citrus could recover

Hunt on Orange Production: Recovery Could Come Quickly

Ernie Neff Citrus Greening, Economics, Rootstocks

Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Ellis Hunt Jr. reacts to projections Wednesday that Florida’s orange production will likely be near current levels or possibly much lower in 10 years. He says existing growers and/or institutional investors could replant trees lost to HLB fairly rapidly if they believe trees can survive and produce fruit in the face of HLB. “I think we …

oranges worst case

Worst Case in 10 Years: Florida Orange Production at 27 Million Boxes

Ernie Neff Citrus Greening, Economics, Forecast

In the worst-case scenario projected by economists Wednesday, Florida orange production could plummet to 27 million boxes in 10 years. Florida orange production last season was 81.5 million boxes. As recently as the 2003-04 season, Florida produced 242 million boxes of oranges. Production declines are primarily caused by HLB, the deadly disease first discovered in Florida in 2005. But the …

hurricane

Hunt Discusses Citrus Acreage Reduction

Ernie Neff Citrus Greening, Economics

“I think it just continues to show … the effect of HLB,” citrus grower and Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Ellis Hunt Jr. says of the U.S. Department of Agriculture report that Florida citrus acreage fell 4 percent in a year. “I look forward to the day that the new groves going in the ground will offset the declining numbers.” Hunt …

bactericides survey

FCM Applauds House Ways and Means Committee for Passing Citrus Bill

Daniel Cooper Citrus, Legislative

Florida Citrus Mutual on Wednesday applauded the House Ways and Means Committee for passing a measure that would provide growers with an incentive to plant more trees and bolster the ailing Florida citrus industry. Sponsored Content5 Facts About Fire Ants and How to Control ThemApril 18, 2024BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS IN A UNIQUE PRODUCT FOR HLB MANAGEMENTApril 1, 2024Protect Your Groves …

Injecting Citrus Tree Trunks with Bactericide May Help Stem Greening

Josh McGill Citrus

By: Brad Buck GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A chemical treatment known as a bactericide could help preserve citrus trees from the potentially deadly and costly greening disease, a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study shows. Citrus is estimated as a $10.9 billion-a-year industry in Florida and the finding could be key to helping the state’s …

Bactericide Survey Results Summary

Josh McGill Bactericides, Citrus Greening

By Stephanie Slinski and Harold Browning (Editor’s note: Click on the graphs throughout the article to enlarge them.) Bactericides have been available to growers as a new tool to improve the health of HLB-infected trees since early March 2016. This use has been under a crisis declaration from the Florida commissioner of agriculture, but on August 15 of this year, …

Bactericide Research Appears Promising

Ernie Neff Bactericides, Citrus Expo, Citrus Greening

U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist Bob Shatters updated Citrus Expo seminar attendees on results from ongoing bactericide research trials. He was among the many speakers who discussed tools for HLB in the seminar program. “The first year of applications, we were detecting reductions in the bacterial population of the plant,” Shatters said. “And we did see that continue after the …

Saving Florida’s Citrus Industry Through Collaboration and Innovation

Kelsey Fry Citrus, Citrus Greening

From Kevin Shea, Administrator, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: The Florida citrus industry is under siege and the invader is a tiny bug called the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The ACP spreads a disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, and together they are destroying groves that have been cultivated by families for generations. But all is …

HLB and psyllid levels

Record Psyllid Levels and the Good CHMAs Do

Ernie Neff Citrus Greening, Pests

Populations of HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids have been at record levels since April, University of Florida Citrus Health Management Area (CHMA) Program Coordinator Brandon Page told growers at a recent seminar in Immokalee. Page thinks abandoned groves that aren’t sprayed and therefore harbor psyllids are part of the reason for the recent population increase. “I think we’re also seeing money …

Moving Murcott from the Top of the Tree to the Bottom

Tacy Callies Rootstocks

By Bill Castle and Luiz A.B.C. Vasconcellos Maybe it’s time to try a scion as a rootstock! Murcott is widely known as a scion variety, but it might be an interesting rootstock based on grower experience in Brazil as well as rootstock trial results and some commercial use in Florida. Mandarin rootstocks and their hybrids have generally good horticultural traits, especially …

Entomologist Joins UF/IFAS to Help Solve Citrus Greening

Kelsey Fry Agriculture, Citrus Greening

An entomologist with 10 years of research focused on the state’s iconic citrus industry has joined the faculty of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Indian River Research and Education Center (UF/IFAS IRREC). Named Entomologist of the Year in 2012 by the Florida Entomological Society, Jawwad A. Qureshi was selected for a new position as assistant …

Sneak Peek: August 2016 Citrus Industry

Tacy Callies CEU, Citrus Expo

The August issue of Citrus Industry magazine is coming soon! In this edition, growers will have the opportunity to earn one Core CEU by reading an article on pesticide formulations and taking the accompanying test. Other features offer new knowledge on citrus black spot and guidelines on how to evaluate HLB treatments in the grove. In addition, University of Florida …

Senator Rubio and Commissioner Putnam Visit Florida Citrus Grove

Kelsey Fry Agriculture, Citrus Greening

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is at Gapway Groves in Auburndale today to see firsthand the plague facing Florida’s citrus industry. Senator Rubio is joined by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam on a tour of a grove impacted by citrus greening. Both Senator Rubio and Commissioner Putnam are key advocates in the fight against HLB and have worked on …

double citrus production

Citrus Production Increases with Reduced Inputs

Ernie Neff Citrus Greening, Nutrition

Yes, you read that headline correctly! The Mid-Florida Citrus Foundation Grove near Winter Garden in the past year or so managed to almost double its citrus production while cutting production costs almost in half. Mickey Page, the grove’s research coordinator and farm manager, tells why the inputs had to be reduced and how he altered the production program. “If you …

bactericides survey

Sparks Urges Growers to Take Bactericide Survey

Ernie Neff Bactericides, Citrus Greening

Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks tells why it’s important for Florida citrus growers to participate in a bactericide survey. The survey was developed by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation and is being administered by AgNet Media. Even growers who are not using the bactericides yet are asked to participate. The purpose of the survey is to collect data …

Growers Learn About Diaprepes Root Weevil Control

Tacy Callies Pests

University of Florida professor Larry Duncan presented the latest research on using entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) to control Diaprepes root weevil (DRW) in citrus to approximately 30 growers on June 30 at the Hardee County Extension Service office in Wauchula. The combination of HLB with DRW intrusion has created a situation that will accelerate the destruction of most infected trees. DRW …

Section 18 Update on FireWall

Kelsey Fry Citrus

The current Section 18 emergency exemption permitting application of FireWall™ 50 WP to aid in the control of citrus canker in Florida grapefruit expires on July 1, 2016. After discussions with EPA, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) have decided not to pursue its renewal. The rationale for this …

Sneak Peek: July Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy Callies Citrus, Irrigation

Citrus Industry subscribers will soon receive the July issue of the magazine. Featured in the cover story are young citrus leaders LeAnna and Aaron Himrod. Read all about the sister and brother’s accomplishments as they carry on the family tradition of staying in the citrus business. This issue also includes two water-management articles by University of Florida professor Kelly Morgan. …

Letter to the Editor: Pete Spyke

Josh McGill Citrus

By: Pete Spyke President of Arapaho Citrus Management, Inc. Bill Castle’s recent Letter to the Editor (see January 2016 Citrus Industry) called for our industry to engage in dialogue about HLB that is different from our usual kinds of communication. It seems that a good place to start may be with new varieties and rootstocks. Unless we increase the productive …

HLB tolerance

Update on Spinach Genes for Citrus Tree Tolerance

Ernie Neff Citrus Greening, Genetic Engineering

At the recent Florida Citrus Mutual conference, Southern Gardens Citrus President Rick Kress provided an update on research by his company and Texas A&M into use of a spinach gene to create HLB tolerance in trees, and hopefully resistance. “We have tolerance,” he said. “We would certainly like to see immunity down the road, but we’ll work with tolerance and …