individual protective covers

Water Use Under Individual Protective Covers

Daniel CooperIPCs, Water

By Fernando Alferez and Osbaldo Vasquez During the last seven years, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee has been performing comprehensive studies on the use of individual protective covers (IPCs). This tool is now adopted by most growers planting new citrus trees in Florida both in …

Mexfly

Texas Mexfly Quarantines Amended or Removed

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

The following Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantines were amended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) on June 26: BROWNSVILLE APHIS and TDA expanded the Brownsville quarantine in Cameron County by 21 square miles following a detection, confirmed on June 10, of one Mexfly larva in a …

snail

Snail Poses Threat to Australian Citrus

Daniel CooperInternational, Pests

The Bulimulus sporadicus snail that has caused serious issues in Florida citrus groves by blocking sprinkler jets and drip emitters has been detected in Australia. Staff working at an Approved Arrangement (AA) site at the Port of Brisbane recently reported a suspected detection of B. sporadicus, also known as B. bonariensis, ghost snail or peanut snail. Following the AA report, …

biological control

Biological Control: A Significant Component of Citrus IPM

Daniel CooperAs Seen On Instagram, Biologicals, Tip of the Week

By Jawwad A. Qureshi All citrus pests in Florida have natural enemies, although some are more effective at biological control than others. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have been studying the activity and impact of natural enemies on pest infestations in traditional open production systems and protected systems such as citrus under protective screen …

soil sampling

Soil Sampling Is Key to Cold-Hardy Citrus Fertilization

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, Nutrition

Soil sampling is one of two keys to building a good citrus fertilization program in North Florida and South Georgia, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers wrote recently. The authors are Muhammad A. Shahid, assistant professor of horticulture, and postdoc scholar Shahid Iqbal, both with the North Florida Research and Education Center. Shahid and Iqbal …

systems

New HLB Treatment Delivery Systems Under Study

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

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 …

trunk injection

The Potential of Trunk Injection for Fresh Market Citrus

Daniel CooperFresh, HLB Management

By John M. Chater Citrus tree trunk injection of antibiotics has been recently and widely used in Florida. The success of oxytetracycline (OTC) in sweet orange to mitigate huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening) disease has been documented by the laboratory of Ute Albrecht, associate professor at the University of Florida. Some results suggest that OTC injection can improve Brix, ratio, …

citrus crop forecast

Final 2025 U.S. Citrus Crop Forecast Issued

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast, Oranges, USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) released its last citrus crop forecast update of the 2024-25 season on July 11. The Florida Valencia orange forecast increased 2%, from 7.4 million boxes in June to 7.55 million boxes. That increased the Florida all-orange forecast from 12 million boxes in June to 12.15 million boxes. Florida’s all-grapefruit forecast …

csu

CSU Decreases Hurricane Forecast Slightly

Daniel CooperCitrus, Florida, Georgia, hurricane, Insurance, Texas, Weather

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 …

citrus canker

Citrus Canker Quarantines Established and Expanded in Texas

Daniel CooperDiseases, Regulation, Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced June 26 that it was establishing and expanding the quarantined areas for citrus canker in Texas to prevent the spread of the disease. The action was taken in cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). APHIS established a new quarantined area in the Harlingen Area of …

pollinators

BeSure! To Protect Pollinators

Daniel CooperGrowing Matters, Pollination

Growing Matters recently launched its annual BeSure! stewardship awareness campaign. Pollinators play a vital role within ecosystems and the food supply. Applicators and growers alike play a crucial role in utilizing proper stewardship practices during the growing season and beyond. Here are a few best practices to protect pollinators: USE NEONICOTINOIDS PROPERLY Neonicotinoid insecticides are used because of their selective …

ai

AI to Assess Crop Damage

Daniel CooperTechnology, Weather

Imagine using an artificial intelligence (AI) platform similar to ChatGPT to get crop-damage information after a major storm and comparing it to previous seasons. That’s what University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) AI scientist Nikolaos Tziolas plans to provide for farmers. His project will be funded with a new $297,000 grant from the U.S. Department of …

Argentine ant

Argentine Ant Management Innovations

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests

Native to South America, Argentine ants were introduced to California in 1905. Today, 90% of Southern California and coastal orchards are infested with ants. Some trees experience up to 1 million ant visits per day. Ivan Milosavljević, Citrus Research Board (CRB) entomologist, presented that information in a June 17 webinar that was part of CRB’s Grower Seminar Series. His presentation …

Asian citrus psyllid

Advice on Asian Citrus Psyllid Management

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast, Pests, Psyllids

The strategies to control the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) in Florida have evolved over the years. Some practices have come and gone, but one point remains — ACP control is essential. That was the message Lukasz Stelinski made during the June episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Stelinski, an entomologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food …

citrus

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Exciting Opportunity for Citrus Nurseries

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source, Events

By Peter Chaires The International Society of Citrus Nurseries (ISCN) will hold its International Congress in Vina del Mar, Chile, on Aug. 18–19. Founded in 1981, ISCN was formed: ATTENDANCE AND TOPICS The International Congress is an opportunity to establish meaningful relationships, gain exposure to practical and academic information and tour nurseries and local citrus production. The event is not …

hlb

OTC Impacts on HLB in Trees and Psyllids

Daniel CooperEvents, HLB Management, Research

During the recent Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference, Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, presented evaluations of trunk-injected antimicrobials for HLB management. She said the purpose of these antimicrobial treatments is a short-term or stop-gap approach to keep the current inventory of Florida citrus trees in the …

season

Extremely Low Satsuma Supply Expected This Season

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, Production

Fruit is scarce this season on satsuma trees in the Southeast. There was an oversupply of satsuma mandarins in the cold-hardy citrus region last season. That will not be the case in 2025. According to Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and member of the Georgia Citrus Commission, satsuma supply will be extremely low for the upcoming …

genome-edited

Two Genome-Edited Trees Are Approved

Daniel CooperHLB Management

Two non-transgenic genome-edited orange plants — a Hamlin and a Valencia that may resist HLB — have been federally approved and are ready for Florida growers. Nian Wang, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences eminent scholar endowed chair in biotechnology, reported this news in a June 17 virtual presentation. The plants, which Wang termed “Eds1-edited,” have received …

CRAFT

CRAFT to Put $104.5 Million to Work

Daniel CooperAs Seen On Instagram, CRAFT

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation recently announced that the Florida Legislature allocated an historic amount of funding to citrus research in the 2025–26 state budget. CRAFT is expected to receive $104.5 million of the allocated funding to continue applied research through large-scale field trials. The CRAFT Foundation is designing new programs with this investment. Information about the upcoming …