trade

Ag Groups Ask for Fair and Balanced Trade

Daniel CooperTrade

A coalition of fresh fruit and vegetable organizations from California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas on June 2 asked U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for a managed approach to import volumes. Their letter to Greer sought that managed approach “particularly during the domestic marketing seasons when the timing of foreign competition is itself the injury.” Citrus-specific associations signing the letter …

microjet

Microjet Irrigation Most Effective Freeze-Protection Method

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, freeze, Irrigation

Microjet sprinklers provide the most effective way for producers in the cold-hardy citrus region to protect their trees from freeze damage. Microjet irrigation is even more effective than drip irrigation and overhead irrigation. Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, stressed that point during the recent Georgia-Florida Irrigation Expo at the UGA Vidalia Onion and …

guide

Explore the 2026 Citrus Variety Guide

Daniel CooperRootstocks, Tip of the Week, Varieties

By Jamie Burrow and Tripti Vashisth If you haven’t had a chance yet, take a few minutes to explore the new 2026 University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Variety Guide. You’ll find it beginning on page 21 of the April 2026 issue of the UF/IFAS Citrus Magazine. WHAT IT INCLUDES This guide is designed to …

A Land Remembered

‘A Land Remembered’ TV Series Producer To Speak at Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo

Daniel CooperCitrus Expo, Events

For many Florida farmers and ranchers, “A Land Remembered” is a treasured piece of historical fiction. The novel chronicles the lives of three generations of the MacIvey family in Florida from the 1850s to the 1960s. There has been a lot of buzz about a new TV series that is being made based on the book. Todd Wiseman Jr., who …

Hancock

Hancock Honored With Citrus Achievement Award

Daniel CooperAwards

Some of Ned Hancock’s earliest memories illustrate what set him on the path to become a citrus grower. His grandfather would pick him up on Saturdays with some tasks to complete in the groves. Then his father awakened his entrepreneurial spirit in his early teens. “My dad had bought a piece of land that had some old seedling orange trees,” …

USDA

USDA Has ‘Unprecedented Staffing Crisis’

Daniel CooperUSDA

A new report by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Prospect Partners LLC declared there has been “an unprecedented staffing crisis” within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the past 16 months. Becky Schewe with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Bernie Kluger with Prospect Partners LLC authored the report. They obtained information for the report through a Freedom …

body weight

Benefits of Regularly Drinking OJ Differ by Body Weight

Daniel CooperOrange Juice, Research

The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) reported that a recent study suggests regular orange juice consumption may support heart health while improving blood pressure regulation, lipid metabolism and inflammation. However, benefits can differ from person to person based on body weight. This clinical intervention study examined how drinking orange juice every day affects the body at the molecular level and …

supply

Forecast for 2026–27 Global Orange Juice Supply

Daniel CooperForecast, International, Orange Juice

Rabobank recently forecast a challenging 2026–27 harvest year for the global orange juice (OJ) industry. It reported that while global supply is forecast to contract, the ongoing decline in OJ demand is likely to continue. As a result, global frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) prices are expected to struggle to recover sustainably. This article, focusing on OJ supply, consists of …

citrus mealybug

Citrus Mealybug Advisory Issued

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) recently issued an Extension advisory regarding citrus mealybug. Citrus mealybug feeds on plant sap and is commonly found in protected areas of the tree, including under the calyx of fruit, in clusters of leaves and within dense canopy growth. Mealybug infestations can reduce tree vigor, contaminate fruit with honeydew and sooty mold, …

natural

Boost Natural Defenses Against Psyllids in Summer

Daniel CooperBiologicals, Psyllids, Tip of the Week

By Lukasz Stelinski As summer takes hold in June, Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) populations are often high coinciding with availability of new flush. This is also a time when natural enemies can provide meaningful ACP suppression. Growers can improve biological control by making management decisions that help predators and parasitoids survive and function in the grove. MANAGE ANTS One important …

Orange Juice

Orange Juice: A Fruit or a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage?

Daniel CooperOrange Juice

A recent international nutrition symposium concluded that evidence supports classifying 100% fruit juice — including 100% orange juice — as a form of fruit rather than as a sugar-sweetened beverage. Unlike sugar-sweetened beverages, 100% orange juice contains naturally occurring sugars from the fruit itself, with no added sugar, the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) noted in a summary of the …

years

Three Years of OTC Trunk Injection Provide Cumulative Benefits

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

By Ute Albrecht, Gabriel Pugina and Larissa Nunes According to a recent industry survey, 64% of Florida citrus growers have injected their trees for three consecutive years with oxytetracycline (OTC). This article reports the results from three research trials conducted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Plant Physiology Team at the Southwest Florida Research …

Steven Hall

What’s Next for CRAFT: A Q&A With Steven Hall

Daniel CooperCRAFT

The Florida Legislature this year mandated the merger of two major Florida citrus research organizations: the Citrus Research and Field Trial Foundation (CRAFT) and the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). CRAFT Executive Director Steven Hall recently answered questions about the merger.   Q: What are the steps and timeframe for the merger? A: The legislation requiring the merger specifies that …

Public Support for Protection Against Ag Diseases

Daniel CooperDiseases, Survey

Southeastern residents increasingly support stronger protections against agricultural disease threats as concerns grow over food-system disruptions, say researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Findings from an August 2025 public interest survey distributed to 1,035 Southeast residents reflect growing public concern about how agricultural threats can affect food systems, public health and disaster preparedness. …

climate change

Climate Change Is Changing Citrus Nutrition

Daniel CooperNutrition, Weather

Climate change is creating new challenges for citrus growers, and one of the biggest impacts is on tree nutrition. According to a recent article in Frontiers in Plant Science authored by an international team of researchers, rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, drought, flooding, salinity and elevated carbon dioxide levels are all affecting how citrus trees take up and use nutrients. …

funds

FDOC Discusses How Best to Spend State Funds

Daniel CooperFlorida Department of Citrus, Marketing

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) met virtually on May 29 to allocate legislatively authorized state general revenue funds for Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) marketing. The FCC, whose members are appointed by Florida’s governor, is the board that oversees the FDOC.  After the FCC previously met on May 20, the Florida Legislature concluded its work on a budget that designates …

Highlands

Update on the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association

Daniel CooperCitrus, Florida

Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) Executive Director Ray Royce recently provided an update on the area’s current grove conditions and freeze recovery as well as the association’s status and priorities. GROVE CONDITIONS “For most groves in Highlands County, it is very clear now whether they are under active management and engaged in advanced production practices,” Royce said. “Those that …

leaf

Leaf Quantity Matters for Fruit Quality

Daniel CooperProduction, Tip of the Week

By Tripti Vashisth, Taylor Livingston, Meryam Manzoor and Johann Hiller Citrus fruit quality and yield remain major concerns for sweet orange growers in the huanglongbing (HLB) era. These outcomes largely depend on the tree’s ability to support developing fruit throughout the growing season. Leaf area and canopy density are positively correlated with carbohydrate production and allocation to fruit, directly influencing …

right

The Right Man for the Job

Daniel CooperCRAFT

By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP Steven Hall is the right guy to run a single state-supported citrus research organization. He is an agriculturalist as well as an administrator and attorney. He is a sixth-generation Florida farmer who leads his family farming operation in Jackson County. Since Hall was appointed executive director of the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) …

June 2026

Sneak Peek: June 2026 Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperAwards, Research, Sneak Peek

The Citrus Industry section of the June 2026 issue of Specialty Crop Grower focuses on leadership and research. On the cover of the magazine is Ned Hancock, winner of the 2026 Citrus Achievement Award. He is being recognized for his decades-long leadership and dedication to serving Florida’s citrus industry. Don’t miss the accompanying video in the digital issue of the …