The Cutrale Citrus Juices USA plant in Leesburg, Florida, will close and lay off 117 employees beginning in late July. A notice from Cutrale posted on the Florida Department of Commerce website gave the reason for the closing as “primary business partner has decided to move packaging operations from the Leesburg facility to their own facilities.” The notice is required …
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 …
Citrus Greening Quarantine Expanded in Texas
Agriculture officials have expanded the areas quarantined for citrus greening (huanglongbing; HLB), caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, in Texas. All of Zapata County has been added to the quarantined areas. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). The action was taken …
All In For Citrus Podcast, May 2024
Late spring and early summer are busy times for University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus scientists. They are out in the field preparing new research projects for the coming season and assessing data from ongoing projects. Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, discusses some of that work during the May …
Where Do Growers Stand With Trunk-Injection Therapy?
Florida growers are well into their second application of oxytetracycline (OTC) trunk injection as the 2023–24 season winds down. The results of the first application made last year are becoming somewhat clearer, but there’s still more to observe and learn about trunk injection. Ute Albrecht, associate professor of plant physiology with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
Georgia Research Projects Underway
Jake Price, University of Georgia (UGA) county Extension coordinator, recently provided a summary of citrus projects he has been working on: Source: Georgia Citrus Association Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising Temperatures to Treat for Fire AntsJuly 1, 2025Take the Sting Out of Fire AntsJune 1, 2025A Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight HLBOctober 25, 2024
Have a Hurricane Plan in Place
Florida citrus growers are all too familiar with the fallout from hurricanes in recent history. In 2017, Hurricane Irma came up the spine of the state causing an estimated $760 million in damage to the citrus industry. Then in 2022, Hurricane Ian took an even more direct path over key citrus-production areas causing another $247 million in losses, according to …
Gulf Citrus Growers Association Closes Doors
Wayne Simmons, president of the Gulf Citrus Growers Association (GCGA), sent the following letter to the group’s membership on May 6 to announce the association will be ceasing operations: “For nearly 40 years, the Gulf Citrus Growers Association has represented the citrus growers of Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties with professional integrity, dedication and effectiveness. So it is …
How Florida Orange Production Plummeted 92% in 20 Years
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (USDA ERS) recently recounted how natural disasters and diseases have reduced Florida’s orange production by 92% since the 2003–04 season. USDA ERS noted that Florida’s citrus industry has long been susceptible to freezes, hurricanes and disease. It pointed out that a series of devastating freezes in the 1970s and 1980s caused production …
Trunk-Injection Suggestions
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professors Ute Albrecht, Ozgur Batuman and Megan Dewdney recently wrote Suggested Use Pattern of Injectable Antimicrobials for Huanglongbing (HLB) Management (April 2024). They emphasized that the document is not an official UF/IFAS recommendation but is based on the labels for antimicrobial products ReMedium and Rectify. Some key suggestions in …
Panel Discussions Highlight Florida Citrus Show Seminars
A pair of panel discussions during the citrus seminars at the Florida Citrus Show gave growers the opportunity to engage with experts on top-of-mind topics. BREEDER RECOMMENDATIONS The citrus seminar program started with a discussion among citrus breeders moderated by Flavia Zambon, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor at the Indian River Research and …
Podcast Addresses Recent Irrigation Research
It was a dry April in most of Florida’s citrus-production areas. That means irrigation is vital to keep HLB-infected trees adequately watered. The drier months of the year from February through May are when flowering and fruit set are occurring. If trees are stressed due to water deficit during this time, they are more likely to suffer fruit drop and …
Phytophthora: A Complex Problem
While the recent Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute presentations focused mainly on HLB, other topics were addressed, including phytophthora root rot. This disease has become more problematic in recent years. Megan Dewdney, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor of plant pathology, spoke on the topic. She noted that phytophthora already is a complex problem and that …
Sneak Peek: May 2024 Citrus Industry
Inside the May issue of Citrus Industry magazine, you’ll find photos and coverage from the Florida Citrus Show. The annual grower-focused event was held in Fort Pierce on April 3. A high point of the day was the outdoor trade show of exhibitors serving an array of tailgate-style foods to attendees. Educational programs included a general session on current agricultural …
Grove First Project Seeks More Grower Cooperators
The Grove First project plans to expand next year and is seeking additional growers as cooperators. The project tests molecules directly in the field for their ability to treat HLB via trunk injection. The Grove First project differs from the common practice of starting HLB research in the laboratory, then moving to the greenhouse to be confirmed before going into …
Investing in New Citrus Plantings in Brazil Can Be Worthwhile
A study by Brazilian citrus consultant Gilberto Tozatti indicated that even under high HLB pressure, but with reasonable prices, it is worth investing in new citrus plantings. Tozatti’s study, presented at the recent International Research Conference on HLB, received support from the Group of Citrus Consultants (GCONCI). Tozatti summarized his presentation: Brazil is the world leader in the production of …
Irrigation Frequency Critical to Fight Tree Stress
During the month of April, Florida rainfall has been scarce. Groves are drying out after some areas enjoyed more rain than normal during the El Niño winter. The dry weather has growers busy running irrigation. Keeping HLB-infected trees well-watered is especially important to reduce plant stress. That was the message Tripti Vashisth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
The Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Availability
By Chris Oswalt Soil pH influences nutrient availability. This article considers the specific fate of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soils with elevated pH values. The discussion also assumes that these effects would be similar to conditions in the wetted zone where micro-sprinkler irrigation has raised soil pH. NITROGEN Soil pH can affect several reactions involving nitrogen in the soil …
All In For Citrus Podcast, April 2024
April was a busy month for citrus events. The Florida Citrus Show was held April 3 in Fort Pierce followed by the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute in Avon Park on April 9. These events were a topic of discussion between All In For Citrus podcast host Frank Giles and Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food …
Outlook for Brazilian Acreage and Production
A study by researchers Gilberto Tozatti, Mauricio Mendez and Rodolfo Castro indicated the likely future significant reduction in Brazilian citrus acreage and production due to huanglongbing (HLB or greening). The calculations are based solely on the current Brazilian Citrus Belt and do not consider future citrus projects happening in areas outside of it. Tozatti presented the study at the recent …





























