testing

University of Georgia Lab Offers HLB Testing

Daniel CooperGeorgia, HLB Management

The University of Georgia’s (UGA) Plant Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (MDL) on the Tifton campus is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified lab performing huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) testing. It offers the advanced test to commercial growers, homeowners, nurseries, Extension and research personnel and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The molecular test per sample costs $80. Candidatus Liberibacter species associated with HLB …

fresh

A Fresh Approach

Daniel CooperCRAFT, Fresh, Packing

Despite the challenges of the Florida citrus industry, Feek Family Citrus continues to successfully grow, pack and ship fresh fruit. In an effort to discourage his son from working in the citrus business, Doug Feek’s father gave him all the worst jobs to do in the family’s small grove. “He wanted me to save my back and work a desk …

areas

HLB Quarantine Areas Expanded in California

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, HLB Management, Regulation

Federal and state agriculture officials have expanded the areas quarantined for huanglongbing (HLB; also known as citrus greening) in California. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).  APHIS is adding portions of Los Angeles, San Diego and Ventura counties …

planting

CRAFT Program Promotes New Planting and Knowledge

Daniel CooperCRAFT, planting, Research

Since its founding in 2019, the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program has been responsible for the planting of just under 10,000 acres of new trees. This includes about 6,000 acres of solid-set groves and just shy of 4,000 acres of resets. CRAFT is a first-of-its-kind program and considered an innovation among funding agencies needed to support such efforts. …

protect developing

Protect Developing Fruit From Lebbeck Mealybugs

Daniel CooperPests, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Diepenbrock As the March bloom tapers off and fruit begin to set, it is time to think about lebbeck mealybug management to protect developing fruit. Damage to setting fruit causes malformed fruit that are often aborted or not marketable if they continue development (Figure 1). Early-season management is critical to both reducing early fruit damage and to maintaining …

tree health

Get an Assist in Gauging Tree Health

Daniel CooperTechnology

If there was ever a time when Florida citrus growers would want to get a better read on tree health, this season might it. A significant number of acres have been treated with new trunk-injection therapies, and growers have been monitoring groves to observe the impact of the treatments. Growers have traditionally relied on visual observation to get a sense …

georgia

‘The Psyllids Will Like Georgia Just Fine’

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Psyllids

A California citrus leader believes Georgia will make an ideal home for the Asian citrus psyllid, which vectors the devastating huanglongbing (HLB) disease. “North of Florida, it is colder, and it’s certainly not as suitable a place as Florida is, but the psyllid is still going to be fine. The cold isn’t long enough here to knock the populations out,” …

production

Turkish Lemon and Grapefruit Production to Rise

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projects that lemon and grapefruit production in Türkiye (previously known as Turkey) will both increase in 2023–24. LEMON Lemon production is forecast to increase 20% to 1.58 million metric tons (MMT). The increase is due to favorable weather conditions during spring 2023. Half of the total lemon production in Türkiye …

tolerant

Growers Must Settle for HLB-Tolerant Trees While Waiting for Resistance

Daniel CooperEvents, HLB Management, Varieties

The dream of citrus varieties being totally resistant to huanglongbing (HLB) disease (citrus greening) is still a distant reality for Florida growers. For now, they must depend on tolerant varieties to lessen the disease’s impact, which is widespread throughout most of the state. Michael Rogers, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center …

wage

Senators Call for Freeze on H-2A Wage Rate

Daniel CooperLabor, Legislative

Sixteen U.S. senators recently introduced a bill to revert the H-2A program’s adverse effect wage rate (AEWR) to the December 2023 rate through the end of the 2025 growing season. Two of the senators who introduced the Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2024 are from citrus-producing states — Rick Scott of Florida and John Cornyn of Texas. A majority of …

bill

Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine Prompts California Bill

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Legislative, Pests

California Assembly member Eloise Reyes on Feb. 15 introduced a bill establishing a statewide goal to manage the introduction and spread of invasive species across California. Assembly Bill 2827 was introduced in response to the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) quarantine for the Redlands and Yucaipa areas of San Bernardino County due to impacts of the Oriental Fruit …

National Ag Day

March 19 Is National Ag Day

Daniel CooperAgriculture, Events

The Agriculture Council of America (ACA) has announced March 19 will be National Ag Day with the theme “Agriculture: Growing a Climate for Tomorrow.” The non-profit ACA organizes the annual event. Activities planned for March 19 include a virtual Ag Day program and in-person events in Washington, D.C. ACA will invite students to interact virtually with legislators and agency representatives, …

stuart scholarship

Stuart Scholarship Applications Due April 15

Daniel CooperEducation, Scholarship

Applications for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s (FFVA) Mike and Karen Stuart Scholarship are due on April 15. WHO SHOULD APPLY The scholarship, with an award of $2,500, encourages and supports college students who intend to pursue a career in the specialty crop industry. It is open to incoming juniors through graduate program students. Applicants may be interested in …

growers

Highlands Growers Learn More About Crop Transformation Center

Daniel CooperEvents, HLB Management

The Highlands County Citrus Growers Association hosted its annual meeting and banquet in early March in Sebring, Florida. The event was well attended. Growers were mostly in good spirits, hoping that trunk-injection therapy will be the bridge to the next breakthrough to return citrus production and quality to viable levels. Most believe the ultimate HLB solution will come in the …

Florida

Continued Commitment to Florida Ag

Daniel CooperAgriculture, Education

By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu When I arrived in Florida three and a half years ago to lead the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), my message to Farm Bureau members was, “I work for you.” I still do, but no longer as UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. I’ve become provost, the …

mexican

Mexican Organic Orchards Offer Better Psyllid Control

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Mexico, Organic

A wider diversity of weeds and insects in organic Mexican citrus orchards compared to conventional orchards aids in control of the HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllid (ACP/Diaphorina citri), a Mexican scientist reported recently. HLB is also known as citrus greening disease.  “In the organic orchard, there are almost double the species of weeds compared to the conventional orchard,” Carlos Castillejos Cruz …

fruit fly

California Fruit Fly Quarantines Expanded Again

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests, Regulation

Agriculture officials expanded the Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis/OFF) quarantine in California’s San Bernardino and Riverside counties on Dec. 22, 2023. On Dec. 27, 2023 and Jan. 17, 2024, they expanded the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata/Medfly) quarantine in Los Angeles County. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) …

pests

Freeze Does Not Have the Same Effect on All Pests

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, freeze, Pests

The Christmas freeze event in 2022 affected some insect pests in the cold-hardy citrus region more so than others, according to Xavier Martini. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor spoke about his findings during the recent Citrus Health Forum held at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy. Martini addressed …

fertilization

Greening Study: Extra Fertilization Doesn’t Increase Yield

Daniel CooperBrazil, HLB Management, Nutrition

A study carried out by Brazil’s Fundecitrus in partnership with the Agronomic Institute (IAC) showed that additional fertilization of orchards had no effect on increasing the production of trees with citrus greening. The research was conducted in well-nourished adult orchards with a low incidence of greening. Results were published in January in the journal PhytoFrontiers of the American Society of …

crdf

Three Key Meetings for CRDF

Daniel CooperCRDF

The February board meeting of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) covered a lot of ground according to Rick Dantzler, the foundation’s chief operating officer. “We had a big day on the day of the board meeting. There were three meetings: 1) our monthly board meeting; 2) a research summit with citrus organization leaders, the CRDF board and CRDF …