Orange peels may hold a key to better cardiovascular health, new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)-led research shows. Some gut bacteria help develop cardiovascular disease. When they feed on certain nutrients during digestion, gut bacteria produce trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). Levels of TMAO can help predict future cardiovascular disease, according to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic. …
Pest Management in CUPS
By Jawwad Qureshi The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Figure 1) continues to feed on citrus trees infected with citrus greening and spread the disease to newly planted young trees. Therefore, it is not possible to produce a healthy citrus tree in an environment where citrus greening is endemic. Only the citrus under protective screen (CUPS, Figure 2) system allows the …
Moving Beyond Greening
By Tom Spreen When citrus greening was first discovered in Florida, it did not have a profound impact on production. The big news at that time was the multiple hurricanes that had crossed Florida in 2004 and 2005. The hurricanes served to spread citrus canker so sufficiently that the state of Florida was forced to abandon its efforts to eradicate …
CRDF Focused on the Search for HLB Resistance
According to Rick Dantzler, Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) chief operating officer, the past seven days have been busy for CRDF’s committees. First, the Plant Improvement Committee, chaired by grower Joby Sherrod, reviewed several projects and ideas seeking HLB resistance in detail. A three-year plan for the plant improvement programs for University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
Sterile Insect Program Supported in South Africa
South Africa’s Western Cape Department of Agriculture has given the country’s Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) 2 million rands (approximately $109,000) to support the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) program to suppress false codling moth. False codling moth is a phytosanitary pest affecting export crops such as citrus, table grapes and stone fruit. The support from the provincial government will help expand …
Farmworker Housing Grants Available
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the availability of $6.5 million in grants to help organizations improve delivery of safe and sanitary housing solutions for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents. Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) will award approximately eight grants. They will go to organizations that propose project designs …
‘Crucial Step’ Taken in HLB Bacterium Cultivation
Huanglongbing (HLB) is caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which has been challenging to culture outside its host because of its intracellular nature and genome reduction. Due to these challenges, in-depth research on effective cultivation methods for CLas is essential to develop better control strategies. Such in-depth research was conducted by a team from the U.S. Department of …
Standing Up Against Hurricanes
By Ute Albrecht, Bo Meyering, Carol Tardivo, Gabriel Pugina and Kim D. Bowman The approaching hurricane season poses the question of why strong winds cause some citrus trees to topple over while others remain firm in the ground. Grove location, grove topography and soil type are factors that influence a tree’s ability to withstand tropical-force winds. The tree’s root structure …
How to Prevent Fruit Splitting
By Amir Rezazadeh Citrus fruit splitting is an important problem for growers, causing frustration and economic losses. This phenomenon occurs when the rinds of citrus fruits crack open, exposing the inner pulp. Understanding the reasons behind citrus fruit splitting is crucial for growers to implement effective preventive measures. IRRIGATION PRACTICES Inconsistent watering regimes, particularly irregular watering followed by heavy irrigation, …
Phytophthora Increasing; HLB Complicates Control
Phytophthora incidences are increasing in Florida citrus groves, plant pathologist Ozgur Batuman reported during a May 21 presentation. Phytophthora diseases include foot rot of trunk and limbs, root rot and brown rot. Batuman, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor, said these diseases led to yield reductions of 3% to 6% per year even prior …
Satsuma History Worldwide and in Georgia
A recent University of Georgia (UGA) Extension publication summarized the centuries-old history of satsuma mandarins worldwide while focusing on the fruit’s modern popularity in Georgia. Excerpts follow from “Maximizing the Value of Georgia-Grown Satsumas Through Food Innovation,” authored by Emma Moore, Laurel Dunn and Kevin Mis Solval of the UGA Department of Food Science & Technology: Satsuma mandarins were first …
Pruning to Improve Citrus Greening Management
Pruning is an efficient strategy to improve citrus greening disease management in Brazil’s Citrus Belt, but requires appropriate procedures and attention from the grower, Embrapa and Fundecitrus researchers reported recently. Embrapa researcher Eduardo Girardi said an orange tree could produce normally without the need for pruning “if the orange tree has no restrictions on its growth.” Without growth restrictions, Girardi …
Sneak Peek: June 2024 Citrus Industry
The Citrus Achievement Award has been honoring outstanding industry leaders since 2001. Recipients were previously recognized in Florida Grower magazine. With the consolidation of Florida Grower and Specialty Crop Industry magazines to create Specialty Crop Grower, the award now has a new home in Citrus Industry magazine. The move was made possible by award sponsor TJ BioTech. The June issue …
Bumper Crop Expected in Cold-Hardy Citrus Region
Lindy Savelle is optimistic about this year’s crop in the cold-hardy citrus region. “We’ve had some fruit drop on trees, which is to be expected, but mostly we are going to have a bumper crop this year,” said Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association and member of the Georgia Citrus Commission. “I think everyone I’ve talked to has said …
Managing Chilli Thrips in CUPS
Chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis) has been documented in Florida since 1991. This pest has a history of impacting ornamentals, some vegetables, grapes and berry crops. Most recently, chilli thrips has affected citrus, but only in nurseries and in citrus under protective screens (CUPS). Feeding damage includes death of young flush (Figure 1), leaf damage on expanded flush that results in …
Rootstocks and OTC
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center hosted a May OJ Break educational seminar. Ute Albrecht, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant physiology, spoke during the event and gave an update on oxytetracycline (OTC) therapies being applied in citrus groves over the past two seasons. She gave a summary of research she …
Digging Into New Citrus Nutrient Recommendations
In 2022, the Florida Legislature allocated $8.7 million in funds to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) to update nutrient recommendations for several specialty crops, including citrus. In some cases, it had been decades since the recommendations were updated. The case was made that it was time for nutrient recommendations for citrus that consider new …
Integrating Antibiotics Into a Broader Management Plan for HLB
By Lukasz Stelinski, Eric Roldan and Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski Use of antibiotics in fruit production is not a new idea, but it has only recently been applied on a larger scale in Florida citrus. The initial labels for huanglongbing (HLB) treatment with antibiotics in Florida citrus were approved in March 2016 in response to significant economic losses caused by HLB. Antibiotics …
Final Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Rule Published
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule on certain pre-harvest agricultural water. The rule revises requirements for covered produce, other than sprouts, in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. According to FDA, the revised requirements are intended to enhance public health by improving the safety of water used in produce cultivation. FDA stated …
Diseases Easier to Prevent Than to Control
Plant pathologist Ozgur Batuman recently warned that two citrus viral diseases not currently in Florida are highly suited to the state’s climate and would likely impact production if found there. They are citrus leprosis and citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV). Batuman, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor at the Southwest Florida Research and …