USDA to Purchase Citrus Products

Tacy CalliesCitrus

Mike Sparks, Florida Citrus Mutual executive vice president/CEO, reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced another round of citrus purchases totaling almost $48 million. The breakdown includes $10 million worth of orange juice, $7.5 million worth of grapefruit juice, $25 million in fresh oranges and $5 million in fresh grapefruit. The USDA purchases will be for distribution to …

App Now Available to Diagnose Citrus Leaf Problems

Tacy CalliesTechnology

Visual identification of nutrient deficiencies and leaf damage is an important diagnostic tool for fine-tuning management of citrus. Arnold Schumann, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor, shared how UF/IFAS researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to diagnose citrus nutritional deficiencies, diseases and pest damage. According to Schumann, disease and pest symptoms on leaves may cause …

Pieces of the Past: Waverly’s Window

Tacy CalliesPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I grew up in Winter Haven and have driven by Waverly Growers Cooperative countless times when traveling around Polk County. But I never knew that at one time there was a formal garden and picnic grounds adjacent to the Waverly Welcome House.  Founded in 1914 by a group of local growers led by Charles Hillery Walker …

CRDF Selects Rootstocks for Trials

Tacy CalliesCRDF

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) directors recently ratified the rootstock selections for the planned rootstock field trials and discussed the organization’s involvement in future research, CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler reported. The board ratified 10 rootstock selections for the new field trials, overseen by CRDF’s Select Committee on Plant Improvement. According to Dantzler, the field trials will evaluate …

Fire Ant Management in Citrus

Tacy CalliesPests

By Lauren M. Diepenbrock While there are many species of ants in Florida, the invasive fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) is the one most people are familiar with. These ants can be pests in agriculture, landscapes and structures. The pest’s ability to use a variety of habitats and resources makes it challenging to manage. In citrus groves, fire ants can be …

Sneak Peek: February 2021 Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesDiseases, Sneak Peek

While everyone strives to protect themselves from coronavirus disease, growers have an additional concern: protecting their trees from citrus disease. While HLB is of course the most damaging disease of citrus, there are other diseases that should not be overlooked. Disease management is the theme of the February 2021 issue of Citrus Industry magazine. University of Florida Institute of Food …

Soilless Substrate Project Update

Ernie NeffResearch

By Jeb Fields (Editor’s Note: A previous Citrus Industry article described a Soilless Substrate Science project led by Jeb Fields, assistant professor and Extension specialist at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. The article noted that citrus growers are beginning to explore the potential of soilless culture. This is an update to that article.) Initially we had envisioned a physical …

Advice for Using Soil Moisture Sensors

Tacy CalliesIrrigation, Technology

Proper irrigation management is key to optimize water use and increase crop yield. Water is a limiting factor in Florida citrus production during most of the year due to extremely sandy soils with low water-holding capacity and non-uniform distribution of rainfall. Soil moisture sensor systems may provide the most reliable data for effective citrus irrigation scheduling under these conditions. Rad …

Plan Your Insect Management for 2021

Tacy CalliesPests, Tip of the Week

By L.M. Diepenbrock Insect and mite management is a year-round challenge in Florida citrus. With the warm climate, pests are at the ready as soon as plant resources are available to them. With knowledge of insect and mite biology in relation to tree phenology, plans can be developed to protect fruit and maintain productive citrus trees. Populations of many of …

Control Methods for Major Pests of Cold-Hardy Citrus

Tacy CalliesPests

By Xavier Martini and Danielle Sprague Cold-hardy citrus, that is, citrus grown above the 30th parallel north, is a blooming industry. In less than 10 years, the acreage in North Florida has gone from almost nonexistent to approximately 1,000 acres. Growers in the region plan to plant more in the coming years. In Georgia, there are approximately 2,000 acres across …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, January 2021

Taylor HillmanAll In For Citrus Podcast, Sponsored Content

An update on the nutrition box program, shade research with some positive side effects, and a bold project analyzing compounds used against HLB headline January’s All In For Citrus podcast. The Citrus Nutrient Management Program, more commonly known as the nutrition box program, is over a year old. Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers, with the University of …

Georgia Trials Offer Rootstock Choices

Ernie NeffRootstocks

Ongoing citrus rootstock trials being conducted by University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension in Lowndes County hold promise for increased yields, improved fruit quality and greater disease resistance. Jake Price, UGA Extension agent and Lowndes County Extension coordinator, has six local citrus rootstock/variety trials with varying objectives. The trees are custom-produced by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified citrus nurseries in …

Grower Sees Success With Oak Mulch

Ernie NeffProduction

Like several commercial Florida citrus growers, Ben Bateman of Brandon has noticed strong improvement in what he calls his “recreational grove” after applying oak mulch to the trees. Bateman planted 26 mixed-variety trees in large pots about six years ago, transplanting them to the ground five years ago. He said he spent nearly $1,000 on foliar nutrients “with little to …

Florida Citrus Packinghouse Sold

Ernie NeffPacking

Indian River Exchange Packers (IREP) on Jan. 8 sold its Vero Beach, Florida, packinghouse to Diamond Drinks, a Pennsylvania drink manufacturing firm. The sales price was $4.5 million. “Diamond Drinks will convert the packinghouse into a private drink mixing and bottling company,” said IREP President George Hamner. “They will also extrude and sell plastic bottles.” IREP plans to continue packing …

Avoid Salt-Out of Liquid Fertilizers

Tacy CalliesTip of the Week

By Ajia Paolillo The use of liquid fertilizers in citrus production has increased over the years. Liquid fertilizers offer the grower a way of applying frequent doses of fertilizer to trees to optimize nutrient efficiency. Now that the winter months are here with cooler weather and some cold nights, growers may face the issue of liquid fertilizer salting-out in the …

Argentina Lemon Production to See Sharp Drop

Ernie NeffCrop Forecast, International

Fresh lemon production in Argentina is forecast at 1.03 million metric tons in 2020-21, down 30 percent compared to the previous marketing year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported these figures. Low spring temperatures seem to have significantly affected production and, coupled with the ongoing drought, resulted in reduced fruit size. As a result of the …

Weed-Control Strategies for Florida Groves

Tacy Calliesweeds

Weed management is a key component of Florida’s citrus production. A warm, humid climate and frequent rainfall provide a favorable environment for weed emergence and growth in citrus groves. Steve Futch, a former multi-county citrus Extension agent for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, delivered a presentation during the 2021 virtual Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable …

pests

Traditional and Alternative Leafminer Control Methods

Tacy CalliesPests

By Lukasz Stelinski The citrus leafminer (CLM) remains a major pest of citrus throughout Florida. The adults are small, white/silver-colored moths about half the size of a typical mosquito (Figure 1). Adults are difficult to spot due to their small size and because they are active only in the evening (dusk) and early pre-dawn hours. CLM adults can be monitored …

Kaolin Particle Film Reduces HLB Pressure

Tacy CalliesHLB Management

Researchers found use of kaolin particle film on trees reduced populations of HLB-spreading psyllids and delayed HLB infection. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor Christopher Vincent presented his research comparing red and white kaolin particle films with foliar insecticides during a recent UF/IFAS OJ Break webinar. According to Vincent, the particles of kaolin clay …

New Louisiana Citrus Research Facility

Ernie NeffResearch

The Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation has constructed a citrus research facility at the Docville Farm in partnership with the Louisiana State University (LSU) AgCenter. The new facility, called the Center for Louisiana Citrus Innovation and Research, is in Violet, Louisiana. “This facility will be utilized to support Louisiana citrus growers as well as promote citrus and other specialty …