Huanglongbing (HLB) was confirmed in a single citrus tree in the city of La Habra in Orange County, California, on April 11, 2017. This new find will result in a new HLB quarantine area, which will link the existing quarantines into a contiguous zone spanning portions of Los Angeles and Orange counties. Additionally, two samples of Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) …
California Tarping Regulations Delayed
A new tarping regulation for citrus loads was put on hold by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). Ag leaders say the industry should still make plans to comply, since the rules will soon be enforced. An enforcement date has not been announced, but could come as soon as April 1. The new regulation, which was supposed to …
Orange Forecast Drops for Florida and California
The citrus crop forecast, delivered by Mark Hudson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service in Washington, D.C., showed a 4 percent drop in Florida oranges and a 2 percent drop in California oranges. In total, the U.S. all-orange forecast for the 2016-2017 season dropped 3 percent from last month and is down 13 percent from …
Citrus Pest Concerns California Industry
California recently passed a state law designed to combat the spread of an Asian citrus pest. All citrus loads transported through California now must be covered, no matter where it’s coming from or where it’s headed. Sponsored Content5 Facts About Fire Ants and How to Control ThemApril 30, 2024BRAZILIAN RESEARCH RESULTS IN A UNIQUE PRODUCT FOR HLB MANAGEMENTApril 1, 2024Protect …
California Citrus Challenges: Water Tops HLB
Asian citrus psyllids are detected sporadically in the San Joaquin Valley — home to most California oranges and mandarins — and are endemic in Southern California lemon country. But as far as anyone knows, the pests that spread HLB in Florida and Texas have not spread the disease into California’s commercial citrus groves. California HLB detections have been limited to 17 …
Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine Removed
Federal and state officials on Aug. 11 removed the Oriental fruit fly quarantine in California’s Riverside and San Bernardino counties. This action releases the remaining 365 square miles of the quarantine, which contained 1,800 acres of commercial agriculture. Release from quarantine occurred after three generations elapsed since the date of the last detection, based on a degree-day model. The U.S. …
Improved Pectin From Orange Peels
U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) scientists have developed a high-quality and inexpensive pectin that can successfully gel in low-sugar products and still be scalable for commercial production. Pectin, a soluble fiber used mainly for gelling food products like jams and jellies, is naturally found in fruits and vegetables. Most commercial pectins are from citrus fruit peels …
Winning the Fruit Fly Fight
Federal and state agriculture officials recently removed several fruit fly quarantines in Texas and California. TEXAS On July 16, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Sullivan City, Hidalgo County. This action releases 68 square miles from quarantine. There was …
Global Citrus Crops on the Rise
Global production of tangerines/mandarins, grapefruit and lemons/limes is expected to climb in 2023–24, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported in its Citrus: World Markets and Trade publication. TANGERINES/MANDARINS Global tangerine/mandarin production for 2023–24 is estimated up 1.2 million tons to 38.2 million tons. Here are expectations for major producing countries: GRAPEFRUIT Global grapefruit production in …
Crop Insurance Options Expanded
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding crop insurance options for some specialty and organic growers beginning with the 2025 crop year. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is allowing enterprise units (EUs) by organic farming practice, adding enterprise unit eligibility for several crops, and making additional policy updates. The following changes impacting citrus will be made beginning with the …
Greening Bacterium Causes Changes in Psyllids
Recent studies, including a partnership project between Fundecitrus and the University of California, revealed that the citrus greening bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus causes physiological changes in psyllids, posing additional challenges to management strategies. An increase in the number of eggs, more frequent dispersal flights over longer distances and greater attractiveness to the host are some of the changes observed in …
CLas-Positive Psyllid Sample in Riverside County
An adult Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample from a residential property in the San Jacinto Valley area of Riverside County, California, has tested positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the bacterium that causes huanglongbing (HLB). The positive sample was collected as part of the Multi-Pest Risk Survey on a residential property in Hemet. It was confirmed positive for CLas on …
Tau Fruit Fly Quarantine Lifted in Los Angeles County
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has officially declared an end to the Tau fruit fly quarantine in Los Angeles County following the successful eradication of the invasive pest. The quarantine, which was established in the Santa Clarita area of Los Angeles County, was the first-ever quarantine for the Tau fruit fly in the Western Hemisphere. It encompassed …
Queensland Fruit Fly Host List Includes Citrus
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) in June established a host list of regulated articles for the Queensland fruit fly (QFF). The pest, which has been found in California, is native to Australia and is not endemic to the United States. QFF attacks more than 120 plant species, including numerous commercial varieties of fruits …
South Korea Grants Market Access to Texas Grapefruit
Texas grapefruit growers recently gained access to a new international market in South Korea worth $5 million annually. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) negotiated the technical details that will help ensure grapefruit exported from Texas are free from pests, such as the Mexican fruit fly. On June 27, 2024, South Korea’s national …
Final U.S. Citrus Forecast for 2023–24
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) issued its final citrus forecast for the 2023–24 season on July 10. FLORIDA The Florida all-orange forecast rose 1% from the June forecast to 17.96 million boxes. That exceeds 2022–23 production of 15.82 million boxes but is far below 2021–22 production of 41.2 million boxes. Non-Valencia orange production is …
International HLB Conference Focused on Grower Solutions
This spring, the seventh International Research Conference on Huanglongbing (IRCHLB) was held in Riverside, California. The inaugural event was held in 2008 and funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture. USDA researcher Tim Gottwald and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor Jim Graham founded the …
Better Blood Oranges a Possibility for Florida Growers
Blood oranges teeming with antioxidants and other health benefits may be a shot in the arm for consumers and citrus growers, if the fruit is stored at cool temperatures, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study shows. But it’s too soon to know if blood oranges are a viable crop for the Florida citrus industry, …
Sneak Peek: July 2024 Citrus Industry
The conversation in Florida citrus continues to center around trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC). The July issue of Citrus Industry magazine presents the latest information on the OTC topic. OTC product labels require a one-year pause in application after two years of use. This requirement was put in place to prevent pathogen resistance to the product. Florida growers who have …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: What Florida Citrus Growers Are Talking About
By Peter Chaires When June rolls around, the last of the oranges are generally coming in and it’s time to reassess what worked and identify areas for improvement. Research-based entities are making every effort to steer dollars to where they will have the most immediate impact. The name of the game right now is capacity preservation. We must do what …