Scholarship Opportunity for Ag Students

Tacy CalliesEducation, Scholarship

Agriculture students at four Florida colleges and universities can apply for Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association (FFAA) Ag Scholarships by Sept. 9. The schools are Florida A&M University (FAMU), Florida Southern College (FSC), University of Florida (UF) and Warner University. The FFAA Scholarship Fund offers scholarships to qualified upper-level university and college students in agriculture or a very closely-related major. The scholarships are …

Using Technology to Support Citrus Management Decisions

Josh McGillTechnology

By Yiannis Ampatzidis and Sandra M. Guzmán Pests and diseases, nutrient deficiencies, tree stress from environmental conditions and other factors can be overwhelming. The arrival of sensors and small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) make it possible to gather large amounts of data to assess risk factors and estimate possible crop performance scenarios based on the availability of resources. At the …

How to Manage Salt Stress in Citrus Groves

Josh McGillsoil, Tip of the Week, Water

By Amir Rezazadeh Saline soil and water damage many citrus groves in Florida. In general, when the dissolved salt concentration in soil or water increases, it is referred to as “saline” soil or water. But how much increase in salt concentration makes soil or water saline? Citrus plants’ major reactions to excessive salt in the soil or water are reduced …

Microbiology and Microbes: The Key to Boosting Citrus Productivity

Josh McGillAll In For Citrus Podcast, Sponsored Content

Whether a citrus grove is thriving or not is often based on what is observed above the ground. However, the best measurement of fertility comes from what’s happening below ground—in the soil microbiology. There is a complex community of living organisms, everything from worms and insects to tree roots. One of the most important elements is soil microbes. Soil microbes …

Citrus Root Structures: Lessons From Below

Josh McGillResearch, Root health

By Ute Albrecht There have been numerous reports of malformed roots in field-grown citrus trees recently. The rootstock propagation method is often suspected as the culprit. Before drawing quick conclusions, it is important to recognize that there are many different factors that can influence the root structure of a citrus tree aside from the propagation method. These include the genetic …

Turkey Mandarins: Greater Production, Less Profits

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International, Mandarins

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently forecast Turkey’s 2021–22 fresh production of tangerines and mandarins at 1.81 million metric tons (MMT). That is 200,000 metric tons (MT) or 14% higher than the prior year. Turkey’s tangerines and other citrus are mainly grown in the country’s Mediterranean region. Increased mandarin production in the Mediterranean region is expected …

Chinese Rootstocks Show Promise in Australia

Josh McGillInternational, Research, Rootstocks

Preliminary data from an Australian research project suggest Chinese rootstocks No. 24 and 85-24 are having a dwarfing effect on citrus tree growth and will be candidates for future high-density cropping systems. Citrus Australia reported that those rootstocks have strong potential in heavy soils, and that results on deep sandy loam soil are also very encouraging. Tahir Khurshid from the …

Managing Macronutrients and Micronutrients

Josh McGillNutrition, Tip of the Week

By Davie Kadyampakeni Nutrients are needed for optimal citrus tree growth, fruit yields and juice quality. Any nutrient deficiencies could result in low yields and decreased revenue. Make sure citrus trees receive adequate macronutrients and micronutrients at all times. Macronutrients are those nutrients needed in large quantities to influence yield, growth and fruit quality. Macronutrients are further divided into two …

Progress in Developing Improved Citrus Rootstocks to Mitigate HLB

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research, Rootstocks

By Jude Grosser, Manjul Dutt and Fred Gmitter Exploiting citrus genetic diversity is the key to defeating HLB. Plant species have survived for millennia with evolving, hostile pathogens. This is possible through natural selection within genetically diverse populations. Tolerant or resistant individuals survive and intermate, get through the bottleneck, and the species evolves. Current citriculture is based on extremely limited …

FFAA Conference Takes Up Nutrient and Water-Quality Issues

Tacy CalliesBMPs, Events, Water

Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association members gathered in Palm Beach recently for the organization’s annual conference. The status of nutrient regulations and water-quality issues were at the top of the agenda for the group. Ernie Barnett, Florida Land Council president, addressed those issues during the conference. He has been involved with water issues in the state for more than 30 …

Grapefruit in Turkey: Production Up, Acreage Down

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, Grapefruit, International

Turkey is forecast to produce 249,000 metric tons (MT) of grapefruit in 2021–22, up 5% over the prior year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) reported. The increased production is due to better yields resulting from favorable weather conditions in the Mediterranean growing region, USDA/FAS stated in its semi-annual report on Turkish citrus. Improved yields have allowed …

Brazil's

Expectations for Brazil’s 2022–23 Orange Crop

Josh McGillBrazil, Orange Juice, Production

Brazil’s 2022–23 orange harvest is expected to yield a crop of 414.4 million 40.8-kg boxes (MBx), an increase of 15% over the prior season’s production. That forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) in its semi-annual report on Brazilian citrus. Most of Brazil’s 2022–23 orange harvest will come from the state of São Paulo …

Unlock Soil Nutrients to Benefit Your Citrus Grove

Josh McGillSponsored Content

Florida citrus growers are facing a rising mound of challenges these days. With citrus greening disease (HLB) devastating groves, low supply, soaring fertilizer prices and a substantial increase in overall production costs, the current odds are stacked high against citrus growers. This is an industry in crisis. Fortunately, science is catching up with new solutions to combat these urgent issues. …

PIECES OF THE PAST: Pounding the Pavement

Josh McGillHistory, Pieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I was reading a book about Dundee Citrus Growers Association, “D Is for Diamonds,” by Gordon Smith when I came across a story about Hoyle Pounds. He was inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 1986. Pounds had a long career as an innovator. He …

Selecting the Right Leaves for Sampling

Josh McGillNutrition, Tip of the Week

By Jamie D. Burrow and Tripti Vashisth With the increased cost and limited availability of fertilizer, purchasing decisions are more important now than ever. Collecting the right leaves for sampling is the first step to making fertilizer decisions. Leaf samples should consist of 100 leaves that are 4- to 6-month-old spring flush leaves taken from nonfruiting branches. WHY LEAVES FROM …

Experimenting With Cover Crops: Results From Three Years of Trials

Josh McGillCover Crops, Research, weeds

By Sarah Strauss, Antonio Castellano-Hinojosa, Davie Kadyampakeni, Ramdas Kanissery and Tara Wade Cover crops, which are planted specifically for soil enhancement and not for sale or harvest, can improve soil conditions and production for a variety of crops. However, there have not been many studies documenting changes to soil conditions and production when using cover crops in citrus. The University …

Citrus Industry Priorities Highlighted at GCGA Annual Meeting

Josh McGillEvents, Legislative

Citrus industry growers and allied members of the Gulf Citrus Growers Association (GCGA) gathered in Fort Myers last week for the association’s annual meeting. Matt Joyner, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, recapped Florida’s 2022 legislative session and touched on some other priorities during his address to the group. Joyner said the legislative session was a strong one for …

Nutrient Application Rates Bill Signed Into Law

Josh McGillLegislative, Nutrition

Florida Citrus Mutual Executive Vice President/CEO Mathew Joyner announced that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 1000, the Nutrient Application Rates bill. Joyner called SB 1000 “a critical piece of legislation.” See the full text of the new law here. The law takes effect July 1. “Sponsored by Senator Ben Albritton and Representative Lawrence McClure, the bill had previously passed both …