bruce does makes sense. I wish he didn’t still go up on ladders and pick fruit, …
The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and an Infamous Moment
This is the fourth installment of Q&A features with Brenda Eubanks Burnette, the 2024 Citrus Achievement Award winner. What are some of the resources available to the public through the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame? Burnette: The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame includes a digital database of Florida citrus crate labels, postcards, citrus industry photographs and a variety of artifacts, …
CUPS Allows Profitable HLB-Free Citrus Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) has invested more than $250 million to find a solution for HLB. One example of USDA NIFA-funded research is citrus under protective screen (CUPS). University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientist Arnold Schumann and colleagues began testing CUPS at the Citrus Research and Education Center …
Parasites Fight Citrus Gall Wasps
Jianhua Mo, a research entomologist with Australia’s New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) authored an article about the release of parasitic wasps for the control of citrus gall wasps (CGW). Edited excerpts follow: CGW is a pest of major concern in the southern citrus-growing regions of the Riverina, Sunraysia and Riverland. With the exception of the adult …
California Citrus Growers Anticipate Good Year Despite Challenges
Two California citrus industry leaders recently shared their perspectives on the prospects of the industry. Al Bates, chief executive officer and president of Sun Pacific, said the yield for this year’s crop is mediocre but that “the fruit size is larger and ideal from a consumer perspective.” The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) projected a 1% increase in …
After Recent Challenges, Texas Citrus Looking Up
The Texas citrus industry has faced numerous challenges in recent years, including Hurricane Hanna in 2020, winter storm Uri in early 2021 and droughts in both 2022 and 2023. After Uri, Texas grapefruit production was at about 1.6 million boxes for the 2021–22 season, down 33% from the previous year. Orange production was about 400,000 boxes, down 62%. Juan Anciso, Texas …
Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association Ceases Operations
Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association (PRVCGA) is ending its 31-year run. After much consideration and deliberation, the association’s board of directors announced the decision to close down in a letter released Feb. 12 by Executive Director Emma Keller. The letter stated that the tough decision to close the association “comes after facing numerous challenges that have significantly impacted our …
Court Disallows Use of Streptomycin on Citrus
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Dec. 13 reversed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) approval of the antibiotic streptomycin as a pesticide on citrus crops. See the ruling here. The court determined the EPA’s 2021 decision to allow spraying of streptomycin on citrus crops across the country to be unlawful under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act …
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees Named for 2024
The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2024 inductees. They are Robert M. “Bob” Behr of New Smyrna Beach, George H. Streetman of Vero Beach and Leland K. Young, formerly of Bartow. They will be inducted March 1, 2024, along with the Class of 2023 inductees. The induction ceremonies and a luncheon will be held at …
Citrus Recovery Program Funding Allocated
Several scientific projects to be funded with $2 million the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) received from the state’s Citrus Recovery Program were approved by the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC). The Citrus Recovery Program funds came from the Florida Legislature this year. The funded projects include: Also utilizing funds from the Citrus Recovery Program, the FCC approved almost $1.05 million …
Calling All Florida Citrus Growers for Survey
There’s a lot going on in Florida citrus. New trunk-injection therapies have been approved to treat HLB as groves bounce back from last year’s hurricanes. It’s a good time to get a sense of the mood of growers as we start the new Florida citrus season. If you are a grower or a consultant/caretaker (who can answer generally on behalf …
Worldwide Citrus Production Down in All Categories
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) recently estimated that world citrus production is down for oranges, mandarins, orange juice (OJ), grapefruit and lemons/limes. For all categories, production will be lower in 2022–23 than in the prior year. OJGlobal OJ production for 2022–23 is estimated 9% lower to 1.5 million metric tons (MMT). Production is down due …
Citrus Hall of Fame Nominations Needed by Nov. 1
The nomination deadline for potential 2024 inductees into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame is Nov. 1, 2023. Nominations received after that date will be considered for the following year. Eligible nominees are distinguished leaders who made significant contributions to the Florida citrus industry in any of the following fields: pioneering, harvesting, packing, processing, marketing, science and/or education. Nomination forms …