weed management

Optimizing Weed Management in Citrus

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast, weeds

Weeds can be a menace in Florida citrus. The state is home to diverse weed species and is the perfect environment for weeds to grow. Ramdas Kanissery, a weed scientist at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, discusses weed management challenges in the March All In For Citrus podcast. …

consumer

Consumer Perceptions of Citrus Biotechnology Are Critical

Daniel CooperTechnology

Scientists see genetic editing — and in particular CRISPR technology — as a potential way to rescue Florida citrus from HLB disease, but consumer perceptions of the technology are key. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (UF/IFAS) Bachir Kassas is working to assess consumer acceptance of biotechnology. Kassas is an assistant professor in the UF/IFAS Department …

CRAFT

Funding Available for More CRAFT Plantings

Daniel CooperCRAFT

The Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation board of directors has approved the opening of a supplemental Program for Expedited Propagation (PEP) Solid Set Planting application window. The application link is live here. Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on April 30. PEP projects must be solid-set plantings of scions released as part of the Florida Department of Citrus- …

climate

Climate Impacts Citrus and Psyllids in Brazil

Daniel CooperBrazil, Psyllids

Fundecitrus researcher Silvio Lopes and agricultural engineer Orlando Lucato Neto recently addressed how climate variation impacts the development of citrus shoots — the HLB-spreading psyllid’s main food source. They also discussed the incidence of psyllids in Brazilian orchards. Lopes said climate impacts the three components of HLB disease: the citrus plant, the vector insect (psyllid) and the causative bacteria. “The …

april

Sneak Peek: April 2025 Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperSneak Peek

The Florida Citrus Show brought together growers and industry for a fun day of camaraderie and education. The event took place March 13 at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce. The April issue …

Schaal

Jennifer Schaal: From Accountant to Ag Leader

Daniel CooperAgriculture, Florida

Early in her career, Jennifer Schaal worked in public accounting and found herself wanting to make a deeper impact. “For a long time, I felt the desire to help my clients by diving deeper into their organizations’ financials and procedures, but public accounting standards don’t allow for that,” Schaal said. That desire ultimately led her to transition to the citrus …

short-term

Florida Citrus: Short-Term Survival vs. Long-Term Sustainability

Daniel CooperHLB Management

The future of Florida’s citrus industry rests on short-term survival while building a future that does not include citrus greening disease. Rick Dantzler, Citrus Research and Development Foundation chief operating officer, spoke at this year’s Georgia Citrus Association annual meeting in Tifton. He emphasized that while tools like oxytetracycline (OTC) provide growers relief, its long-term effectiveness is not guaranteed. Therefore, …

pest populations

Scout to Stay Ahead of Pest Populations

Daniel CooperPests

It is much better for Florida citrus growers to be proactive than reactive when managing pest populations. Scouting and monitoring citrus groves is crucial for growers who hope to thwart off impacts from insects like the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). If growers are not successful, they will be behind the eight ball in minimizing the impact of these annual pests. …

soil health

Digging Into Methods to Boost Citrus Soil Health

Daniel CooperSoil Health

By Sarah Strauss, Emma Dawson, Gabriel Pugina, Ute Albrecht, Jonas Pereira de Souza Junior and Davie Kadyampakeni While soil health has always been considered critical for Florida citrus production, it has increased in importance with the endemic presence of citrus greening (HLB). Soil health is similar to the concepts of soil quality or soil fertility but with an additional focus …

Optimism

OTC Injections Spark Optimism

Daniel CooperHLB Management

It can be hard to have hope if you are a farmer in today’s agricultural climate. It can be even harder to have optimism if you are a Florida citrus grower. Yet, Matt Joyner, Florida Citrus Mutual executive vice president and chief executive officer, has hope that the industry is trending upward even amid HLB and multiple hurricanes in previous …

Polk County

PIECES OF THE PAST: Polk County Roots Run Deep

Daniel CooperPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I was honored this year to be part of the Vero Heritage Center and Indian River Citrus Museum’s “Deeply Rooted” event, which was the kick-off for Indian River County’s Centennial Celebration. It made me think of this year’s Florida Citrus Hall of Fame inductees. They all have something in common with deep roots — Polk County! …

june

All In For Citrus Podcast, March 2025

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast, Events

With spring comes a number of citrus events. One of those was the Florida Citrus Show held on March 13 in Fort Pierce. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, joins the March All In For Citrus podcast to discuss highlights of Florida Citrus Show. He also …

sting nematode

Integrated Pest Management Needed for Sting Nematode

Daniel CooperPests

By Maegan Beatty During the recent citrus insect management workshop at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center, Larry Duncan, a nematology professor, discussed the sting nematode. First recognized in the 1980s as a pest of young citrus trees, the sting nematode has adapted to coarse, sandy soils. The pest feeds at …

Florida Citrus Show: A Successful Grower Gathering

Morgan ColeFCS24

By Clint Thompson The Florida Citrus Show united the specialty crop industry, informed farmers about trends impacting citrus and vegetables and prepared them for the upcoming season. In addition, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy tailgating treats that were prominent at the trade show. It was an impactful event, says Morgan Assaf, Florida Citrus Show organizer for AgNet Media. “We …

psyllid

Now Is the Time to Knock Back Psyllid Populations

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Psyllids

Now is the time for Florida citrus growers to implement management tactics to control the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the insect that vectors citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing (HLB). ACPs are currently in low populations across Florida’s citrus-producing region. That means growers should act now to protect their crop from the insect’s impact, says Chris Oswalt, University of Florida …

highlands

Highlands Citrus Banquet Highlights Trunk-Injection Research

Daniel CooperEvents, HLB Management

The Highlands County Citrus Growers Association hosted its annual banquet on March 6 in Sebring. The event drew a good crowd to catch up on the association’s activities. Two of the featured speakers during the event discussed alternative trunk-injection therapies to the current standard of oxytetracycline (OTC). Tanishka Aglave, a sophomore at Strawberry Crest High School, received the H. Robert …

Florida Citrus Show

Last Chance to Preregister for the Florida Citrus Show

Daniel CooperCitrus, Events, FCS24, Florida Citrus Show

Online preregistration for the Florida Citrus Show closes on Sunday, March 9 at 5:00 p.m. The event is a great day of networking, learning, food and fun. THE PROGRAM Between the morning general session and breakout seminars dedicated to citrus and vegetables, there’s a lot to learn. Check out the full program here. CEUs AVAILABLE Attendees of the citrus seminar …

Agroview

The Growth of AI-Based Agroview

Daniel CooperTechnology

A few weeks after Yiannis Ampatzidis started working at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in 2017, Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on Florida citrus groves. Growers needed to count their trees with precision to get crop insurance, but it was a laborious, time-intensive task. Ampatzidis, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the Southwest …

orange fights

From Orange Fights to Industry Leaders

Daniel CooperCitrus, Florida

Morgan McKenna Porter, who grew up in a Florida citrus family, remembers having orange fights as a youth with her cousin, Riley. When she started classes at the University of Florida in 2010, she knew she wanted to major in agriculture. Porter took classes in the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree …

otc

OTC Optimization Discussed in Podcast

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast, HLB Management

Ute Albrecht, associate professor of plant physiology with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), joined the February All In For Citrus podcast to discuss the latest learnings in optimizing trunk injections of oxytetracycline (OTC) aimed at reducing HLB in trees. She shared what has been discovered over the past few years in terms of application …