Origin of Oranges Can Be Determined

Josh McGillInternational

A Citrus Australia study has used trace elements or isotopes to determine if an orange originated in Australia as opposed to another country. Using the same techniques, researchers can differentiate place of origin of Australian oranges into one of the five Australian growing regions. The first-of-its-kind study was conducted through an Agriculture Victoria Food to Market program. Citrus Australia noted …

production

Turkey Citrus Forecasts See Some Declines

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International

Lemon and grapefruit crops will be smaller than the previous year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) stated in a recent report on Turkey citrus. The country’s orange juice (OJ) production is forecast to stay the same. LEMONSTurkey’s 2022–23 fresh lemon production forecast is 1.32 million metric tons (MMT), 11% lower than the previous season. The …

Accelerating Citrus Breeding Efforts

Josh McGillBreeding

By John M. Chater Professors Jude Grosser and Fred Gmitter have been breeding improved citrus varieties at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) for decades. Over time, they have released several of their advanced selections. Many of these selections are sweet oranges. There is a subset of these creations …

Rossi Selected for Leadership Training

Josh McGillEducation

Lorenzo Rossi, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor, has been selected to train in the American Society for Horticultural Science’s Leadership Academy. Rossi leads a team of 15 associates who perform research to support high-value crops, including citrus, at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce. He was selected for …

Capitalize on Cooperative Research

Josh McGillResearch, Tip of the Week

By Larry Duncan The growers advising the Citrus Research and Development Foundation understand very well the importance of cooperative research projects between growers and scientists. Several years ago, they earmarked a portion of research funding, not for carefully managed laboratory experiments or small plot trials at state, federal or private research centers, but rather for grower-run trials testing potential HLB …

grapefruit

Grapefruit Rootstock/Scion Research Update

Josh McGillGrapefruit, Indian River, Research

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers Mark Ritenour and Flavia Zambon recently provided an update on a large field trial. The project is called Evaluation of Potential HLB Tolerant Grapefruit Rootstock/Scion Combinations in the Indian River District of Florida. A summary of their update follows:  The project started as a collaborative effort between the UF/IFAS …

Speeding Up the Screening Process for HLB Therapies

Josh McGillHLB Management

While it remains to be seen if trunk injection of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) is a game changer in the fight against HLB, it certainly has intensified the conversation about the potential for antimicrobial treatments. There are literally hundreds of materials that might be effective at reducing the HLB bacteria in trees, but it has been a slow process to screen …

Citrus Breeding Efforts to Solve the Brix Crisis

Josh McGillRootstocks, Varieties

By Jude Grosser, Maria Brenelli, Ling Liu, Yu Wang and Fred Gmitter The combination of HLB and hurricane Ian have made this a disastrous year for Florida citrus, drastically reducing the quantity and quality of processing oranges. Brix values are the lowest in history. Early-season Hamlin juice with inferior quality is generally blended with late-season Valencia to achieve the target …

USDA Citrus Breeding Program Focused on Rootstock and Variety Solutions

Josh McGillBreeding, Rootstocks, Varieties

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida, has been home to a citrus rootstock and variety breeding program for many years. Kim Bowman, a research geneticist, has been with the program for more than 30 years. More recently, Matthew Mattia, a geneticist, joined the breeding team. They provide an update on the program …

European Union Citrus Report on Production, War Impact

Josh McGillCrop Forecast, International

A new report on European Union (EU) citrus by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) includes a broad overview of the continent’s industry. Production expectations, the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, acreage and trade are addressed in the report. PRODUCTION REDUCTIONTotal European Union (EU) citrus production in 2022–23 is projected to total 10.4 million metric …

Identifying HLB Therapeutics With CTV-Based Vectors

Josh McGillHLB Management, Research

By Choaa A. El Mohtar Projected citrus production in Florida for the 2022–23 season is less than 20 million boxes. This is more than a 90% decrease compared to the 2003–04 season, which was around 292 million boxes. The main reason for the decrease is huanglongbing (HLB) disease. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus …

Adverse Effect Wage Rates Rule Challenged

Josh McGillLabor, Legal

In late February, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) pushed through a new methodology used to determine the hourly adverse effect wage rates (AEWR) for agricultural employers. The rule became effective March 30. Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) Director of Labor Relations Jamie Fussell discussed the action’s impact on growers: IMPACT ON EMPLOYERSSimply, the new rule may mean that …

Build Resilience in HLB-Affected Hamlin Trees

Josh McGillHLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Taylor Livingston and Tripti Vashisth Fighting HLB alongside weather disasters like freezes and hurricanes is leaving growers with little options for sustaining yields. The Hamlin sweet orange variety is known for higher susceptibility to HLB symptoms which cause rapid tree decline, including increased pre-harvest fruit drop and canopy loss. Production strategies that target fruit drop and canopy health improvement …

study

Psyllids Resistant to Insecticides in Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, HLB Management

Psyllids collected in orchards in four microregions of Brazil’s citrus belt showed reduced susceptibility to insecticides from the pyrethroid and neonicotinoid chemical groups. That information was reported earlier this year by agronomist and researcher Fernando Amaral of the Arthropod Resistance Laboratory at the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture/University of São Paulo (ESALQ/USP). This was the first confirmation of psyllid …

New Dignity Act Aims to Reform Immigration and H-2A

Josh McGillLabor, Legislative

Bipartisan members of Congress led by Representatives María Elvira Salazar of Florida and Veronica Escobar of Texas on May 23 introduced an updated version of the Dignity Act (H.R. 3599). The act would reform immigration laws and streamline the H-2A program for temporary foreign workers.  The bill would aim to stop illegal immigration, provide a dignified solution for undocumented immigrants living in America and strengthen …

Sustaining Citrus With Soil Improvement

Josh McGillCover Crops, HLB Management, Soil Health

By Frank Giles HLB has taken a toll on growers both large and small over the years. That’s been the case with third-generation grower Chuck Bellamy, who grows citrus near Inverness, Florida. His grandparents planted the first trees on the property in 1930. A few of those trees are still alive in the grove nearly 100 years later. Bellamy says …

Update on Snail Management in Citrus

Josh McGillPests, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Diepenbrock Snail management is becoming a more common discussion in Florida citrus with the arrival of a newer species (Bulimulus bonariensis, previously referred to as Bulimulus sporadicus, Figure 1) in the Southeast. This snail is a new challenge for citrus growers. With funding from the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, the University of Florida Institute of Food and …

Silicon Could Benefit Florida Citrus

Josh McGillNutrition, Production

There has been much focus on the benefits of applications of plant growth regulators like gibberellic acid and 2,4-D, and more recently oxytetracycline hydrochloride to improve the health of citrus trees infected with HLB. Silicon also has been highlighted for its potential benefits to citrus. Mohammad Adnan Shahid, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor, …

U.S. Citrus Demand Exceeds Supply

Josh McGillExport/Import, Production

While the U.S. domestic supply of citrus has declined tremendously, imports have increased substantially. That, says American Farm Bureau Federation economist Daniel Munch, is a telltale sign that consumer demand for citrus in the United States is now greater than domestic production capacity. “In other words, we’ve become partially reliant on other nations for citrus products,” Munch writes in U.S. …

Indian River Center to Add Citrus Researcher

Josh McGillIndian River, Research

Brazil native Flavia Zambon will become assistant professor of production horticulture of citrus and other tree crops at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in November. The IRREC, located in Fort Pierce, is a branch of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).  Zambon has had years of research experience in all of Florida’s …