CUPS Update From the Citrus Research and Education Center

Josh McGillCUPS, HLB Management, Research

By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Chris Oswalt, Napoleon Mariner, Timothy Ebert, Perseveranca Mungofa, Shankar Shrestha and Laura Cano-Castro Florida grapefruit production for the 2021–22 season was 92% less than in 2003–04, which was prior to the arrival of huanglongbing (HLB) disease [Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, (USDA NASS)]. The decrease in Florida tangerine production for the …

When Are Cover Crops Profitable?

Josh McGillCover Crops, Economics, Research

At 200 boxes per acre, cover crops can be profitable in Valencia orange production, according to a Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo presentation. Tara Wade and Shourish Chakravarty prepared the presentation. Wade is an assistant professor, and Chakravarty is a post-doctoral associate, both at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. …

New Sugar Substitutes Found in Citrus

Josh McGillFlavor, Research

Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have discovered new, natural sweeteners in citrus for the first time. This finding opens opportunities for the food industry to produce food and beverages with lower sugar content and lower calories while maintaining sweetness and taste using natural products. Yu Wang, associate professor of food science at …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, September 2022

Josh McGillAll In For Citrus Podcast

As the 2022 citrus harvest gets underway, All In For Citrus podcast host Frank Giles catches up with the directors of three University of Florida Institute of Food Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research and education centers. The directors discuss how the citrus crop is looking in their areas as well as key research projects underway at their facilities. Michael Rogers, director …

Florida citrus

How Different Techniques Hold Up to Diseases

Josh McGillCitrus Expo, Diseases, IPCs

How well reflective mulch, kaolin clay and individual protective covers (IPCs) hold up to HLB, canker and greasy spot diseases was researcher Megan Dewdney’s topic at the 2022 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor of plant pathology at the Citrus Research and Education Center.  The research project …

Searching for Sweet Solutions

Josh McGillOrange Juice, Research

By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP Just as HLB can affect fruit flavor, so can our numerous innovations to manage HLB. Yu Wang works to make sure our solutions are sweet. When the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hired her as a flavor chemist seven years ago, Wang worked primarily with breeders. Her objective was …

rules

Support for HLB Product Label Requests

Josh McGillPesticides

Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) has been working with product registrants to gather industry support for two 24(c) label requests being presented to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). REMEDIUM TIThe first request, from TJ BioTech, is related to the use of ReMedium TI via injection in citrus trees suffering from citrus greening. Research has proven oxytetracycline injection …

evaporative cooling

FAWN Expansion Underway

Josh McGillTip of the Week, Weather

By Rick Lusher The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) is a great resource for citrus growers. Its mission is to leverage timely, reliable and accurate weather data in support of effective agricultural decision-making and stewardship of natural, human and fiscal resources. In addition to weather information accessible in multiple databases, there …

Fresh Oranges on a tree.

The Role of Plant Growth Regulators in Citrus

Josh McGillPGRs

Multi-county citrus Extension agent Ajia Paolillo discussed the role of plant growth regulators (PGRs) in groves in a recent Extension newsletter. She cited University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulturists Tripti Vashisth and Fernando Alferez as sources. Here’s a summary of Paolillo’s article: GIBBERELLIC ACIDGibberellic acid (GA) is one of the PGRs used in citrus. It …

Pest Incidence and Management in CUPS

Josh McGillCUPS, Pests, Research

By Jawwad A. Qureshi and Salman Al-Shami The citrus under protective screen (CUPS, Figure 1) system is designed so citrus can grow inside screened enclosures to protect it from huanglongbing (HLB) and the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina citri). ACP is the primary vector of the pathogen responsible for causing HLB, known as citrus greening disease. This vector-pathogen combination is …

pest risk

California Yields Most Citrus per Acre

Josh McGillProduction

California led the nation in boxes-per-acre yield for every citrus variety grown in 2021–22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) recently reported. The yields per acre, along with on-tree prices and other information, is in the agency’s Citrus Fruits 2022 Summary. ORANGES California’s 140,000 acres of bearing orange acres produced 289 boxes per acre in the …

Rucks Nursery Becomes Conservation Area

Josh McGillFlorida, Land, nursery

A partnership between Conservation Florida, the Polk County Parks and Natural Resources Division and the U.S. Department of Defense secured funding to create a conservation easement for Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery. The easement provides protection for rare upland wildlife and plant species. The 320-acre nursery is conserved in perpetuity and will never be developed, but will remain productive agricultural land, …

Alico

Alico Appoints Chief Financial Officer

Josh McGillIndustry News Release

Alico, Inc. announced the appointment of Perry G. Del Vecchio as chief financial officer effective Sept. 6. He is responsible for all corporate finance, treasury and accounting functions of the company and reports directly to President and Chief Executive Officer John Kiernan. “Perry’s background as a senior finance leader for a $6 billion division of a Fortune 500 company, combined …

Trying to Reason With Hurricane-Season Forecasts

Josh McGillWeather

By Matt Smith It’s September in Florida, which means two things: the start to the latest “rebuilding year” for Florida football and the traditional peak of hurricane season. It was in September of 2017 that Hurricane Irma cut just about the worst path imaginable for Florida’s citrus growers. Along with causing physical damage to groves, Irma also contributed to disease …

Scion Selections Highlighted at Expo

Josh McGillCitrus Expo, Varieties

At the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, Jude Grosser and Fred Gmitter provided an update on the numerous scion selections produced at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). Both are University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant breeders. Here are a few of the scion selections they highlighted in a presentation titled Working to Provide Sustainable …

Entomologist at Helm of Invasion Science Research Initiative

Josh McGillIndustry News Release, Pests

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has appointed internationally acclaimed entomologist and ecologist Matthew Thomas as director of the new Invasion Science Research Initiative (ISRI). Thomas will establish the framework for ISRI, which will bring together more than 120 UF/IFAS scientists from more than 20 departments currently dedicated to the detection, diversion, tracking and control …

Decline in U.S. Citrus Production and Value

Josh McGillProduction

Citrus production and crop value in the Unites States both declined in 2021–22 compared to the prior season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) reported recently. PRODUCTIONCitrus utilized production in the United States for the 2021–22 season totaled 5.61 million tons, down 19% from the 2020–21 season. California accounted for 62% of total United States citrus …

Millennium Block

Citrus Growers Invited to Visit Variety Trial

Josh McGillEvents, Rootstocks, Varieties

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) will host a Millennium Block Variety Trial Field Day on Oct. 19. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. The Millennium Block is at 7850 Pruitt Research Road in Fort Pierce. Registration can be completed online here or by …

Stay Current With Research on Rootstocks

Josh McGillRootstocks, Tip of the Week

By Jude Grosser The ultimate solution to the HLB problem is having good rootstocks that can mitigate or eliminate the disease’s impacts in any grafted commercial scion. With this, growers could profitably grow any scion, including grapefruit, Hamlin or even Murcott. Thus, rootstock breeding efforts focus on directly screening new rootstock hybrids for their ability to confer HLB tolerance or …