Five Years of Fresh Fruit Production in CUPS

Tacy CalliesCUPS

By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Napoleon Mariner and Timothy Ebert According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Florida grapefruit production for the 2019–20 season was only 12 percent of the production recorded in 2003–04, prior to the arrival of huanglongbing (HLB) disease in the state. A major goal of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …

town hall

More COVID-19 Tests for Florida Ag Workers

Ernie NeffCOVID-19, Labor

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently announced updates to COVID-19 testing sites in Hendry, Miami-Dade, Collier and St. Lucie counties for farmworkers. The effort to provide access to no-cost testing for farmworkers is part of a partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and county governments.  Testing services will continue as …

citrus

Get Florida Freeze Updates With Winter Weather Watch

Tacy CalliesTip of the Week, Weather

By Chris Oswalt There was a time back in 1962, on Dec. 12 and 13, when a devastating freeze in Florida decimated a significant portion of the state’s citrus industry. In Polk County, the freeze caused serious damage to 134,000 acres of citrus. In 1963, citrus growers were concerned about receiving timely weather information and frost warning bulletins. Back then, …

H-2A Wage Decision Commended

Ernie NeffLabor

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) commended the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for extending the 2020 Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) for the H-2A program through 2022. The vast majority of Florida citrus is harvested by temporary foreign workers in the H-2A program. “We applaud the agency for recognizing that the …

new york times

Marketing OJ Amidst COVID-19

Tacy CalliesMarketing, Orange Juice

Each month, the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and partner agency, Edible, dig deep into current consumer behaviors to gain insights on how messaging and marketing programs could be adapted for the greatest success. In a recent webinar, Kim McAndrews, senior vice president and food and beverage strategic planner for Edible, discussed the rapidly changing environment of COVID-19 and the …

HLB

Joint Culturing Project for HLB?

Ernie NeffResearch

Four researchers from around the country summarized their work on culturing the causal agent of HLB and agreed to consider a large, joint culturing project. The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) hosted the panel discussion on Nov. 5 about culturing Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). CRDF organized the presentation after receiving a request for funding of a CLas culturing project …

Controlling Psyllids: A Threshold Approach

Ernie NeffPsyllids

Citrus growers should consider controlling HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) only when a prescribed ACP population, or threshold, is reached. Entomologist Lukasz Stelinski suggested this approach in a virtual Citrus Expo presentation. Stelinski is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. A summary slide Stelinski showed …

Genome Sequencing and Other UF Research

Ernie NeffAll In For Citrus Podcast

Michael Rogers discusses the importance of the recent sequencing of the trifoliate orange genome by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers and others. He also tells how growers can learn more about UF/IFAS research funded by the Florida Legislature. Rogers is director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred and …

European Union

Research to Prove OJ Health Benefits

Ernie NeffOrange Juice, Research

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) recently approved three research projects aimed at further proving the health benefits of orange juice (OJ) consumption. The OJ-related projects had been recommended by the commission’s Scientific Research Advisory Committee. The projects were discussed by Rosa Walsh, director of the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Scientific Research Department, during the October FCC meeting. The FCC …

Uncle Matt’s Announces New OJ

Ernie NeffOrange Juice

Uncle Matt’s Organic recently announced the launch of its Ultimate Immune orange juice beverage. It is made with organic orange juice, elderberry, vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc. “Over the past six months, families have turned to what they associate with daily immune support: vitamin C-rich orange juice,” said Susan McLean, vice president of marketing and innovation at the company. …

Earn Free Core CEUs

Tacy CalliesCEU

Did you know Citrus Industry magazine offers four Core CEUs per year at no charge? Each of the magazine’s quarterly CEU articles are good for one continuing education unit in the Core category toward the Florida restricted-use pesticide license. Read the article and then take the accompanying test. After you submit and pass the test, you’ll earn your CEU. University …

Sudden ACP Increase in California Worrisome

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Psyllids

To the surprise and consternation of growers and officials, 74 Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) have been discovered in Kern County, California, since June. Local and state officials are concerned about the recent uptick in trappings and are working to find how extensively the infestation has spread. The trappings have been equally dispersed in residential and commercial citrus. Staff from the …

The Effect of the Clean Waterways Act on Ag

Tacy CalliesTip of the Week

The Clean Waterways Act (Senate Bill 712) was signed into law on June 30 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The act discusses several mechanisms and provisions to protect waterways by reducing water pollution. It includes a few changes that directly affect the agriculture industry. The law requires the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to perform onsite implementation verification …

Survey on Water and Technology Use

Ernie NeffTechnology, Water

University of Florida (UF) researchers are conducting a survey to study smart agriculture technology acceptance and adoption behavior of Florida specialty crop growers, specifically growers of crops requiring regular irrigation. Adam Watson, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, and doctoral candidate Raminder Kaur are requesting the information. The survey requests feedback on growers’ use of …

nutrition

CRDF Addresses Plant Improvement, Budget

Ernie NeffCRDF

Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) directors recently received an update on planned rootstock field trials and discussed the organization’s budget, CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler reported. ROOTSTOCK TRIALSThe new rootstock trials will be overseen by CRDF’s Select Committee on Plant Improvement, which met on Oct. 22 with citrus grower John Gose as chairman. Dantzler said the field trials …

barriers

Black Spot Likely in More Florida Counties

Ernie NeffDiseases

Although citrus black spot has only been detected in commercial groves in five Southwest Florida counties, it is still spreading and likely to be in additional counties, according to plant pathologist Megan Dewdney. The five counties with detections are Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor at …

USDA OJ Purchases Set Precedent

Ernie NeffOrange Juice

Marisa Zansler, economist for the Florida Department of Citrus, recently gave the Florida Citrus Commission an update on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section 32 purchases of orange juice (OJ). A summary of her report follows. The purpose of USDA Section 32 purchases is to help alleviate depressed markets for domestically produced agriculture products. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service also …

Proving COVID-19 Isn’t Foodborne

Ernie NeffCOVID-19, Food Safety

When the COVID-19 pandemic became news in the United States early this year, some consumers and others wondered if it might be spread by food or food packaging. Food scientist Michelle Danyluk says there is no epidemiological evidence that COVID-19 is spread that way. “But epidemiological evidence isn’t the same as hard science data,” she adds. Consequently, she and other …

Emerging Trunk Disorders

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Evan Johnson and Megan Dewdney The last two years have seen increasing grower questions and reports of citrus trunk disorders in Florida. Sometimes these reports are associated with sudden tree collapse. In many cases, phytophthora foot rot is initially suspected. Typically, the symptoms don’t quite match those of foot rot, and phytophthora cannot be isolated from the lesion. If …

PIECES OF THE PAST: When Canned Grapefruit Came on the Scene

Tacy CalliesPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette October has always signaled the first crop forecast, heralding the start of a new Florida citrus season. However, picking often begins in September for some eager to be the first out of the blocks. But, in the early days, with so much of the crop being sold fresh, it was imperative not to ruin the rest …