citrus

Fried Addresses Citrus Issues

Ernie NeffLegislative

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried delivered the keynote address at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Lakeland on March 6. She also discussed citrus issues with Citrus Industry magazine editor Tacy Callies. Fried says the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), which she directs, is working with the state Legislature on a variety of budget …

Nutrition: No One Size Fits All

Tacy CalliesNutrition, Research

By Tripti Vashisth Constant supply and soil application of macronutrients and micronutrients can improve the health and productivity of HLB-affected citrus. A 20 to 50 percent higher than University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) recommended rate of micronutrients is beneficial for HLB-affected trees. However, the nutrition program should be customized for each grove, as no one …

Hemp Production Has Risks

Ernie NeffAlternative Crops

There are risks and significant costs in growing hemp, Tyler Mark warned about 50 attendees at the Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference 2020. The event, hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Food and Resource Economics Department, took place Feb. 27 at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. Mark, a University of …

sales

Florida Grove Sales and Prices Reported

Ernie NeffMarket

SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate summarized Florida citrus land sales in 2019 during the company’s annual Land Conference Feb. 27-28. Company founder and managing director Dean Saunders pointed out that citrus acreage in Florida is approximately half of its pre-HLB disease level. He said the 300 boxes of production that are now considered good would have been a …

citrus

Citrus Nutrition Box Program Yielding Results

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Industry News Release, Nutrition

(UF/IFAS) — A recent program encouraging Florida citrus growers to learn more about the nutrient management of their groves is yielding promising results. Nearly 200 growers and industry representatives attended four workshops in late 2019 to learn about the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Nutrition Box program. UF/IFAS faculty distributed 117 free boxes of …

Algal Spot: A Re-emerging Disease

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Megan M. Dewdney Algal spot has not been seen frequently for many years, but in the last few years I have been getting more questions about identification and management. The disease is caused by a green alga, Cephaleuros virescens. The alga is not considered a parasite, as it grows superficially, but it does cause damage to trees if left …

Sneak Peek: March 2020 Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

The March issue of Citrus Industry magazine focuses on fertilization and other production practices to keep citrus trees healthy. Tripti Vashisth’s article summarizes a three-year University of Florida (UF) study that looked at 10 different controlled-release fertilizer treatments in two different locations. The research results revealed that when it comes to citrus nutrition, one size does not fit all. Surprisingly, …

nutrition

Nutrition Questions in Need of Answers

Ernie NeffNutrition

A sheet of “Nutrient Management Concept Questions” was passed out at the January Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board meeting in Fort Pierce. It included questions that growers and researchers have agreed need to be answered in future nutrition-related research funded by CRDF. Rick Dantzler, CRDF chief operating officer, explains how the questions were developed. “We had a Nutrition …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, February 2020

Taylor HillmanAll In For Citrus Podcast

This month’s podcast includes three timely interviews on topics of interest to the citrus industry. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers gives an update on the Citrus Nutrition Box Program that started last fall, including the individualized nutrition recommendations being made by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experts. Rogers also shares the latest …

Oranges

Working Toward Better Juice Oranges

Ernie NeffAll In For Citrus Podcast, Orange Juice

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) geneticist and plant breeder Jude Grosser discusses the need for new juice oranges and some new cultivar choices. Grosser says one reason for new varieties is the decline in orange juice sales. “In my opinion, the best way to combat that is to have a higher quality orange juice that’s …

HLB

Root Health Update

Ernie NeffRoot health

Evan Johnson, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant pathologist at the Citrus Research and Education Center, updates efforts to help citrus tree roots cope with HLB. He starts by noting that around 10 years ago he and former UF/IFAS researcher Jim Graham discovered “that HLB causes severe damage to the root system.” They hoped …

Citrus Day Updates Growers on UC Research

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Citrus

Over 200 people from the citrus industry and University of California (UC) Riverside gathered on Jan. 29 for Citrus Day. Growers and scientists alike were informed about the current status of huanglongbing (HLB) disease and the tiny insect that spreads it, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The consensus of the speakers was that while HLB is a serious threat to …

Planning for Foliar Disease Management in 2020

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Megan Dewdney and Evan Johnson In 2019, the trend of fewer problems with foliar fungal diseases for Florida citrus continued, which was good news for the industry. Despite the El Niño conditions during the spring, little postbloom fruit drop (PFD) was observed because the temperatures were low (< 75 F) when it rained during bloom. The southern parts of …

trained

Trained Dogs Are the Most Efficient Way to Hunt Citrus Industry’s Biggest Threat

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, HLB Management, Industry News Release

(USDA/ARS) — Dogs specially trained by Agriculture Research Service (ARS) scientists have proven to be the most efficient way to detect huanglongbing— also known as citrus greening — according to a paper just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Currently, the only solid hope of curtailing the spread of citrus greening is to eliminate trees with the …

citrus

Pests in CUPS and IPCs

Ernie NeffCUPS, Pests

Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) and young trees covered with individual protective covers (IPCs) have generally been well protected from HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids, but not from all other pests. Entomologist Jawwad Qureshi says the psyllids only get to trees when a CUPS structure or IPC is damaged, as happened to CUPS during Hurricane Irma in 2017. “Otherwise they do …

CDFA’s Year in Review

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Pests

The mission of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is to promote and protect the food supply, enhance trade and protect the environment. The agency annually provides information on the steps it takes to fulfill its mission goals. In such a diverse and highly populated state, the challenges are great. Much of the growing regions are geographic islands …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, January 2020

Taylor HillmanAll In For Citrus Podcast

The first episode of the year of the All In For Citrus Podcast includes efforts to get research information out to growers, threshold numbers on production costs that are a little shocking with current juice prices the way they are, nutrition programs that continue to help manage HLB-affected trees, and breeding work to solve citrus challenges. Senior Correspondent-at-Large Ernie Neff …

Purple Guts? You’ve Got Lebbeck Mealybugs!

Ernie NeffPests

One of Lauren Diepenbrock’s props at a Jan. 14 OJ break at the Citrus Research and Education Center was a paper plate bearing the message “Easy diagnostic: smashed lebbeck mealybug = purple guts.” Diepenbrock, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist, explains the meaning of the plate’s message. UF/IFAS researcher Lance Osborne found a lebbeck …

Orange Opportunities

Tacy CalliesVarieties

New sweet orange cultivars for processing can be harvested throughout the Florida citrus season. By Jude Grosser, Fred Gmitter and Bill Castle Florida orange juice has always been the gold standard among the growing portfolio of fruit juices and blends available to consumers. However, the now endemic citrus greening disease or huanglongbing (HLB) threatens this status by causing reduced fruit …

soil

Fast, Inexpensive Soil pH Testing

Ernie Neffsoil

Multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt took several baggies of soil to an OJ break he hosted Jan. 14 at the Citrus Research and Education Center. He inserted a handheld pH meter into the soil in one of the baggies and within seconds told watching growers the content’s pH level. “Soil pH is real important, especially with HLB-infected trees today,” …