CUPS

Semiautonomous Vehicle Used in CUPS

Ernie NeffCUPS

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Arnold Schumann showed off a semiautonomous vehicle at the recent Citrus Research and Education Center 100th anniversary celebration. The vehicle is used in the center’s citrus under protective cover (CUPS) facility, designed to keep trees free of HLB-spreading psyllids. Schumann discusses the vehicle and its uses. “We designed that vehicle …

Citrus Expo

HLB Research Beyond CRDF: Florida’s Goal Achieved

Tacy CalliesNews from our Sponsor

By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation As 2017 draws to a close, the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) is working to redefine the primary directions for its research and delivery programs. Federal funding programs that have emerged over the past four years are covering much of the discovery and knowledge-building research, and is …

Dramatic Weather Events Disrupt the Orange Juice Market

Tacy CalliesGlobal Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves The first 2017–18 U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast for Florida oranges — 54 million boxes — after Hurricane Irma was the lowest number in 70 years. Before the hurricane, we were all expecting that Florida would have more than 80 million boxes of oranges. This possible shortage of approximately 25 million boxes will dramatically affect not-from-concentrate …

HLB

Low-Density Planting Problematic with HLB

Ernie NeffHLB Management, planting

Two economists addressing a Gulf Citrus Growers Association economic seminar on Nov. 30 agreed that low-density citrus plantings would likely be hazardous to growers’ financial health in the face of HLB. One also reported that the average grower is not making a profit, and that small growers are exiting the industry faster than larger growers. “We were looking into different …

psyllids

Walls Aim to Keep Psyllids Out

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Psyllids

Walls consisting of insect-proof screen held up by telephone poles hold promise for helping growers reduce the cost of controlling HLB-spreading psyllids. The walls serve as artificial windbreaks in a new model grove planted in June at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). The grove was one of numerous projects viewed by more than 500 attendees who came to …

hurricane

Maximizing Insurance Claims After Hurricane Irma

Ernie Neffhurricane

Attorney Steven Boyne with Gunster law firm in Jacksonville suggests ways growers can maximize insurance claims resulting from Hurricane Irma. His remarks summarize a presentation he made at the Florida Agriculture Financial Management Conference earlier this month. “The more documentation you can provide, the better,” Boyne says. “Don’t view the adjuster as an adversary. If you work closely with the …

HLB

Millennium Block Resurrected for HLB Research

Ernie NeffGrapefruit, HLB Management

An approximately 35-acre research plot that fell victim to citrus canker years ago will soon become a new research site helping growers pick trees that fare best with HLB. The plot at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce will keep its former name, the Millennium Block. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …

Pruning and Controlled-Release Fertilizer to Rehabilitate HLB Trees

Tacy CalliesNutrition, Production

By Tripti Vashisth and Troy Gainey Pruning is one of the oldest horticultural practices that changes the form and growth of a tree. The pruning process 1) adjusts tree shape and the ratio of framework to fruit-bearing shell of the canopy, 2) alters the shoot/root ratio and 3) changes the carbohydrate (food storage) status of the tree. Under Florida weather …

citrus

Irma Agriculture Losses Continue to Mount

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release

Florida’s $2.5 billion request for federal disaster relief for its agriculture industry after Hurricane Irma might not be enough. Members of the House Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness said on Nov. 16 that month-old damage estimates made by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are too low. “I actually think your numbers are conservative,” said Rep. …

herbicide

‘Herbicide Synergy’ Looks Promising

Ernie NeffHerbicides

A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher is trying to give growers more weed control options. The researcher, Ramdas Kanissery, says he wants the options to be more effective and economically viable as well as environmentally friendly. “We are introducing a concept: herbicide synergy,” says Kanissery, a horticulturist at the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and …

indian

70th Anniversary for Indian River Research and Education Center

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

A big event will take place Nov. 16 as the 70th anniversary of the Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce takes place. Jack Payne, University of Florida senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, invites folks to attend. From Indian River Research and Education Center: Seventy years of service to growers in the world’s renowned grapefruit production region …

Specialty Crop Grower Sees Success with Finger Limes

Tacy CalliesCalifornia Corner

By Len Wilcox When Jim Shanley retired from his highly successful career in commodity trading, he knew what he wanted to do and where he wanted to do it: farm specialty crops in the hills overlooking Morro Bay, California. His choice of crops, however, was not so clear. He started with avocados, but it was a curious little fruit from …

citrus growers

Mutual on November Crop Forecast and Hurricane Aid

Ernie NeffCrop Forecast, hurricane

“In the wake of Hurricane Irma, it is extremely difficult to estimate the size of this year’s crop,” Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks said soon after the latest citrus crop forecast was issued on Nov. 9. “In reality, we probably won’t have an accurate number until the middle of 2018 once all fruit is picked. Long term, the effects …

nutrition

Growers Focus on Constant Fertilization

Ernie NeffNutrition

A grower survey conducted by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulturist Tripti Vashisth shows growers are managing their nutrition programs precisely. Vashisth discusses growers’ focus on providing a constant supply of nutrients, the amount of nutrients applied, use of humic and fulvic acids, and the number of psyllid sprays applied. “Their (growers’) philosophy for fertilization …

solar

Solar Energy from Abandoned Groves

Ernie NeffAlternative Crops

Some growers have found their abandoned citrus groves “make the perfect property” for solar energy developments, says Michael Minton of Dean Mead law firm. Minton summarizes a presentation he made about solar energy opportunities for agriculturists at the recent Florida Agriculture Financial Management Conference, held in the Orlando area. “We have found the various utilities we’ve worked with … are …

orange crop

Florida Orange Crop Continues Downward Spiral

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast

Florida’s struggling and storm-battered citrus industry took another hit Thursday as the orange crop forecast for the current growing season was reduced by 7.4 percent. And industry officials anticipate the forecasts will continue to decline as the season progresses. “Unfortunately, I don’t think this will be the last decrease we see,” said Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department …

rootstocks

Some Rootstocks Succumbed to Irma

Ernie Neffhurricane, Rootstocks

Researchers inspecting their groves at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center after Hurricane Irma found that trees on certain rootstocks were very likely to be uprooted. Fernando Alferez, a horticulturist at the Immokalee center, discusses the uprooted trees and hopes he has for fresh citrus growing. “This is anecdotal evidence from our experience here,” Alferez says. “What we saw …

citrus greening

California Ag Chief Prepared to Battle HLB

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, HLB Management

In an interview at the Citrus Research Board’s (CRB) annual conference last month, Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), said the present status of huanglongbing (HLB) disease is similar to another disease that challenged the California citrus industry years ago. Pierce’s disease was a potentially devastating threat long before HLB. “One of the things …

florida

Financial Management Conference Benefits Florida Ag

Ernie NeffEconomics

Regina Thomas, co-organizer of the Florida Agriculture Financial Management Conference held Nov. 2-3 near Orlando, provides an overview of the event and discusses its origins. Thomas is senior vice president/director of financially related services for Farm Credit of Central Florida. Thomas says the conference began eight years ago during the recession that rocked the entire U.S. economy. “We had a …

science

See Science in Action at CREC’s 100th Anniversary Celebration

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release, Research

Oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and limes. Most people think of these as signature plants of Florida, but scientists have traced their origins back millions of years and across continental land masses, said Fred Gmitter, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor of horticultural sciences. Scientists can describe the evolutionary paths of your favorite citrus, from prehistoric …