2016 Flavors of Florida

Kelsey FryCitrus, Genetic Engineering, Nutrition

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) put on the third annual Flavors of Florida event at the UF President’s House in Gainesville on May 9. The event was designed to showcase the edible research products of the UF/IFAS Plant Innovation Center and celebrate the accomplishments of Field and Fork (the campus food pantry) and other …

Why Florida Citrus Will Survive HLB

Kelsey FryCitrus

Speaking at the Citrus Growers’ Institute in Avon Park on Tuesday, University of Florida genetics researcher Fred Gmitter asked the question, “Will Florida’s citrus industry survive HLB?” In an interview after his presentation, he gave several reasons why he thinks the citrus industry will not only survive HLB, but thrive. Sponsored ContentReMedium TI® Demonstrates Proven Performance in Citrus Greening ManagementOctober …

Per-Acre Prices of Florida Citrus Land

Josh McGillCitrus

Average per-acre prices of scores of citrus properties sold in 2015 are provided in this summary of the annual Lay of the Land Market Report prepared by Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate. The prices are for the Central Ridge, Flatwoods and Indian River areas. Prices are also provided for sales of former citrus land that went into other agricultural …

Miss Florida Citrus 2016 Crowned

Josh McGillCitrus

Miss Florida Citrus 2016 Was Crowned Last Weekend Contestants competed for the title of Miss Florida Citrus 2016 on March 19 in Winter Haven. The whole room grew silent as Summer Foley, Miss Florida Citrus 2015, prepared to announce the first-place winner. Miami’s Stephanie Capon was crowned the 2016 Miss Florida Citrus. Capon’s platform was Healthy HeARTbeats: Arts for Community …

Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees

Josh McGillCitrus

Citrus Industry Legends Inducted into Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Friday, March 11, was the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Celebration Luncheon, where a crowd of over 400 citrus community and industry members welcomed three new inductees into the Hall of Fame. The inductees are Dr. William S. “Bill” Castle of Lake Alfred, John C. “Jack” Norris of Palm City, …

Future of Florida Citrus

Kelsey FryCitrus

Hope for the Future of Florida Citrus Anyone involved in the Florida citrus industry can speak of the hardships the industry has faced since HLB first appeared in the state in 2005. One member of the industry, who has stuck with it through thick and thin, offered his positive perspective on the future of the industry. Bill Castle, University of …

Urgent Request from Florida Citrus Mutual

Kelsey FryCitrus

Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM), distributed the following urgent request to the citrus industry this morning. Dear FCM Members and Friends: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently reviewing our industry’s request to grant a Section 18 Emergency Exemption for two bactericides – oxytetracycline and streptomycin. The bactericides are essential in our fight against …

Legislative Progress for Florida Citrus Growers

Kelsey FryCitrus

In a message below, Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, reports positive news on the current status of the citrus industry’s agenda items in the legislative session. Dear FCM Board and Members: It’s been a whirlwind 2016 in Tallahassee and with a week left in the scheduled legislative session, I have some very positive news to share. …

Results of Florida Citrus Research Order Referendum Announced

Kelsey FryCitrus

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that Florida’s citrus growers reauthorized the Florida citrus research order in a statutorily required referendum conducted by the department. More than 87 percent of ballots received by the department were in favor of reauthorization. Sponsored ContentReMedium TI® Demonstrates Proven Performance in Citrus Greening ManagementOctober 6, 2026Take Advantage of Rising Temperatures to …

Florida Citrus Industry Proposes Dramatic Changes for FDOC

Kelsey FryCitrus

A group of growers, processors and fresh fruit packers who share a deep concern about the grave economic situation facing the Florida citrus industry have submitted a formal request to Florida Citrus Commission Chairman G. Ellis Hunt Jr. The group is asking for very significant modifications to the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) programs to adapt to the crisis and …

Seeking Miss Florida Citrus Contestants

Kelsey FryCitrus

The Miss Florida Citrus Pageant will be held on March 19 in Winter Haven at Theatre Winter Haven. This is a Miss America preliminary pageant, so contestants must have a talent. The pageant is open to all women between the ages of 17 and 24 that either reside in Florida or attend school in Florida (for at least the past …

Slight Changes in USDA’s Florida Citrus Crop Forecast

Kelsey FryCitrus

The only changes made in today’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) citrus crop forecast were in Florida. Red grapefruit decreased 3 percent, going from 8.5 million boxes to 8.2 million boxes. The projection for honey tangerines increased from 600,000 boxes to 700,000 boxes, bringing the overall Florida tangerine total to 1.5 million boxes. Download Audio February USDA Citrus Crop Forecast …

performance

ReMedium TI® Demonstrates Proven Performance in Citrus Greening Management

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content In the ongoing battle against citrus greening (also known as huanglongbing or HLB), a disease that has devastated Florida’s citrus industry, the trunk-injection product ReMedium TI® has demonstrated promising performance. Since its commercial release in January 2022, ReMedium TI® has continued to generate interest and optimism among Florida citrus growers seeking economically viable tools to manage the disease. Recent research …

Researcher of the Year

FFVA Names Researcher of the Year

Daniel CooperAwards

Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) recently presented Kim Bowman its 2026 Researcher of the Year Award. For more than 30 years, Bowman has led citrus rootstock research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida. He has worked to develop innovative solutions to improve citrus production and help growers address …

returns

Combining PGRs and OTC Boosts Returns

Daniel CooperHLB Management, PGRs, Tip of the Week

By Prudhvi Vulchi, Amit Levy and Tripti Vashisth A three-year commercial grove study evaluated plant growth regulators (PGRs) and oxytetracycline (OTC) in HLB-affected Valencia trees. The results suggest that these practices help HLB-affected trees by two distinct mechanisms. PGRs mainly supported tree growth and productivity by reducing callose accumulation and improving growth-promoting hormone levels in leaves. OTC reduced Candidatus Liberibacter …

concern

Current Concerns for Cold-Hardy Citrus Growers

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, Pests, Weather

Cold-hardy citrus producers are about a month away from harvesting this year’s crop. A lot can happen during that time. What is beyond the grower’s control is what most concerns Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and co-owner of JoNina Farm in Ochlocknee, Georgia. “We personally experienced last year a 40-year hailstorm. So that’s always a possibility …

Grosser

Grosser’s Promising Citrus Picks

Daniel CooperRootstocks, Varieties

During a recent webinar, Jude Grosser, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor of plant cell genetics, presented a three-legged stool approach to achieving sustainability in citrus production. Those legs consist of: For the first two legs, Grosser said enhanced tolerance to HLB is a primary goal, along with improving yield and juice quality. During the presentation, …

October

Sneak Peek: October 2026 Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperSneak Peek

The October issue of Specialty Crop Grower magazine features citrus research updates, industry developments and more. Coverage ranges from a grapefruit disorder to citrus breeding efforts to rebuilding Florida’s production. The Citrus Industry section, begins on page 22 with “Unraveling the greasy-green mystery in Florida grapefruit,” by Megan M. Dewdney, Eva L. Mulandesa and Mark A. Ritenour. University of Florida …

cooler weather

Cooler Weather Key to Cold-Hardy Citrus Quality

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, Production, Weather

Cold-hardy citrus producers are yearning for some cooler weather. It would not only provide some relief from the warm temperatures being experienced across North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama, cooler temperatures will aid in color development in this year’s fruit, among other benefits. Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, discussed the impact of …