By Lisa Hickey Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. A minimum score of 70% is required to receive credit. The Florida citrus industry plays a crucial role in the state’s …
Organic Citrus Market Growth
The organic citrus market in the United States experienced impressive growth in 2024, driven by rising consumer demand and increased interest in organic, sustainable food options. According to the newly released State of Organic Produce 2024, organic citrus sales hit $303 million, reflecting a 6.9% increase over the previous year. In terms of volume, the category saw a 3.4% rise, …
U.S. Tariff Threatens South African Citrus
A newly announced 30% tariff on South African citrus exports to the United States, set to take effect Aug. 1, has drawn sharp backlash from agricultural stakeholders and trade experts. As part of a broader enforcement action targeting 14 countries, this move places South Africa in a precarious economic position — despite its historically open trade relationship with the United …
New HLB Treatment Delivery Systems Under Study
Texas A&M AgriLife Research is launching a multi-institutional study to develop and evaluate systems that deliver treatments to HLB-affected trees. The principal investigator is Kranthi Mandadi, plant molecular biologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology. The three-year, $1.1 million project is supported by the Emergency Citrus Disease Research …
CSU Decreases Hurricane Forecast Slightly
Colorado State University (CSU) on July 9 decreased its Atlantic seasonal hurricane forecast slightly and now calls for a slightly above-normal 2025 Atlantic basin hurricane season. CSU anticipates a slightly above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean. Information obtained through June indicates that the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season will have …
Best Practices for Brown Rot Management
By Megan Dewdney The Florida rains have finally come this summer, just in time for early-season fruit to start the maturation process. This means there is some risk of brown rot in early sweet oranges and grapefruit. Much of Florida has been getting summer storms, wetting the soil. While this is excellent in general, the downside is that it allows …
Promising HLB Solution Advances
A promising solution to HLB is advancing to Phase 2 field trials following research by a Central State University scientist in Ohio. Anthony Arment, a molecular biologist and professor of biology at Central State University, played a key role in early research and ongoing consultation for the project. Pop Test Oncology LLC, operating as Palisades Therapeutics, recently announced that its …
Trends Shaping Australia’s Orange Market
According to a new report from ResearchAndMarkets.com, Australia’s orange market size is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2.2% between 2025 and 2034. The Australia Orange Market Forecast 2025–2034 report attributes this to the growing number of health-conscious consumers seeking nutrient-rich foods and beverages. The increasing shift toward natural and functional foods has boosted the demand …
Sneak Peek: July 2025 Citrus Industry
A July Specialty Crop Grower magazine article explores the potential of trunk injection for fresh market citrus. While trunk injection of oxytetracycline has become a common practice in Florida citrus grown for juice, growers of fresh market varieties have expressed interest in this HLB-management tool. Therefore, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers are studying trunk …
Limoneira to Rejoin Sunkist Growers
Sunkist Growers, Inc. announced that Limoneira Company, one of its original founding members, will rejoin the organization effective Nov. 1. The move marks a meaningful reunion and a bold step forward for both companies. “This is more than a return. It’s a powerful alignment of shared history, values and vision,” said Jim Phillips, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Sunkist …
Florida Legislature Invests Record-Breaking $140 Million in Citrus Industry
Matt Joyner, Florida Citrus Mutual executive vice president and chief executive officer, issued the following statement in reaction to the Florida Legislature’s approval of nearly $140 million ($139,673,565) for the citrus industry in the state’s 2025–26 fiscal year budget: “Florida’s citrus growers applaud the Florida Legislature’s record-breaking investment of nearly $140 million to shepherd the state’s iconic citrus industry back to …
Seven Lemon Selections Under Study
In a recent webinar, Tracy Kahn provided details about seven lemon selections undergoing Citrus Research Board trials at four California locations. Kahn is the Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection endowed chair at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). The information she presented included the selections’ compatibility with various rootstocks. All of the lemon selections are irradiated and described as seedless, except …
Grove-First Expands Search for HLB-Fighting Molecules
By Randall P. Niedz and Michelle Heck Grove-First is a collaborative research initiative developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS) scientists and partners to solve citrus greening (HLB) by evaluating potential treatments directly in the field. This direct-to-field strategy is based on the idea that only field testing can determine whether a treatment can rejuvenate HLB-infected trees …
Mental Health Report Released on Florida Farmers
A new statewide mental health report found that Florida farmers and ranchers face emotional distress, which is worsened by financial pressures and natural disasters. The Florida Farm Bureau Federation (FFBF) in partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Center for Leadership and Mind Your Melon Foundation released the report. The 2025 Mind Your Melon Farmer …
NOAA’s 2025 Hurricane Season Forecast
Forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service have predicted above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this year. NOAA’s outlook for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which goes from June 1 to Nov. 30, predicts a 30% chance of a near-normal season, a 60% chance of an above-normal season and a 10% chance of a …
California HLB Quarantines Expanded
Federal and state agriculture officials recently expanded the areas quarantined for huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) disease in California. The quarantined area in the Foothill Ranch and Mission Viejo areas of Orange County has been expanded by 26.69 square miles, the Riverside area of Riverside County by 11.3 square miles, and the Valley Center area of San Diego …
Nearly $23 Million Awarded for HLB Research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) announced May 28 it has invested nearly $23 million in 14 HLB projects in 2025. The projects seek to find solutions to combat and prevent HLB in citrus. The projects are part of the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program. The University of Florida is the only …
What To Do About Pesky Red Patches From Algal Spot
By Megan Dewdney Every summer, a low rumble about algal spot reaches my ears. And every year, someone discovers it in their Florida grove for the first time. While this is a disease that is not always at the top of mind for growers, when you see it for the first time, it can be dramatic. DISEASE SYMPTOMS Algal spot …
PIECES OF THE PAST: A Way of Life
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette The citrus industry drew people to Florida with dreams of wealth and retirement, which eventually brought with it substantial economic development from the hardy pioneers who chose to make Florida their home. Their livelihood was widely marketed by not only the citrus packinghouses who sold their fruit, but also by their respective chambers of commerce and …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Expanding Availability of Fresh Fruit Varieties
By Peter Chaires Beginning in 2013, New Varieties Development & Management Corp. (NVDMC) worked in tandem with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center Plant Improvement Team (then Jude Grosser, Fred Gmitter and Bill Castle) and Florida Foundation Seed Producers Inc. to make newly identified fresh market citrus varieties available for …