consumer

Court Says Genetically Engineered Organisms Must Be Regulated

Daniel CooperCourt

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California recently ruled that genetically engineered (GE) organisms must be regulated. The ruling overturns a 2020 rule overhaul by the first Trump administration that had eliminated most government oversight over GE crops, trees and grasses. Genetic engineering is one of several routes researchers are taking to breed a citrus tree resistant …

sweet

PIECES OF THE PAST: On a Sweet Note

Daniel CooperPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Christmas is normally the brightest spot at the end of what can be a very long year for many of us. It signals not only the end of the year, but the beginning promises of a hopeful new year ahead. One bright spot this year was the 100-year celebration of when the first Florida Citrus Queen …

controls

Controls Needed to Effectively Evaluate Treated Trees

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Ute Albrecht, Gabriel Pugina and Caroline Tardivo Two years have passed since trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) was approved for HLB management in Florida. Many growers have adopted this technology. While most reported positive responses, others did not. The plant physiology team at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education …

cost-share

Improved Cost-Share Opportunities for Implementing Florida BMPs

Daniel CooperBMPs

There have been some changes and new opportunities for growers to benefit from a cost-share program available from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Office of Agricultural Water Policy (OAWP). We asked John “JP” Fraites to provide some insights on what the OAWP does and the cost-share program. First, what is your role with FDACS? FRAITES: As …

sales

Juice Sales Volume Down; Prices Up

Daniel CooperFlorida Department of Citrus, Orange Juice

Orange juice (OJ) and grapefruit juice retail sales volumes dipped compared to the prior year for the period that ended Nov. 30, but the prices for both products increased. Marisa Zansler, Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) director of economic and market research, reported that information to the Florida Citrus Commission on Dec. 18. ORANGE JUICE The four-week year-over-year OJ trend …

OJ Break

Growers and Industry Attend OJ Break and Fruit Display

Daniel CooperEvents, Insurance

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred recently hosted an OJ Break and Fruit Display. The Dec. 18 back-to-back events were well attended. Ariel Singerman, UF/IFAS citrus economist, presented his research during the OJ Break. One area he addressed was crop insurance adoption among growers. Singerman shared a …

expanded

HLB Quarantine Expanded in California

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Diseases, Regulation

An area quarantined for huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease, in California was recently expanded. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) issued the expansion. The quarantined area in the Mission Viejo area of Orange County expanded by approximately 85 square miles. …

ruling

Ruling Delays Ownership Reporting Requirements

Daniel CooperAgriculture, Legal

Farmers and ranchers have received a temporary reprieve from federal reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), thanks to a nationwide injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The ruling delays enforcement of the Beneficial Ownership Information filing requirements, which were set to take effect Jan. 1, 2025. The CTA mandates that businesses, …

recovery

What Past Hurricanes Reveal About Recovery

Daniel Cooperhurricane

After hurricanes hit citrus-producing regions in Florida, there is always one question included in the conversation: How bad is it? Experience has shown that the damage from hurricanes can take months to fully manifest. And recovery can take years, especially in the HLB-era. Within a week after Hurricane Milton making landfall on Oct. 9, the University of Florida Institute of …

root recovery

Root Recovery Precedes Production Gains

Daniel CooperHLB Management, OTC Expert

Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: There have been some mixed results from OTC injections depending on geography within Florida. Is the citrus industry in Florida experiencing a recovery from the effects of HLB or not? Tom Johnson: Since the release of ReMedium TI® …

diseases

Problematic Diseases Following Hurricanes

Daniel CooperDiseases, hurricane

Hurricanes bring immediate tree damage from high winds and torrential rainfall, but storms also can lay the groundwork for citrus disease problems. Soon after Hurricane Milton passed through citrus-growing regions, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a webinar that covered various topics including post-storm disease management. CANKER Megan Dewdney, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant …

hlb

Progress Being Made in HLB Fight

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists led by Kranthi Mandadi are seeking novel solutions to huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. Mandadi is a professor in the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology and a researcher at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco. In the past few years, he and his collaborators have …

cold-hardy

Owari Yields in Georgia Pruning Trial

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Pruning

University of Georgia (UGA) County Extension Coordinator Jake Price recently reported on the Nov. 19 harvest of fruit from six Owari satsuma trees on X-639 rootstock. The trees were part of a pruning field trial. Price said three pruned trees yielded 380, 527 and 457 pounds of fruit, respectively; three unpruned control trees yielded 569, 596 and 418 pounds, respectively. …

requirements

Requirements Eased for Hurricane Aid

Daniel Cooperfinancial, hurricane

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking steps to streamline and provide flexibilities for environmental compliance requirements for 2024 hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. It is allowing its Farm Service Agency (FSA) to expedite approval of payments and practice implementation for Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) and Tree Assistance Program (TAP) applicants impacted by the …

Kistler

Participate in the IRREC Strategic Positioning Session

Daniel CooperEvents, Indian River

Mark Kistler requests the Indian River region’s agricultural and natural resources representatives to attend a strategic positioning session to share their observations on important topics. The session is planned for Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. until noon, at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) at 2199 South Rock Road …

traits

Costa Rican Orange Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) expects Costa Rican orange production to increase approximately 11% in 2024–25, to 250,000 metric tons. Production in 2023–24 was lower than expected at 225,000 metric tons as a result of erratic rainfall patterns associated with the El Niño weather phenomenon. The area planted in oranges is expected to remain unchanged …

assistance

Financial Assistance for Specialty Crop Growers

Daniel Cooperfinancial, Marketing

Producers may sign up for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s $2 billion Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program through Jan. 8, 2025. MASC provides financial assistance to specialty crop producers to help expand domestic markets or develop new markets for their crops.  MASC helps specialty crop producers offset higher marketing costs related to: ELIGIBILITY MASC covers numerous commercially marketed …

Mexfly

Mexfly Quarantine Expanded in Texas

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

Agriculture officials on Nov. 18 expanded the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Donna, Hidalgo County, Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) took the action. Expansion of the Donna quarantine is in response to the confirmed detection on Nov. 14 of a Mexfly larva in fruit …

court

Court Halts Enforcement of H-2A Rule Amendment

Daniel CooperLabor, Legal

The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) applauded the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi for halting enforcement of a rule amending H-2A visa program regulations. IFPA and its co-plaintiffs argued that the regulation is both unconstitutional and beyond the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) statutory authority. They maintained that the rule imposes unlawful demands on agricultural employers …

root recovery

Making the Most of ReMedium TI® Injections

Daniel CooperHLB Management, OTC Expert

Sponsored Content In this special series, Tom Johnson, owner of TJ BioTech, tackles questions about optimizing trunk-injection applications to treat HLB. Q: How do I get the best performance out of my ReMedium TI® injections? Tom Johnson: Getting the most out of your ReMedium TI® injections begins by properly evaluating individual tree size and tree health. While that may sound …