European Union

Mutual Testifies on OJ From Mexico

Ernie NeffMexico

Florida Citrus Mutual Executive Vice President and CEO Mike Sparks recently testified to federal officials regarding the effects of orange juice (OJ) imports from Mexico. His testimony to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was part of a larger hearing on trade with Mexico and the U.S. …

emergency program

Infected ACP Found in California Commercial Grove Is No Surprise

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Psyllids

For the first time, an Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) carrying the bacteria which causes huanglongbing (HLB) was found in a commercial grove in Riverside County. While the discovery has prompted concern, University of California Riverside Extension Specialist Monique Rivera said that the find has been expected and is not all that surprising. “We’ve had positive trees removed here in Riverside, …

Weird Trunk Disorders in Groves

Ernie NeffCitrus Expo

Florida growers, Extension agents and others have been baffled by unusual trunk symptoms during what Evan Johnson termed “the year of the weird trunk disorder.” Growers spotted the disorders, which were similar to phytophthora, in groves over the past one and half to two years. Johnson addressed three of the disorders, which have been found in multiple counties. Johnson, a …

Survey to Help USDA Improve

Ernie NeffSurvey

A new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) annual survey of farmers, ranchers and private forestland owners will help USDA understand what it is doing well and where improvements are needed. The survey will specifically help the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA). A selection of 28,000 producers will receive the survey over …

Cover Crops and Nematicides for Sting Nematode Management

Tacy CalliesPests

By Larry Duncan, Johan Desaeger and Sheng-Yen Wu The citrus row middle habitat changed profoundly beginning in the 1970s as mowing replaced disking for weed management. This change ended the costly cycle of cutting and regrowing citrus roots near the soil surface and reduced soil erosion, among other benefits. Mowing also allowed a seasonal succession of native plants to flourish, …

Industry Split on OJ Marketing Order

Ernie NeffMarketing

A Florida citrus Industry Review Committee has divergent opinions about a possible federal marketing order for orange juice (OJ), Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks reported after the group met last week. “There were some that wanted to roll up their sleeves and continue work. There were a couple of committee members that had heard enough” and didn’t want to …

FDOC Efforts Successful in Moving More Juice

Tacy CalliesOrange Juice

According to the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), sales of 100 percent orange juice (OJ) continue to show promising results. In the 4-week period ending Aug. 1, average year-over-year sales of total OJ increased 21 percent with 32.64 million equivalent gallons sold, per the latest Nielsen retail sales report. Sales of not-from-concentrate (NFC) OJ increased 27 percent for the period. …

Hurricane Season Forecast Updated to ‘Extremely Active’

Ernie Neffhurricane

Atmospheric and oceanic conditions are primed to fuel storm development in the Atlantic, leading to what could be an “extremely active” season. So say forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in its August update to the Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, initially issued in May. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is off to a rapid pace with a …

Brix

Alico: Orange Price Down but Outlook Positive

Ernie Nefffinancial, Industry News Release

The average blended price per pound solid (PPS) for juice oranges grown by Alico, Inc. fell from $2.42 in the prior fiscal year to $1.86 in the current fiscal year. That was largely due to the Florida citrus crop being greater than expected in the 2018-19 harvest season, leading to excess inventory levels at Florida citrus juice processors, the company …

New Targets Found for HLB Treatments

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Research

Thanks to recent advances in metabolic modeling, scientists are closer to gaining the upper hand on citrus greening (also known as huanglongbing or HLB), a disease that has wiped out citrus orchards across the globe. New models of the bacterium linked to the disease reveal control methods that were previously unavailable. Metabolic models of organisms are like road maps of …

CRDF Looking at Peptide for HLB

Ernie NeffHLB Management

When news broke in July that University of California Riverside (UCR) scientists had found a peptide that might control HLB, Rick Dantzler quickly contacted lead UCR scientist Hailing Jin. Dantzler is chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), which was organized in Florida primarily to find ways to solve or cope with HLB. Jin had found …

Made in the Shade

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Production

Feral citrus growing in natural hammocks reveals insights about production and HLB. By Christopher Vincent and Anirban Guha Would you rather go outside in August and stand for a few hours in the sun or in the shade? It turns out citrus prefers the shade, too. In the past two years, we have been researching the health of citrus growing …

California Ag Responds to COVID-19 Pressure

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, COVID-19

Now a COVID-19 hot spot, California agriculture has been working to protect its labor force from the pandemic. However, COVID-19 exposures have occurred and illness reports are on the rise. “Rising rates in the Central Valley are concerning. California is making $52M available to increase testing, contact tracing and quarantine efforts, and sending strike teams to four counties with increased …

Alico Announces New Directors and Agreement with Barron Collier

Ernie NeffIndustry News Release

Alico, Inc. in July entered into a long-term agreement to provide citrus grove management services, including harvest and haul responsibilities, to Barron Collier Companies. Alico also announced the additions of Kate English and Adam Putnam to its board of directors. Alico will manage citrus operations for approximately 7,000 acres of Barron Collier groves in Collier and Hendry counties, in exchange …

psyllids

IPM Approaches to Reduce Psyllid Populations

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Psyllids

Lukasz Stelinski recently shared integrated pest management strategies for reducing Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) populations to optimize tree health and yield. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor of entomology and nematology presented the information during the 2020 virtual Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference. Even with approximately 100 percent of Florida citrus trees infected with huanglongbing …

World Orange Production to Fall

Ernie NeffCrop Forecast

Global orange production for 2019-20 is estimated to fall 7.8 million metric tons (MMT) from the previous year to 46.1 MMT, according to a July report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Consumption is forecast to be flat, though not down. Global trade is expected to be lower with an anticipated drop in exports from Brazil and …

Dietary Guidelines Report Is Positive for Fruit Juice

Ernie NeffOrange Juice

According to the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), the conclusions and statements presented in a federal report related to 100 percent fruit juice are positive. The first print of the federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) report was released on July 15. This report will be used to develop the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) later this year. These …

Steger Forecast for Florida Oranges

Ernie NeffForecast

Elizabeth Steger, president of Citrus Consulting International, has forecast Florida’s 2020-21 orange crop at 62 million boxes. That is 8.35 percent fewer oranges than the 67.65 million boxes the state produced last season. [See the final 2019-20 season forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) here.] Steger has been forecasting the size of Florida’s orange crop prior to the …

First CLas-Positive ACP Found in California Grove

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Industry News Release, Psyllids

An Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample has been confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the bacteria that causes huanglongbing (HLB). The sample was collected from a commercial citrus grove in the Woodcrest area of Riverside County. Confirmed by Citrus Research Board’s Jerry Dimitman Laboratory, this single adult psyllid is the first CLas-positive ACP found in a commercial citrus grove …

Where to Send Unsolicited Seed Packets

Tacy CalliesIndustry News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has expanded the list of locations where the public can send unsolicited seed packets. Options for submitting reports online to APHIS or the state departments of agriculture have also been added. APHIS urges anyone who receives an unsolicited package of seeds to submit an online report and …