Lessons Learned From Rootstock Field Trials

Tacy CalliesResearch, Rootstocks

By Bill Castle “The notion that field trial data are of little value in the early years and trials must run for 15 years is outdated.”  [Lesson 7] “Our new website provides the grower community with user-friendly access to our collective decades of rootstock trial data…” [Lesson 9] Those are two of many lessons shared in a recent article authored …

orange juice

COVID-19 Impact on Orange Juice

Tacy CalliesOrange Juice

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered consumer behaviors, especially in relation to food and beverage consumption. Bennett Travers, senior communications planner at Edelman, Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) marketing agency partner, recently hosted a webinar on shifts in consumer behavior and the implications for 100 percent orange juice (OJ) now and in the future. A RETURN TO OJAmidst uncertainty, the …

Florida May Make $28.5M Land Purchase From Alico

Ernie NeffIndustry News Release

The state of Florida has approved entering into an agreement that grants it an option to purchase approximately 10,684 acres of Alico Ranch for approximately $28.5 million. The transaction would occur under the Florida Forever program. John Kiernan, Alico’s president and chief executive officer, said the property is on the west side of the Alico Ranch. “If exercised, we expect …

Research Pushes Forward in COVID-19 Era

Tacy CalliesCOVID-19, Research

As Florida moved to “safer at home” measures, not all University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research projects could be put on pause. There are living plants, animals and insects to feed and maintain. Some projects have regular monitoring procedures for which postponement could have broader environmental consequences. “We are very proud of our faculty, staff …

update

Water Is Focus of Together Florida Coalition

Ernie NeffWater

Together Florida, a coalition of primarily agricultural organizations focused on water issues, has launched a website advocating for solutions to harmful algae blooms. The website includes information on algae blooms and best management practices that agriculture employs to conserve water and protect water quality. “Together Florida was created to provide a broad coalition advocating for a comprehensive solution to harmful …

Reduce Fruit Drop, Increase Yield

Tacy CalliesIndustry News Release, Production, Research

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus scientists Tripti Vashisth and Fernando Alferez are trying to reduce the amount of fruit drop from Hamlin and Valencia trees prior to harvest. If fruit drops, growers can’t harvest it, and that leads to losses for farmers and less fruit at the market for consumers. Normally, about 10 to …

new york times

OJ Has Health Benefits, Shows Research

Ernie NeffOrange Juice, Research

Recently published research results are consistent with previous studies indicating that orange juice (OJ) consumption is associated with benefits to nutrient intake and diet quality without detriment to body weight in children. The same research results from the University of Washington indicated that OJ consumption has favorable effects on body mass index and waist circumference in adults. The research results …

PIECES OF THE PAST: Protecting a Treasured Tree

Tacy CalliesPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette In the 1960s, 84-year-old Ethel G. Hakes recounted her firsthand experience of how the Temple orange rose to fame. “Have you ever heard of a tree so treasured that its owner sat up all night to watch over it? Yet that’s exactly what one greenhorn grower did one night when a hard freeze headed for our …

Growers Help Wetlands Thrive

Ernie NeffIndustry News Release, Water

May is American Wetlands Month. Farmers, growers, ranchers and private landowners in Florida have worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to create, restore and enhance wetlands for decades. They have incorporated wetlands into their operations for benefits to the environment and their land. To help realize these benefits they have worked with USDA …

dorian

Busy Hurricane Season Projected by NOAA

Ernie Neffhurricane, Weather

An above-normal 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is expected, according to forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. An above-average Atlantic hurricane season was also predicted more than a month earlier by both Colorado State University (CSU) hurricane researchers and AccuWeather. See those predictions. The NOAA outlook predicts a …

Ag Entrepreneurs Wanted for Competition

Ernie NeffAgriculture

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has opened online applications for the 2021 Ag Innovation Challenge. This national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies that are addressing challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Farm Bureau will award $145,000 in startup funds provided by sponsors Farm Credit, John Deere, Bayer Crop Science, Country Financial, Farm Bureau Financial Services …

soil

Nutrition and Rootstocks to Be Studied

Ernie NeffNutrition

Seventeen researchers have responded to the Citrus Research and Development Foundation’s (CRDF) request for very specific citrus nutrition research, the organization’s board of directors learned May 19. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler said several advisory groups will review the proposals prior to the CRDF board choosing and funding selected proposals no later than September. The research requested by CRDF …

Box Tax Could Increase for Florida Oranges

Tacy CalliesFlorida Citrus Commission

Florida citrus officials are taking another look at raising a tax on growers as they wait to see if a legislative boost in marketing dollars becomes a victim of the coronavirus. The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on May 20 directed staff members to include in a budget proposal due in June the impacts of raising from 7 cents to 12 …

Florida

China Import Concerns Addressed

Ernie NeffExport/Import, Trade

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia have responded to citrus industry concerns about China being allowed to ship fresh citrus to the United States. Representatives of the Florida and Georgia citrus industries objected when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in April announced it would allow the imports. Industry concerns focused on the …

hemp

20 Florida Farms to Conduct Hemp Research Trials

Ernie NeffAlternative Crops

Twenty commercial farms in 12 Florida counties have been selected to conduct on-farm hemp trials. The trials will be part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Industrial Hemp Pilot Project. The farms are in different agricultural regions to provide a variety of conditions to study the growth and success of the crop across the …

New Details on Coronavirus Assistance to Growers

Tacy CalliesCOVID-19

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced new details on May 19 regarding the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). It will provide up to $16 billion in direct payments to deliver relief to America’s farmers and ranchers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. CFAP provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline due …

Video in Spanish on HLB Best Practices

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, HLB Management

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), through its Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program, has developed a mobile-friendly, Spanish-language training video. It’s for use by field crew supervisors and farm labor contractors prior to harvest. The new tool trains industry managers and workers, including field crews, with best practices to prevent the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid …

Coming Attraction: Florida Finger Limes

Tacy CalliesVarieties

Sweet oranges. Ruby red grapefruit. Sugar Belle mandarins. When one thinks of Florida citrus, these fruits immediately come to mind. But finger limes? A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher believes that finger limes may be the next food trend that will continue to fortify Florida’s role as a citrus producer for the world. Manjul …

Irrigation Scheduling Methods Affect Water Use

Tacy CalliesIrrigation

By Sandra M. Guzman and Rhuanito S. Ferrarezi Irrigation scheduling has been one of the most important management practices to improve crop production. For citrus, there are multiple options to schedule irrigation, including evapotranspiration-, plant- and soil-based methods. These methods can provide different water requirement estimates based on environmental variables, plant uptake or water content in the soil. Although each …

UF/IFAS Welcomes New Entomologist

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Industry News Release, IPM

In mid-April, Tolulope Morawo began a new position as an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce. He joins UF’s statewide effort to protect crops and natural environments with integrated pest management (IPM) strategy. In 2017, Morawo completed his doctorate degree …