Although it was National OJ Day, the Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network held its spring meeting May 4 at a Polk County facility growing citrus for the fresh market. The Story Companies and Dundee Citrus Growers Association (CGA) conducted a tour of Story’s 11-acre citrus under protective screen (CUPS) pod. The Story pod is one of numerous such pods at …
Speeding the Search for an HLB Solution
By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP My hope is that your new citrus breeding team scientist will be a new Bill Castle on warp speed for an HLB solution. That is, John Chater will accelerate the search for citrus varieties that hold up against HLB. He’s got tens of thousands of places to search. Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser have …
Grower and Researcher CUPS Collaboration
The spread of HLB in Florida citrus groves has forced growers and researchers to try all sorts of practices to fight off the disease’s devastating effects. One of the most successful methods has been planting citrus under protective screen (CUPS). The screen excludes the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and keeps HLB out of plantings. CUPS also is a great example …
FarmSense Pest-Monitoring System Awarded
FarmSense, Inc. was recently selected as one of two winners of the inaugural Riverside Angel Summit, a partnership between University of California, Riverside (UCR), the City of Riverside and community members. The Riverside Angel Summit is a program created to foster a thriving angel investment culture in the Riverside region by connecting investors to high-quality, vetted local entrepreneurs. FarmSense emerged …
Growing Matters: Remembering Applicator Safety
The 2022 BeSure campaign from the Growing Matters Coalition centers on using crop protection safely and responsibly. Protecting bees and other wildlife is a key element of best management practices. Along with pollinator health concerns, applicator safety is also another critical aspect of good stewardship. Craig Campbell, senior scientist for field R&D for Valent USA, said that safety should be …
National Orange Juice Day Celebrated on Social Media
May 4 is the day to celebrate Florida’s signature crop — citrus that is squeezed into wonderfully delicious orange juice. That’s right, it’s National Orange Juice Day! People have taken to social media to mark the occasion. Here’s a few posts we captured. Sponsored ContentMake a Plan to Eradicate Fire Ants This YearMay 1, 2026Take the Sting Out of Fire …
Mexfly Actions Taken in Texas
Federal and state authorities recently established one Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Texas and expanded another. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). On April 8, the agencies established a Mexfly quarantine in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas. They established the Weslaco quarantine …
Inflation Considered in OJ Marketing
The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) is exploring ways to entice consumers to buy orange juice (OJ) in the face of inflation, Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Steve Johnson stated recently. He reported that the FDOC is “analyzing how inflation may impact consumers in the months ahead and exploring which marketing activities may help ensure Florida orange juice remains in carts …
Preparing to Plant Cover Crops
By Sarah Strauss If you’ve been exploring methods to improve your soil health, chances are you’ve come across the use of cover crops. Even though we call them “crops,” these plants are not harvested and are only planted to improve soil health. The benefits of cover crops to soil health include increasing soil organic matter and microbial diversity and activity …
Hunt Bros. Packinghouse Closing
The Hunt Bros. citrus packinghouse in Lake Wales will close for good at the end of this season, primarily due to the impacts of Hurricane Irma on company groves in 2017. The family-owned packinghouse opened in 1928. Frank Hunt III, an owner, discussed the closing in an April 22 letter to employees: “It was certainly our desire to keep it …
An Opportunity for Florida’s Agricultural Landowners
It was a good time to be in the real estate business in Florida in 2021. That was a common theme coming out of the annual Lay of the Land Conference held in Lakeland, Florida, in April. The conference is hosted by SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate. Some real estate sectors have moved through the COVID-19 pandemic better …
HLB Research Priorities
Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida of Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, discussed the recent Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute in the April All In For Citrus podcast. The event drew a good crowd of growers who came to learn about the latest research aimed at HLB. Rogers made …
How Weather Affects Pesticide Applications
By Matt Smith Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. Weather affects what pests you might be spraying for and the worker doing the spraying. There are environmental safety risks …
CRDF Focused on HLB Therapeutics
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) held its April board of directors meeting to hear reports on projects involving 2,4-D, gibberellic acid, brassinosteroids and zinc. According to Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of CRDF, the foundation is conducting a full-court press to study how these materials can combat fruit drop and improve quality. CRDF staff also presented a proposal …
Products Proven to Help With HLB
Researchers offered updates on products proven to help against the devastating citrus disease HLB in a virtual seminar on April 27. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences horticulturists Tripti Vashisth and Fernando Alferez discussed the benefits of gibberellic acid (GA) and brassinosteroids, respectively. Vashisth reported that GA-treated Valencia orange trees dropped less fruit and increased fruit yields …
Consortium Research Aims at HLB
Scientists from the New Mexico Consortium (NMC) say research they have conducted may lead to development of strategies for the control of HLB disease. The research is a collaborative effort between the Gupta laboratory, the NMC and the Stover laboratory at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS). The study focuses on the two putative virulence proteins of …
Herbicides and Fruit Drop
Weed scientist Ramdas Kanissery’s research has not shown evidence that herbicides, including glyphosate, increase citrus fruit drop or decrease yields. But in studies using different glyphosate rates, he did find that there is a relatively strong negative correlation with the fruit detachment force and the glyphosate amount applied. “That means there may be something happening with the higher glyphosate rate” …
Consistency Is Key in Rootstock Field Trials
By Bill Castle Today, at least three things seem to be true about Florida citrus rootstock field trials: There is an unprecedented number of them underway or soon to be planted. The sponsors are many, including the University of Florida, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Citrus Research and Development Foundation, Citrus Research and Field Trial Foundation and the Multi-Agency Coordination Group. …
Growing Matters: Following Label Directions Is the First Part of Protecting Pollinators
Label directions serve as one of the most important points in keeping pollinators safe and healthy when making an application of crop protection materials. The 2022 BeSure campaign from the Growing Matters Coalition highlights the importance of protecting pollinators in agricultural systems, by using best management practices. Frank Wong, industry affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science, said that the first …
Integration of Nutrition and Crop Protection Products
By Davie Kadyampakeni and Evan Johnson In the era of citrus greening disease (huanglongbing, HLB), maintaining optimal nutrition and disease/pest management strategies is critical for avoiding adverse effects on tree performance. Use of the right fertilization rate, timing and placement are important for optimal citrus production. In a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research study, …




























