At the Florida Citrus Commission meeting earlier this month, a federal scientist outlined an eight-step action plan for research and development of heirloom orange trees that appear to be tolerant to HLB. Brian Scully, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Horticultural Research Laboratory, discussed the Donaldson and Tobias trees at USDA’s Whitmore Foundation Farm. A third tree is …
Increased Labor Law Enforcement in Southeast
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is continuing its multi-year education and enforcement initiative to increase compliance with federal labor laws in the Southeast’s agriculture industry. In addition to enforcement activity, the initiative provides compliance assistance to employers and educates workers and other stakeholders. The division and industry stakeholders in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, …
Extension Agents Still Seeing Damage From Freeze
It often takes time for the damage associated with freeze events to manifest in citrus. That was the case for the late January freeze in Florida. While some growers escaped fairly unscathed, others suffered significant damage. The damage began to show in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s March citrus crop forecast. The agency lowered expected production of Florida oranges this …
Sneak Peek: April 2022 Citrus Industry
Increased attention on nutrition has become part of the overall strategy for managing HLB. The April issue of Citrus Industry magazine includes several articles on nutrient management designed to help growers keep trees productive in the HLB era. Mandarin growers will want to take note of new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research on how …
How to Reduce Bingo Tree Loss to Stem Dieback
By Christopher Vincent, Megan Dewdney and Liliana Cano Bingo mandarin hybrid is a variety with many promising characteristics, but it brings specific challenges to profitable production. One challenge identified early in the push to plant Bingo was stem dieback that led to tree loss. After looking into this problem for the past four years, University of Florida Institute of Food …
Battling Black Spot
By Megan Dewdney Editor’s note: This article originally stated that citrus black spot was in Hardee County. It should have said Hendry County, and has now been corrected. Citrus growers in Florida continue to battle new pests and diseases. They have been learning to manage citrus black spot for the last 12 years. The disease is still localized mainly in …
Florida Research Order Referendum Slated for May
Florida citrus growers will be asked to vote in a May referendum whether to maintain the Florida Research Order. The order was established in 1992 to support efforts by the industry — through the creation of the Florida Citrus Production Research Advisory Council (FCPRAC) — to develop solutions to production challenges. The research order has a six-year cycle and is …
Legislative Session Positive for Florida Ag
The state legislative session was among the topics discussed at the March 21 Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference. The annual event was held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka. More than 100 people attended the conference, either in-person or virtually. John Walt Boatright, director of national affairs …
Update on Finger Limes in Florida
The Australian finger lime has created a buzz among chefs and mixologists for its caviar-like texture and flavorful pulp. The fruit also has captured interest among growers for its seemingly high tolerance to HLB. On March 23, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a half-day online symposium on finger limes to provide growers with …
Reminder on Insurance Requirements for Hurricane Irma Relief
The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) is reminding growers that participation in the Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant (CRBG) requires the purchase of federal crop and/or tree insurance. The CRBG is available to growers who suffered crop damage due to Hurricane Irma in 2017. The insurance must be bought for two years (Part 3, Option 1) or four years …
Seeking Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award Nominations
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has opened the nomination period for the 2022 Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award. Nominations must be submitted to FDACS by April 15, 2022. Get the nomination form here. “Through work in soil and conservation, pesticide and nutrient management, wildlife habitat conservation, and so much more … significant environmental contributions are the backbone of …
All In For Citrus Podcast, March 2022
March means spring break for many, and Florida is a favorite destination for students looking to celebrate the time off. Michael Rogers, director of the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, took the occasion to shine the light on the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus graduate program. Sixty-five students are currently engaged …
Georgia Citrus Association Emphasizing Food Safety
One bad apple can spoil the bunch. The same can be said for Georgia citrus. That was the message shared by Beth Oleson, director of food safety and education for the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, during the Georgia Citrus Association’s (GCA) annual meeting on Feb. 28. She spoke with growers about food safety and applauded GCA’s leadership. “We …
IPCs Improve Fruit Yield and Quality
By Fernando Alferez, Ute Albrecht, Susmita Gaire, Ozgur Batuman, Jawwad Qureshi and Mongi Zekri University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers established a field trial in February 2018 to evaluate the efficacy of individual protective covers (IPCs) to prevent Asian citrus psyllids from spreading HLB and to study the effects on tree growth and physiology. The …
Growing Matters: Safe Neonicotinoid Use Urged
Growing Matters, funded by a consortium of agricultural chemical companies, recently launched its fourth annual BeSure! campaign to promote best management practices when using neonicotinoid products on farms and urban landscapes. The campaign uses a wide range of media channels to remind growers, crop protection applicators and others to ensure label directions and responsible stewardship measures are followed for neonicotinoid …
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 …
Balancing Citrus Nutrition in the Era of HLB
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has committed to updating nutrition recommendations for citrus now that HLB is endemic across the state. Some of this ongoing research was discussed during the February All In For Citrus podcast. Growers will be interested to hear from Davie Kadyampakeni, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of soil and water science, …
HLB Update in Georgia
A small amount of citrus greening disease (huanglongbing or HLB) can escalate quickly if growers are not careful. Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist, cautioned producers about the disease during the recent Georgia Citrus Association meeting. “The issue is not widespread yet (in Georgia) for sure,” said Oliver. “We don’t think the vector is …
Soil Is Key to Setting Up Trees for Success
By Brad Turner As I started my regenerative journey five years ago, it conjured up memories of walking the family groves in the 1970s with my freshly sharpened eye hoe. I would follow the tractor as it pulled the offset chopper, crisscrossing between the widely spaced trees in all directions. The native grasses and broadleaf plants — including legumes like …
Cover Crops in Citrus: Less Weeds, More Microbes
There are many advantages to using cover crops in citrus groves, according to Sarah Strauss, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor. She recently discussed growers implementing cover crops at the Citrus Health Forum at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy. “Certainly, from the microbiology side, the scientific side, I think …