By Travis Chapin, Matt Krug and Michelle Danyluk It’s been four years since the final Produce Safety Rule (PSR) was published in the Federal Register. The further we get into implementation of the PSR, the more it really seems like a marathon and not a sprint. By January 2020, all operations covered under the PSR should be complying with applicable …
Soil Health Focus for HLB
A citrus soil health field day recently attracted about 40 people to the Howey-in-the-Hills area to see growers’ success using cover crops and compost on Florida groves once stunted by HLB. Event organizer Juanita Popenoe, commercial fruit production Extension agent for Lake, Marion and Orange counties, comments on the groves’ success. Popenoe is with the University of Florida Institute of …
Florida’s Citrus Industry: A Balanced Perspective
The Washington Post recently published a “well-balanced article” about Florida’s citrus industry, telling its woes as well as progress against HLB, says Michael Rogers. “We hosted a reporter from the Washington Post back in July of this year,” says Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center. “I think …
Sneak Peek: December 2019 Citrus Industry Magazine
As the year races to a finish, growers will want to make sure they are up to date on the “food-safety marathon” described in the December issue of Citrus Industry magazine. The University of Florida’s (UF) Travis Chapin, Matt Krug and Michelle Danyluk discuss what growers need to know about the implementation of the Produce Safety Rule. Topics addressed include …
A Closer Look at CUPS-Grown Grapefruit
By Arnold Schumann, Ariel Singerman and Yu Wang Grapefruit production in Florida has been drastically reduced by huanglongbing (HLB) disease, from 40.9 million boxes in 2003–04 to 4.5 million boxes in 2018–19, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Grapefruit varieties are particularly vulnerable to HLB due to cumulative losses from stunted tree growth, low fruit yield, high-percentage fruit drop, …
All In For Citrus Podcast, November 2019
The All In For Citrus podcast for November is packed with updates on various aspects of citrus production. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers tells how the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) helped a Washington Post reporter write a well-balanced article about the Florida citrus industry and HLB. Rogers points out that the …
Reps. Yoho, Soto Call on USDA to Stabilize Florida Orange Juice Market
Reps. Ted. S Yoho (FL-03) and Darren Soto (FL-09) led a bipartisan letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting the U.S. Department of Agriculture increase funding for orange juice purchases in Florida to $90 million, doubling the initial allocation from this past summer. After Hurricane Irma, Florida orange production dropped precipitously from 68.7 million boxes in 2017 to 45 million boxes …
Georgia Introduces New Satsuma Brand
(GDA) — Just in time for the holidays, shoppers can now add the Georgia citrus brand, Besties™ to their grocery lists. This month more than 1 million pounds of Georgia Grown satsuma mandarin oranges are going to market in major retailers, including Publix, Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods. “Georgia has a great history of branding agricultural commodities into household names,” …
Citrus Commission Rejects Tax Hike for Marketing
(NSF) — Small growers of Florida’s signature crop, expressing concerns about the future of the citrus industry, indicated a willingness Wednesday to pay a higher tax rate if it gets people to drink more orange juice. But the Florida Citrus Commission rejected a proposal to raise from 7 cents to 12 cents a per-box tax on oranges that growers pay …
FDOC Orange Tax Unchanged
Florida orange growers will pay the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) a 7-cents-per-box tax in the current season for their juice oranges. After considering higher rates for months, the Florida Citrus Commission finally agreed to keep the existing 7-cent rate at its meeting on Nov. 20. The commission did, however, indicate its willingness to spend up to an additional $2 …
Viruses in the Gut of Asian Citrus Psyllid: Friends or Foes?
By Ozgur Batuman and Amit Levy Management options for huanglongbing (HLB) are limited and rely heavily on insecticides for controlling Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) populations, even when integrated with other cultural control methods. Chemical strategies are expensive and, if not rotated, can contribute to the development of chemical resistance among ACP populations. In some cases, long-term chemical applications may have …
Cover Crops Bring HLB Recovery
About eight years ago, Ed James had given up on a grove that was ravaged by HLB in the Howey-in-the-Hills area. “I had abandoned the grove,” he says. “I was going to fix the soil to plant alternative crops. And when I started fixing the soil with cover crops, the trees turned around and started producing again.” On Nov. 15, …
Psyllid Management: Organic and Conventional Systems
By Jawwad Qureshi Management of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is needed in multiple environments, such as organic and conventional production systems and urban areas. However, the tools and approach may be different depending on the circumstances. Chemical control is the primary method used in commercial production to reduce psyllid populations, but the increased use of insecticides negatively affects the …
Staying in Citrus Came Naturally
Helping manage their father’s business — Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery in Frostproof, Florida — was an easy career choice for Levette Rucks and her brother, Phil Rucks Jr. “I feel it’s in my blood,” says General Manager Levette, who earned a master’s degree in accounting at the University of Florida in 2013. “When I was growing up, my dad (Phil …
Varieties Update: OLL-20 and Bingo
Fred Gmitter provided an update at Citrus Expo on University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus varieties, including OLL-20 and Bingo. Gmitter is a UF/IFAS citrus plant breeder and geneticist at the Citrus Research and Education Center. Gmitter said OLL-20, a new sweet orange, has “exceptional flavor characteristics … It looks to be something that could …
Upbeat Hemp Update
Holly Bell, director of cannabis for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, provides an optimistic update on the future of hemp in Florida. Bell spoke at the first Florida Industrial Hemp Conference and Exhibition held Nov. 3–5 in Orlando. Following her presentation, she talked with Southeast AgNet’s Tacy Callies. According to Bell, growing hemp in Florida became legal …
Citrus Oversupply Latest Hurdle for Florida Growers
(NSF) — Hurricane Irma continues to challenge Florida’s citrus industry. Two growing seasons separated from the September 2017 storm that flooded groves and uprooted citrus trees across the state, the industry has seen production rebound quicker than some anticipated. But now the problem is an oversupply of citrus because of fruit from other countries, and Florida growers may be forced …
Citrus Rootstock Guide Updates Available Online
(UF/IFAS) — Florida’s citrus growers may now access the updated Florida Citrus Rootstock Selection Guide, which is more user- and mobile-friendly. Revisions include current University of Florida rootstock horticultural traits, three new rootstocks that tolerate citrus greening and an updated bibliography. “The fourth edition of the Florida Citrus Rootstock Selection Guide has a new look and information for a comprehensive description …
CUPS: Favorite Varieties to Grow
After five years of growing citrus under protective screen (CUPS), Arnold Schumann has named Ray Ruby grapefruit and Honey Murcott tangerine as his favorite varieties to grow in the system. Schumann is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. He addressed the topic of …
Nutrition: What Growers Want to Know
A group of growers, production managers and researchers hopes to ensure future nutrition research funded by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) answers grower questions about nutrition. The dozen-plus members of CRDF’s Nutrition Working Group held their first meeting Oct. 30 at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. The panel is about evenly split between grower …