HLB

Pathologist to Tackle HLB and Other Diseases

Ernie NeffCitrus Greening, HLB Management, PFD

Ozgur Batuman, a new citrus plant pathologist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, discusses the diseases he’ll work on. “I am planning to of course tackle some of the more pressing issues that citrus growers are facing these days, one of them being huanglongbing (HLB), and confronting its vector, Asian citrus psyllid,” he says. He will also research …

bactericides survey

‘It’s Not a Pretty Picture,’ Industry Leader Tells State Senators

Ernie NeffCitrus Greening, Legislative

On February 21, leaders of three key Florida citrus organizations acquainted the Florida Senate’s Agriculture Committee with the issues facing the citrus industry. They summarize their presentations: “It’s not a pretty picture,” says Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks. He describes the huge production losses and increased costs that HLB disease has created. “Right now our whole future revolves around …

HLB, microbiology

Soil Microbiologist Discusses Work

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Research

Sarah Strauss became a University of Florida soil microbiologist at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center at Immokalee in late May 2016. She discusses the ways she hopes to help citrus growers. “There’s a lot of exciting things in soil microbiology,” Strauss says. “There’s a lot of new technology that we didn’t have just five years ago. And so …

Micronutrients

Micronutrients for Root Health and HLB

Ernie NeffCitrus Greening, HLB Management, Nutrition

University of Florida researcher Jude Grosser, best known for his work on citrus breeding, has become a champion of micronutrients to improve root health and battle HLB. At a recent Highlands County OJ Break, he discussed the use of micronutrients, including why he got involved. “I guess just like any farmer, you don’t like watching your plants get sick and …

Continuing a Legacy of Leadership

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Citrus Greening, Citrus Health Management Areas, Regulation

By Tacy Callies Callie Walker comes from a long line of Florida farmers. In 1875, her family set up homestead in Alva. Her father, uncles, grandfather and great-grandfather have been involved in a diversity of agricultural fields including citrus, cattle, sugar cane, vegetables and row crops. “My dad and his three brothers still run the family operation — citrus and …

PFD

Brazilian Discusses Postbloom Fruit Drop

Ernie NeffPFD

Geraldo Silva, a scientist with Fundecitrus in Brazil, shared thoughts about postbloom fruit drop (PFD) and its control at a recent seminar in Arcadia. Silva says Brazilians assume that the PFD inoculum is present in groves at all times, because consecutive days of rain can bring on a PFD outbreak 10 years after a previous outbreak. “We can have a …

Kakkar Joins UF/IFAS Extension as Invasive Insect Specialist

Daniel CooperPests, Research

by Robin Koestoyo, UF/IFAS koestoyo@ufl.edu Garima Kakkar is joining the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) to help the state fight invasive pests. Kakkar, an expert in invasive insects, is a multi-county Extension agent based in St. Lucie County. Kakkar has a diverse range of experience in managing pest insects, and will now serve growers in the …

Crime

Why Florida Orange Juice Is Best

Ernie NeffFlorida Citrus Commission

In a recent Florida Department of Citrus video, citrus grower and Florida Citrus Commissioner Ned Hancock told why he thinks Florida orange juice is the world’s best orange juice. He summarizes the reasons for that belief: “I think one is the climate that we’re in is greatly different than some other regions. We are more subtropical and citrus is, I …

HLB, irrigation, nutrition

New Indian River Researcher to Aid in HLB Fight

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Irrigation, Nutrition

Rhuanito “Johnny” Ferrarezi, a new citrus horticulture scientist at the Indian River Research and Education Center near Fort Pierce, discusses his research plans. “I’m going to be focusing on irrigation, plant nutrition and cultural practices to improve our current practices and try to maximize plant survival under greening conditions,” he says. Most of his attention will be on Indian River …

PFD

Florida on Cusp of Potential PFD Season

Ernie NeffPFD

The timing was perhaps impeccable for a seminar in Arcadia on February 8 that focused on postbloom fruit drop (PFD). Rain had fallen on Central Florida the night before, and some bloom is already on trees. That combination of rain and bloom has led to major PFD outbreaks in recent years. “There’s some bloom out there already,” says University of …

florida citrus

Non-Valencia Oranges Cut to 35.0 Million Boxes

Daniel CooperCitrus, Crop Forecast

Mark Hudson, USDA/NASS, Washington D.C. offered the February citrus crop forecast. The forecast of non-Valencia production is lowered 1.00 million boxes to 35.0 million boxes. Size and Drop components were final last month. The Row Count survey conducted January 26-27, 2017, showed 72 percent of the early-mid-season rows, and 83 percent of the Navel rows are harvested. Estimated utilization to …

Grapefruit production costs

Grapefruit Production Costs Drop; Profitability Is Elusive

Ernie NeffBactericides, Economics, Grapefruit

A decrease in grapefruit production costs among Indian River growers allowed the average grower to approach the break-even point in the 2015-16 season, a University of Florida economist reports. Ariel Singerman made his report at the recent Florida Citrus Show in Fort Pierce. The report was based on a July 2016 survey of 70 growers representing a majority of grapefruit …

Disease, Harvest, Environment

Disease, Harvest Labor, Environment Big Issues in Gulf

Ernie NeffDiseases, Labor

Gulf Citrus Growers Association (GCGA) Vice President Ron Mahan, who chaired a recent GCGA member lunch, discusses key issues facing the association. Mahan says the area’s number-one concern is disease pressure “and adjusting our management and growing practices to minimize disease impacts.” He notes that Florida is “going to be at one of our low points in production this year,” …

seed

UF/IFAS Extension Faculty Win Seed Money Through New Shark Tank-Style Program

Daniel CooperResearch, Technology

By: Samantha Grenrock, grenrosa@ufl.edu   Facial recognition software is no longer a thing of the future. But what if similar technologies could one day help farmers identify pests in the field? Steve Futch, multi-county citrus agent with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension (UF/IFAS), thinks it’s possible. And thanks to the new UF/IFAS Extension Entrepreneurship Program, …

Effective and Economical Psyllid Spray Programs

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Citrus Greening, HLB Management

By Phil Stansly Effective control of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) has been a challenge for many Florida growers these last two years. Possible explanations include warmer, wetter weather in winter, fewer insecticide sprays being applied and a possible increase in insecticide resistance. There is little doubt that weather-induced flush the last two winters has provided extra food and refuge for …

HLB, Replanting

Nurseryman Discusses HLB and Replanting Choices

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Rootstocks, Scions

As a member of a grower panel at the recent Florida Citrus Show in Fort Pierce, nurseryman Nate Jameson shared his thoughts on coping with HLB, choosing trees for replanting and more. The owner of Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery summarizes his presentation, starting with questions growers have for nurserymen. “I think the number-one question that we get is, ‘What tree …

HLB

Bayer and CRDF Explore Partnership Possibilities

Ernie NeffBactericides, Citrus Greening, HLB Management

Bayer CropScience on January 24 told the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board about its proposed long-term efforts to find solutions to HLB. Bayer seeks CRDF funding for the effort, but the funding amount was not publicly discussed at the January meeting. CRDF Chief Operations Officer Harold Browning summarizes the discussions. “We’re looking at how to take bigger steps …

A Holistic Approach to Production

Tacy CalliesCitrus Greening, PFD

By Owen “Sonny” Conner EDITOR’S NOTE: Citrus Industry magazine is providing a platform for growers to express their experiences and share their stories as we unite in the quest to fight HLB and bring the citrus industry back to a healthy condition. The views stated in this article are those of the author and do not represent those of AgNet …

FDOC

Hancock on HLB: ‘I Think We’re Winning a Few Battles’

Ernie NeffCitrus Greening, HLB Management

Ned Hancock, a citrus grower and Florida citrus commissioner, shares thoughts about HLB, including the lack of consumer awareness of the disease and how growers are coping. At the Florida Citrus Commission meeting on January 18, the Florida Department of Citrus staff reported that only 1 percent of American consumers are aware of HLB. Hancock says he would have been …

Global Perspectives

Economic Hurricane Hitting Orange Juice Chain

Tacy CalliesGlobal Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves We are normally threatened by natural storms hitting the orange juice chain, some of them hurricanes. Matthew was the last one, but fortunately it remained off the coast of Florida rather than directly hitting the orange-production area. However, the orange juice chain is facing a storm — an economic hurricane that is complicating supply and demand. …