By Davie Kadyampakeni, Jonas Pereira de Souza Junior, Edilaine Istéfani Franklin Traspadini, Shankar Shrestha and Alisheikh Atta Integrated nutrient management is critical for improved and sustainable citrus production. Typical practices include split fertilization applications, the use of leguminous cover crops and the incorporation of soil amendments. This article discusses the importance of using novel blends, including macronutrients and micronutrients, as …
Postfreeze Effects on Georgia Citrus
University of Georgia (UGA) Assistant Professor and Citrus Extension Specialist Mary Sutton reported on the impact of this winter’s freeze on fruit quality and trees in Georgia: FRUIT QUALITY A Tango trial was harvested at the end of January as a winter storm was hitting. A subsample was taken prior to that on Jan. 15 and sampled again after the …
Sneak Peek: April 2026 Citrus Industry
The Citrus Industry section of the April 2026 issue of Specialty Crop Grower highlights ongoing efforts to strengthen Florida’s citrus sector amid challenges. Articles this month showcase education, nutrient management and variety development. A recap of the Florida Citrus Show details a successful March event in Fort Pierce that combined education with a lively tailgate-style trade show. Growers Daniel Hunt, …
Florida Citrus Grower Cautiously Optimistic
It can be challenging to be a Florida citrus grower and find optimism in today’s economic and production climates. After more than 20 years of dealing with citrus greening disease, it is understandable for growers to be downtrodden. But one grower sees some positivity. Daniel Hunt, with Hunt Bros. in Lake Wales, was cautiously optimistic when discussing the future of …
Postfreeze Citrus Recovery Strategies
By Muhammad A. Shahid, KeAndre Leaks, Davie Kadyampakeni and Carlos Aucique-Perez Postfreeze citrus tree management requires patience and careful observation rather than immediate intervention. Damage to the vascular system (cambium, xylem and phloem) may take months to fully appear. Trees can initially flush in spring but later decline if internal tissues are too compromised. A reliable assessment of survival should …
Summary of 2025 Florida Citrus Land Transactions
According to Saunders Land’s annual Lay of the Land Market Report, there were 79 Florida citrus land transactions in 2025 totaling 20,352 acres. Pricing ranged from $3,936 to $56,003 per acre. The average price per acre was $13,788. Sales ranged in size from 9.81 acres to 4,633.47 acres. Notable large transactions included a 4,633.47-acre sale in Charlotte County for $41.9 …
Forecasts for European Union Citrus Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has issued 2025–26 production and trade forecasts for European Union (EU) citrus. TANGERINES/MANDARINS EU tangerine and mandarin production in 2025–26 is estimated at 2.794 million metric tons (MMT), down from the 2.97 MMT bumper crop in the previous season. After years of constant contraction, EU’s tangerine and mandarin area has …
Update on Florida Citrus Marketing Efforts
The Florida Citrus Commission’s (FCC) Global Marketing Committee on March 18 reported on several Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) marketing efforts. FLORIDA ORANGE JUICE The committee reported that attributed Florida orange juice (OJ) sales have reached $36.15 million to date with 2.73 million units sold, exceeding the attributed sales goal of $35 million. To further advance the True Original campaign, …
All In For Citrus Podcast, March 2026
The March All In For Citrus podcast previews a couple of events coming in April and May that growers will want to mark on their calendars. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), discusses the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute scheduled for April 14 at South Florida …
Florida Citrus Research Organizations To Merge
The Florida Farm Bill, signed into law on March 23 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, combines the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) with the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation. The law will take effect July 1. CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler cited some of the bills provisions pertaining to the merge: Dantzler reported that reasons cited for the …
Florida Citrus Commission Acts on Industry Requests
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on March 18 responded affirmatively to citrus industry requests for increased marketing allocations for domestic fresh citrus and for limited promotions in some export markets. The FCC is the governing board for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). DOMESTIC FRESH CITRUS The FDOC reported that a request from Florida Citrus Mutual for allocating more of …
Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo: Bringing the Industry Together Year After Year
In an industry built on hard work and resilience, having a place to come together matters. The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo offers exactly that, a space where growers and industry leaders connect, share and strengthen the relationships that drive agriculture forward. For many growers, the Expo has become a yearly tradition. It’s a time to reconnect with familiar faces, …
CRAFT Discussed at Florida Citrus Show
The Florida Citrus Show provided an opportunity for Citrus Research and Field Trial Foundation (CRAFT) Executive Director Steven Hall to share the organization’s accomplishments and future plans. Hall moderated a panel discussion and spoke about the organization’s work. “Thanks to Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Senate President Ben Albritton, the Florida Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis, we’ve been able to …
Cover Crops, Ecological Mowing Benefit Citrus
Brazil’s Fundecitrus reported on the benefits to citrus from the use of perennial cover crops such as Urochloa ruziziensis combined with the adoption of ecological mowing. This technology has been gaining space in groves by redistributing the phytomass of cover crops from the interrows to the planting rows, forming a protective mulching layer over the soil. Benefits of the management …
A Bright Future Ahead: Florida Citrus Show Celebrates Growers and Innovation
The AgNet Media team extends a heartfelt thank-you to all of the exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, attendees and, most importantly, the growers who made the Florida Citrus Show such a special and successful event. Events like the Florida Citrus Show are about more than just gathering together for a day. They are about creating a space for growers to continue learning, …
Brazilian Citrus Contributes to Climate Change Mitigation
Brazilian citrus farming plays a strategic role in environmental sustainability, a recent article from Fundecitrus reported. The citrus industry demonstrates significant potential to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases, either through carbon sequestration or the adoption of more sustainable agricultural practices. Between 2022 and 2024, Embrapa Territorial, in partnership with Fundecitrus, conducted a project to map and quantify carbon …
Citrus Traits To Be Studied in Australia
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Professor Peter Prentis will lead a $2.2 million study to investigate the genetic basis of several citrus traits. This includes disease resistance and plant growth habits. QUT researchers will work with members of the CRC Future Food Systems and Superior Production PTY LTD. The project is titled “Elucidating the genetic basis of disease, dwarfing, seedlessness …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Important Details About Newly Available Citrus Varieties
By Peter Chaires There are presently two groups of University of Florida (UF) citrus varieties, licensed to Florida citrus nurseries via New Varieties Development & Management Corp. (NVDMC), the licensing designee of the Florida Department of Citrus. These include: GROUP ONE Get more details on group one in the February 2025 Citrus Nursery Source article. GROUP TWO Find more information …
Australian Citrus Continues to Climb
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has forecast year-over-year production increases for Australian oranges, orange juice and mandarins in 2025–26. ORANGES Orange production in Australia is projected to reach 590,000 metric tons (MT) in 2025–26, up from 580,000 MT the prior year. Of the total forecast, 365,000 MT is expected to come from navel varieties and …
Organic Sales, Including Citrus, on the Rise
U.S. sales of certified organic products accelerated in 2025, reaching $76.6 billion with an annual growth rate of 6.8%, according to the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA) 2026 Organic Market Report. In 2025, organic products grew at a fast pace, double that of the comparable marketplace growth of 3.4%. Organic citrus had an especially strong year, with sales climbing 18.1%. “For …





























