By Bill Castle University of Florida professor emeritus Paul Genho, a former manager of the Deseret Ranch in Osceola County, spoke about soils and food at a Florida land conference in 2015.** He noted that 90 percent of the world’s food production occurred on only four soil types: Mollisols, Alfisols, Ultisols and Oxisols. A goodly proportion of those soil types …
Section 18 Restored for Bactericide Use on Florida Citrus
Tree Health Section 18 use of bactericide products on Florida citrus has been restored, effective January 10, 2017. The previous section 18 had expired on December 31, 2016, and the use of FireWall, FireLine and Mycoshield products was temporarily prohibited. The new Secion 18 authorization allows bactericide use through December 31, 2017. See the authorization letter for details of use for …
Florida Citrus Areas Showing Effects of Dryness
Florida citrus growers are dealing with yet another problem. Gary Crawford reports this time it’s a prolonged period of dry weather. Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising Temperatures to Treat for Fire AntsJuly 1, 2025Take the Sting Out of Fire AntsJune 1, 2025A Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight HLBOctober 25, 2024
Florida Citrus Mutual Sells its Building
LAKELAND, FL (November 10, 2016) -Florida Citrus Mutual announced today the trade organization has sold its downtown Lakeland headquarters to Publix Super Markets Inc. for an undisclosed amount. FCM has been at the site – located at the southeast corner of Orange Street and Massachusetts Avenue – for 68 years. “Florida Citrus Mutual had a long run here and there …
Increase in Florida Non-Valencia Oranges
Mark Hudson of the U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Agricultural Statistics Service delivered the November citrus crop forecast. The Florida Non-Valencia oranges are forecast this month at 36 million boxes, up 2 million boxes from the initial forecast last month. Valencia oranges remained at 36 million boxes. Grapefruit for Florida remained at 9.6 million boxes, with white at 2.1 million boxes …
Slow Start for Fresh Florida Grapefruit Season
Fresh Florida grapefruit shipments continue to decline in concert with the downturn in production resulting from HLB and other problems. On October 26, the Florida Department of Citrus projected fresh Florida grapefruit shipments will be about 4.13 million boxes this season. Three seasons ago, in 2013-14, fresh Florida grapefruit shipments totaled 6.1 million boxes and have dropped in each season …
‘The King’ Promotes Fresh From Florida
The great Richard Petty was at PMA’s Fresh Summit for a partnership that promotes Fresh From Florida. Fresh From Florida has joined forces with “The King” to get Florida products in front of more consumers. Petty and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam stopped by AgNet Media’s booth at the summit. Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising Temperatures to Treat for …
First Florida Citrus Crop Forecast of the Season Shows Declines
Candi Erick, agricultural statistics administrator with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Florida Agricultural Statistics Service, issued the initial citrus crop forecast of the 2016-17 crop season. Florida non-Valencia oranges are forecast at 34 million boxes, down from 36.1 million boxes at the end of the 2015-16 season. Valencia oranges were forecast at 36 million boxes, down from …
Worst Case in 10 Years: Florida Orange Production at 27 Million Boxes
In the worst-case scenario projected by economists Wednesday, Florida orange production could plummet to 27 million boxes in 10 years. Florida orange production last season was 81.5 million boxes. As recently as the 2003-04 season, Florida produced 242 million boxes of oranges. Production declines are primarily caused by HLB, the deadly disease first discovered in Florida in 2005. But the …
Florida Citrus Acreage Skids 4 Percent to 480,121
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commercial Citrus Inventory, released Monday, shows total Florida citrus acreage tumbled 4 percent from last year to the lowest level since tracking began in 1966. The gross loss of 31,365 acres is the largest loss recorded in a single season since one-year interval surveys began in 2009. New plantings – at 10,090 acres – are …
Saving Florida’s Citrus Industry Through Collaboration and Innovation
From Kevin Shea, Administrator, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: The Florida citrus industry is under siege and the invader is a tiny bug called the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The ACP spreads a disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, and together they are destroying groves that have been cultivated by families for generations. But all is …
BASF Announces Label for Priaxor® Fungicide for Florida Citrus
BASF announces that Priaxor® fungicide has received federal and Florida approval for use on all citrus varieties in Florida. Priaxor® fungicide is already being used in sugarcane and vegetables throughout the state and the United States. Priaxor® fungicide is a mixture of the active ingredient in Headline® fungicide and a new systemic fungicide Xemium®. Testing in Florida has shown the …
Florida Producers Invited to UF Agriculture and Gardening Day
Anyone with ties to the agricultural industry is encouraged to get tickets for 2016 Agriculture and Gardening Day at the University of Florida Gators homecoming football game October 15th. Dr. Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, hopes farmers and ranchers from across the state will attend. Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising …
HLB in Brazil: What’s Working and What Florida Can Use
By Evan G. Johnson and Renato Bassanezi In February 2016, I (Evan Johnson) had the opportunity to tour citrus production areas in Parana and São Paulo states in Brazil as part of collaborations with researchers at Fundecitrus, a grower-supported research foundation. In addition to the fruitful discussions with research colleagues, I also had the opportunity to visit with growers in São …
Senator Rubio and Commissioner Putnam Visit Florida Citrus Grove
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is at Gapway Groves in Auburndale today to see firsthand the plague facing Florida’s citrus industry. Senator Rubio is joined by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam on a tour of a grove impacted by citrus greening. Both Senator Rubio and Commissioner Putnam are key advocates in the fight against HLB and have worked on …
Editorial: Florida’s Controversial Algae Bloom
Comments from AgNet Media’s Gary Cooper and a Guest Commentary from a Former Florida Lawmaker As a Florida native having grown up on a small farm in eastern Palm Beach County, I’ve had firsthand knowledge of South Florida’s algae blooms for decades. As a professional journalist dedicated to the ag news beat in Florida for nearly 40 years, and having …
South Florida Algae Bloom
The algal blooms in Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River and the Indian River Lagoon have gained national coverage and become quite a controversial topic. The blue-green algae, called cyanobacteria, has affected individuals, businesses and farming in South Florida. Charles Shinn, director of government and community affairs for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, says that Farm Bureau is concerned about the …
Celebrate Florida Agriculture and Natural Resources, Cheer On The Florida Gators Oct. 15
Farmers, ranchers, landscapers – and everyone in between – are invited to celebrate Agriculture and Gardening Day at the University of Florida’s homecoming football game, Oct. 15, 2016. UF Athletics and the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are hosting the event and offering discounted tickets to anyone connected to agriculture in the state, including their families …
Q-Biotype Whitefly Expands to 8 Florida Counties
The Q-biotype whitefly, a significant pest that could damage agriculture, has spread from Palm Beach to seven other Florida counties, according to a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher. Crops that could eventually be affected include tomatoes, squash, beans, watermelons and many other vegetables and ornamentals, said Lance Osborne, an entomology professor at UF/IFAS. The …
Florida Commissioner’s Spotlight: Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
On this week’s Commissioner’s Spotlight, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam talks about the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and the partnership between the state and private agricultural operations to protect Florida’s natural resources while allowing Ag operations to continue. Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising Temperatures to Treat for Fire AntsJuly 1, 2025Take the Sting …




























