Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) President Larry Black discusses the hiring of John Arthington as interim chief operations officer (COO) and the search for a permanent COO. Harold Browning will leave the COO post at the end of March to work for a private firm. “Dr. Arthington was highly recommended by several (CRDF) board members (and) past board members,” …
ACP Pheromone to Improve Trapping
By Len Wilcox University of California Davis (UC Davis) researchers have identified the sex pheromone of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), a discovery which will lead to better methods of controlling the pest. The ACP is a major threat to citrus around the world. The psyllid is a tiny insect with the potential to wreak havoc as it spreads the …
CRDF Hires Interim Chief Operations Officer
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), tasked primarily with researching and implementing management techniques for HLB, hired a cattle expert as interim chief operations officer on March 20. John Arthington will temporarily succeed Harold Browning, who resigns at the end of March to pursue HLB control strategies with Vero Beach-based Premier Citrus ApZ. Arthington is a University of Florida …
State of the Florida Citrus-Packing Segment
By Peter Chaires Florida’s fresh-packing segment is in a significant period of transition. The freezes of the 1980s caused substantial southward movement of citrus production and the loss of supply to most packinghouses in the northern regions. During this time, urban expansion and construction booms were also depleting acreage that supplied fresh houses. The early battles against citrus canker eliminated …
Annual Meeting of the Florida State Horticultural Society
The Florida State Horticultural Society (FSHS) announces that it will hold its 131st annual meeting on June 10 through June 12, 2018, at the Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel located at 1617 SE 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With over 100 technical presentations and special sessions with invited speakers, there will also be a welcome reception, Extension luncheon, …
Citrus Industry Priorities for the Next Farm Bill
Crop insurance fixes and the continuation of research funding are top priorities for the citrus industry when it comes to developing the new farm bill. Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy with the United Fresh Produce Association, recently discussed these issues with AgNet Media Founder and President Gary Cooper. They spoke during the recent Crop Insurance Industry Convention …
Foliar Nutrition Research Update
By Rhuanito S. Ferrarezi, Alan L. Wright, Kelly T. Morgan, Philip A. Stansly, Monica Ozores-Hampton and Robert Ebel Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening is endemic in Florida, resulting in billions of dollars of losses since the state’s first detection in 2005. The disease induces visual symptoms in leaves and branches, while severely impacting citrus fruit yield and quality. Fibrous root …
Browning to Resign from Citrus Research and Development Foundation
Larry Black, president of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors, announced that Harold Browning is resigning as CRDF chief operations officer on March 31, 2018. Browning has served the CRDF and the citrus industry in this role since April 2011. “Harold has a unique skill set as a scientist, administrator and industry ambassador that has served the …
Living with Yellow Dragon Disease
A grower nutrition survey reveals production practices for successful HLB management. By Tripti Vashisth and Christopher Vincent These days, in nearly every conversation about HLB, mineral nutrition comes up in some way. It seems that in a conversation between three people, there will be about four opinions on what, why, where and how to provide nutrition to citrus trees in …
Jude Grosser: Giving Growers Better Options
By Tacy Callies Some people start young adulthood by following in their parents’ footsteps. Jude Grosser began by following the path of his oldest brother, Tim, instead. Both went to Thomas More College and majored in biology. After that, their education and careers took different turns. Grosser thought he would work in wildlife or fisheries, but then had an opportunity …
Sneak Peek: March 2018 Citrus Industry Magazine
By Tacy Callies Citrus growers and researchers alike are learning more about the role intensive nutrition management plays in keeping HLB-infected trees productive. The March issue of Citrus Industry magazine provides two features on nutrition management. The first is a foliar nutrition research update from a team of University of Florida scientists. The article offers a summary of results on …
How Will Irma Affect Citrus Canker Management?
By Evan G. Johnson The citrus canker season is quickly approaching again, so it is time to start planning your canker management program to avoid fruit drop and fresh-market quality loss. It is easy to forget the importance of controlling citrus canker with the current state of HLB in Florida. However, citrus canker can cause almost complete crop loss if …
Outlook for Postbloom Fruit Drop
By Megan M. Dewdney, Tripti Vashisth and Ariel Singerman In 2017, the damage from postbloom fruit drop (PFD) was lower than the previous three years. This was mainly due to the low rainfall accumulation in late winter and early spring. The long bloom with relatively few flowers at any one time made the decision of when to apply a fungicide …
Call Now for Florida Agriculture Relief Legislation
By Mike Sparks, Florida Citrus Mutual executive vice president/chief executive officer The U.S. Senate is expected to pass the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) sometime today. The measure to fund the government includes $2.36 billion for Florida agriculture relief. Please immediately contact your U.S. Representative in the House and strongly urge him or her to vote “yes” on the bill. See …
8 Million-Year-Old Gene Could Help the Citrus Industry
After 100 years of assertions about the roots of citrus, a global group of scientists — including a University of Florida professor — has traced the evolutionary history of Florida’s signature crop up to 8 million years ago in the Himalayas of Southeast Asia. Through analyses of 60 types of citrus whose genomes they sequenced, scientists identified 10 natural citrus …
Grapefruit Economics: The Bad News Continues
An economic update on the Florida grapefruit industry delivered at the recent Florida Citrus Show indicates that the few grapefruit growers who remain struggle mightily to make a profit. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) economist Ariel Singerman delivered the report, which he summarizes. “Production costs are only up marginally on a per-acre basis; only up …
Update on Thermotherapy Research
Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation As early as 1965, high-temperature treatments were shown to reduce HLB bacterial infection without killing the tree. Trials [Ehsani, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)] using portable, semi-transparent, plastic houses were placed over trees, achieved temperatures of above 120 F for several hours over several days, and reduced …
Tools for Integrated Management of Citrus Psyllids and Leafminers
By Jawwad A. Qureshi, Philip A. Stansly and Lukasz L. Stelinski Pest management has always been important for citrus production in Florida. It has become even more critical following invasion of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and citrus leafminer (CLM), due to their association with huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening) and canker diseases, respectively. ACP and CLM develop and reproduce …
An Inside Look at Brazil’s Citrus Production Practices
By Stephen Futch and Ariel Singerman This article summarizes observations on citrus production during a June 2017 trip to Araraquara and the Southwest region of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW The citrus industry in São Paulo is divided into five production regions (North, Northwest, Central, South and Southwest). This regional classification is based upon climatic characteristics and …
Sneak Peek: February 2018 Citrus Industry Magazine
The cover of the February issue of Citrus Industry magazine features a familiar face at the Citrus Research and Education Center. Jude Grosser has been a part of the University of Florida facility for more than three decades. He tells about the citrus variety research he has accomplished so far, as well as the goals he is still striving to …