craft

CRAFT Application Period Opening Soon

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

The Citrus Research and Field Trial Foundation Inc. (CRAFT Foundation) board of directors, technical working group (TWG), staff and a legion of volunteers have been working at top speed throughout the summer finalizing the formation, organization and funding of the CRAFT program. The first priority for the CRAFT Foundation staff and board of directors has been securing all available funding …

dorian

Citrus Industry Dodges Hurricane Dorian

Ernie Neffhurricane

“This was a big miracle,” Indian River Citrus League Executive Vice President Doug Bournique said late Wednesday morning after Hurricane Dorian had passed Florida’s Citrus Belt. He said while assessments were still being made, there apparently was only minimal leaf and fruit loss in the Indian River region. The Indian River area was the closest Florida citrus-growing region to Dorian, …

nutrition

CRDF and UF Resolve Differences

Ernie NeffCRDF

At the Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) Aug. 27 board of directors meeting, Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler provided information about a resolution of differences between CRDF and the University of Florida (UF). Since its formation in 2009, CRDF has operated as a direct support organization of UF. This spring, UF reportedly indicated that CRDF would have to spend …

hurricane

Indian River Expects Minor Hurricane Damage

Ernie Neffhurricane

Florida’s Indian River area lies on the Atlantic Ocean and was the nearest Florida citrus region to Hurricane Dorian late Tuesday morning. Doug Bournique, Indian River Citrus League executive vice president, was optimistic that the region would escape major damage. “It looks like it’s going to track about 80 to 100 miles off the coastline, which is wonderful for our …

citrus nutrition

USDA to Survey Fruit Growers About Chemical Use

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey fruit growers in 11 states, including Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, for its biennial Fruit Chemical Use Survey. The survey will collect information on bearing acreage, pest management practices, pesticide application, acres treated and rates applied for more than 12 fruit crops. “Pesticide data makes this survey a …

Sneak Peek: September 2019 Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

The September issue of Citrus Industry features highlights from this year’s record-setting Citrus Expo. Inside you’ll find: An overview and photos from the trade show and educational programs A report in the Pulpwash column on the general session, which included speakers who addressed three hot topics in Florida ag: hemp, water and labor Research updates from the citrus seminar program, …

Growers Benefit From Citrus Expo Programs

Ernie NeffCitrus Expo

The new Citrus Expo hands-on session hosted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) drew a full house of appreciative growers. “I think it went a lot better than we were expecting,” says Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center. . “We had a full house … They (growers) thought it …

citrus greening

Researchers to Look Deeper Into HLB Management

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

By Karla Arboleda University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are getting ready to conduct several trials on tools used to protect young citrus trees from HLB. The team of five researchers will receive $665,471 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for experiments at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. Lauren …

florida citrus

Citrus Crop Value Up as Farmland Shrinks

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release

Florida citrus production and crop value is up from a year ago, when the industry was trying to recover after being hit hard by Hurricane Irma. But the industry continues to bleed acreage in the state, according to numbers released Aug. 28 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The federal agency’s commercial citrus inventory recorded 430,601 acres spread across …

H-2A Made Easier

Ernie NeffLabor

A panel discussion at Citrus Expo’s general session aimed to help make the federal H-2A foreign guest worker program a little easier for agriculturists to navigate. The panel included a grower representative who has used H-2A, a labor attorney who is an H-2A expert, and a federal Department of Labor (DOL) regional director. Natalie Gupton, director of business services and industry …

Water Issues: Ag Has Allies

Ernie NeffCitrus Expo, Water

“I think that the ag industry has a number of allies within the regulatory arena,” says Rich Budell, who moderated a panel of Florida regulators at Citrus Expo. Budell, now a consultant, spent 31 years working on water issues with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The panelists were Chris Pettit, director of agricultural water policy at …

April

All In For Citrus Podcast, August 2019

Taylor HillmanAll In For Citrus Podcast

August’s All In For Citrus podcast includes some exciting updates from the recent Citrus Expo! First, Michael Rogers, director of the Citrus Research and Education Center, summarizes the good grower responses that the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences( UF/IFAS) received about the seminar program at Citrus Expo. He discusses the new Hands-on Session that attracted a …

Hands-on Session Was a Hit

Ernie NeffCitrus Expo

A great new addition to the Citrus Expo program this year was a hands-on session that allowed growers to participate in scientific demonstrations while interacting with University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers. Expo seminar coordinator Tripti Vashisth said all 11 demonstration stations were crowded. “It went really well, and we got very good attendance — …

citrus expo

PIECES OF THE PAST: A Look Back at the First Citrus Expo

Tacy CalliesCitrus Expo, Pieces of the Past

Industry members attended the 28th annual Citrus Expo this month. Let’s take a look back to the event’s beginnings. Known as the Southwest Florida Citrus Expo at the time, the event took place Aug. 26–27, 1992, shortly after Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida. The first Citrus Expo was held at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, the same …

podcast

Nutrient Sampling to Be Funded by UF/IFAS

Ernie NeffNutrition

A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) official announced at Citrus Expo that UF/IFAS will fund “starter kits” for nutrient sampling. Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) Director Michael Rogers says the kits will allow for leaf and soil sampling in a 20-acre block for a year. Growers can get the starter kits at meetings slated …

citrus forecast

Trade Issues Update for Fresh Citrus

Ernie NeffTrade

Dan Richey, president of Riverfront Packing Company, gave an update on trade issues impacting fresh Florida citrus at the Aug. 19 Citrus Packinghouse Day in Lake Alfred. Foreign sales are extremely important for fresh Florida citrus, says Richey, a member for five years of the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, appointed jointly by the U.S. secretary of agriculture and the U.S. …

Manipulating Flowering for Better Grove Management

Tacy CalliesProduction, Research

By Tripti Vashisth, Garima Singh and Megan Dewdney Citrus trees grown in the field undergo various types and levels of stress continuously. The stressors can be several things, including heat, cold, drought, soil pH, chemicals, pests and diseases. The constant presence of huanglongbing (HLB) and psyllid infestation adds stress to the trees, which compromises the plant response and makes the …

Students Learn About Citrus at Youth Day

Ernie NeffCitrus

Jazlyn Sanchez and Alexander Garzon, attendees at the June Citrus Youth Day, talk with Citrus Industry Editor Tacy Callies about their experience. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences event was held at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. “This is actually my third year at the event,” says Sanchez, a 10th grader. “I’m …

Gun Safe Winner at Expo

Tacy CalliesCitrus

One of the traditions at Citrus Expo growers look most forward to every year is the annual gun safe giveaway sponsored by Everglades Equipment Group. Only growers who preregister for Citrus Expo and the Vegetable & Specialty Crop (VSC) Expo are eligible to win the prize. Miss Florida Michaela McLean drew the name of the lucky winner, Emily Matteson of …