Payton Barrington of Orlando was crowned the 2022 Miss Florida Citrus on Jan. 22 in Winter Haven. She will travel extensively promoting the Florida citrus industry. Barrington was chosen during the Miss Florida Citrus and Miss Winter Haven Program held at Polk State College. Jada Carter of Tallahassee was crowned Miss Winter Haven. Barrington and Carter will both compete in …
Preying on Asian Citrus Psyllids and Other Pests
By Jawwad A. Qureshi and Azhar A. Khan The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri, invaded Florida over two decades ago. The need to consistently suppress it became apparent soon after detection and particularly after discovering huanglongbing (HLB) disease, which it spreads. Managing HLB depends strongly on vector control to either reduce disease transmission of healthy trees or reinoculation. Single …
Driverless Technology Rapidly Rolling Toward Reality
There was a truck driver shortage before COVID-19, but the pandemic certainly compounded the problem. Trucking is just one link in the supply chain that has been greatly disrupted in the past couple of years, but it is a critical one required to move goods across the country. Fruit and vegetable growers that need to transport their produce know the …
OJ Production in Turkey to Rise
For 2021-22, orange juice (OJ) production in Turkey is forecast at 10,000 metric tons (MT) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). That is higher than the 2020-21 OJ production total of 9,500 MT total, and is in correlation with high production and increasing domestic demands. DEVELOPING MARKETThe amount of oranges sent to processing plants increased to …
Prepare to Get Ahead of Algal Spot
By Megan Dewdney Last summer, I received many calls about algal spot, especially in late June to early July. Algal spot is a disease, caused by the algae Cephaleuros virescens, that occurs mostly on citrus tree limbs. Much of the year it is difficult to see because it is a gray-green color that blends into the color of citrus bark. …
Morocco: Big Jump in Citrus Production Expected
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) expects total citrus production in Morocco to reach an estimated 2.55 million metric tons (MMT) in 2021-22. That’s an increase of 12% over 2020-21. Tangerine/mandarin production should increase by 13% over the previous year to 1.36 MMT. Domestic consumption is expected to be 860,000 metric tons (MT), an increase of 16%. …
Developing a Management Plan for Lebbeck Mealybug
By Lauren Diepenbrock Managing lebbeck mealybug has become an ongoing challenge in many citrus-growing areas of Florida. This pest expanded into 14 counties from 2019 to fall of 2021 and impacts both commercial and residential citrus. Damage includes distorted fruit and leaves, stem dieback and fruit drop. Loss of young trees can occur under extreme infestation scenarios. In addition to …
Florida Grower Citrus Show Agenda Set
Researchers Mark Ritenour and Sandra Guzmán with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) outline the agenda for the Florida Grower Citrus Show on Jan. 26-27 in Fort Pierce. Ritenour and Guzmán, both of the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center, will be presenters at the show. Ritenour will discuss maximum residue tolerances for fruit …
Pest Management: A New Approach to an Age-Old Challenge
By Brad Turner From a family with deep Florida roots, I have over 40 years of experience in commercial citrus production. I learned the industry from the ground up by working in the family groves while studying citrus production at Florida Southern College. I have owned a citrus nursery, my own groves and a citrus caretaking business. I have also …
Updated Brazilian OJ Projection
The total Brazilian frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) 65 Brix equivalent production for 2021-22 is projected at 1.123 million metric tons (MMT). That projection, which is an increase of 16% compared to orange juice production for 2020-21, was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The São Paulo industry is expected to process 265 million …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Orange Surprise
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette This past summer, I drove up to Asheville, North Carolina, and was able to visit Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned home in the nation. Officially opened on Christmas Eve of 1895, George Vanderbilt’s “country home” contains over 4 acres of floor space, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces. As I browsed through the …
All In For Citrus Podcast, December 2021
2021 won’t go down as one of the best years for citrus growers, but there were some wins for the industry. After the holidays, a major event will springboard the industry into the new year. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, notes that the continuing pandemic …
Israel Citrus Exports Expected to Climb
Exports of citrus from Israel in 2021-22 are forecast to reach 158,000 metric tons, up 16% from 2020-21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported. However, FAS cautioned that exports could be lower “if higher-than-normal freight costs and limited shipping options continue.” Israel is seeking new export markets that will be able to absorb its produce with …
Citrus Hall of Fame Names New Inductees
George F. Hamner Jr., of Vero Beach, and the late A. Tillis Edwards Jr. and Edward A. Taylor, both of Lakeland, will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in 2022. The inductions will take place during a Citrus Celebration Luncheon scheduled for Oct. 14 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. A. TILLIS EDWARDS JR. Edwards was a …
Getting New Varieties to Growers
The executive directors of two organizations that play a vital role in getting citrus varieties into the hands of growers summarize how the process works. They are John Beuttenmuller with Florida Foundation Seed Producers (FFSP) and Peter Chaires with New Varieties Development & Management Corporation (NVDMC). When University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant breeders propose …
Spider Mites in Florida Citrus
By Lourdes Perez Cordero If you are a citrus grower in Central Florida, more than likely you have encountered spider mites. These are a common pest of commercial citrus in the state and their characteristic thin webs make them easy to spot in trees. Spider mites become more abundant between March and June, when the weather conditions are dry, and …
PIECES OF THE PAST: A Thanksgiving Mantra
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Several years ago, I was at the 2017 Florida Ag Hall of Fame dinner for my friend, Bernie Lester, who was being inducted that year. He recounted such a wonderful story during his speech that I asked him to send it to me so I would have it for the Citrus Archives, and I’d like to …
Speeding Up Xf Bacteria Detection
Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) bacterium causes incurable diseases that make plants wither and possibly die, scorching and browning leaves and reducing the size of fruit in a wide variety of important crops. Citrus variegated chlorosis is among the diseases that Xf causes. Pablo J. Zarco-Tejada and Tomas Poblete with the University of Melbourne describe the Xf bacterium as “the number one …
Update on Florida’s Orange Brix Issue
Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) provided additional information about the issue of low Brix oranges in its Nov. 19 Triangle newsletter. It reported that Florida growers and processors “are bracing for another season of low Brix oranges.” Earlier this year, FCM sought enforcement discretion regarding Brix in pasteurized orange juice, not from concentrate (NFC), from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) with the …
All In For Citrus Podcast, November 2021
The important process that gets new citrus varieties in the hands of growers is the main topic of the November episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Michael Rogers, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) director, discusses the recent CREC open house where breeders displayed potential new varieties for …