Researcher Manjul Dutt told a Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo audience in August why it can take up to 14 years to get a genetically modified citrus tree from discovery to commercial release. He also discussed the transgenic citrus progress at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), where he is an assistant professor at the …
Bird and Katydid Damage in Georgia Citrus
In late August, Jake Price with University of Georgia Extension reported on damage to citrus caused by birds and katydids. BIRDSAs it is now getting later in the season, fruit are getting larger, and people are noticing more blemishes on fruit. Birds can cause one type of unusual damage. If you see green fruit that appears scratched or scraped with …
Canopy Management Needed for Cold-Hardy Citrus
Pruning may help cold-hardy producers salvage their satsuma crop from one year to the next and not endure extreme alternate bearing cycles. “Pruning in the heavy year may help alleviate that alternate bearing pattern. But we still have to do the research to support that,” said Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist. While pruning …
Bamboo May Offer Alternative to Citrus in Florida
With a global market valued at nearly $67 billion, bamboo may offer an alternative crop for Florida citrus growers whose groves have been devastated by HLB. “Bamboo is a good alternative crop to diversify beyond citrus,” said Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). “The …
Florida Citrus Summary: Production and Prices
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS), cooperating with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, recently released Florida’s 2024–25 Citrus Summary: Production, Price Per Box and Production by County. PRODUCTION PLUNGESFlorida’s citrus production in 2024–25 was 14.6 million boxes, down 28% from the previous season’s 20.3 million boxes. Orange production dropped 32% to …
Sneak Peek: September 2025 Citrus Industry
The September issue of Specialty Crop Grower features an article on the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo’s extensive educational program. Read highlights of what growers learned over the two-day Tampa event and hear more in the August episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. The Citrus Industry section of the magazine begins with an article detailing two big announcements …
Impact of Satsuma Shortage in Cold-Hardy Citrus Region
Minimal satsumas this harvest season will impact cold-hardy producers far beyond the loss of production in the region. MAINTENANCE MANDATORY Growers are now tasked with maintaining their groves when there is little to no fruit on the trees. It is a chore that producers should still follow through on, however, says Jake Price, University of Georgia (UGA) area citrus agent. …
Florida Citrus Acreage Down but New Plantings Up
Florida’s annual Commercial Citrus Inventory Preliminary Report, released Aug. 29, shows total citrus acreage is 208,183 acres. This is a 24% decrease from last year. The net loss of 66,522 acres is the second most reported in a Commercial Citrus Inventory in the past 25 years. It trails only the 127,182 acres reported lost in 2006, the year after the …
The European Citrus Fruit Market
A report from IndexBox indicates Europe’s citrus fruit market will grow steadily over the next decade in both volume and value. The market is projected to increase to 13 million tons by the end of 2035, with a market value of $14 billion (in nominal wholesale prices). RECENT FIGURES The revenue of the citrus fruit market in the European Union …
A New Director for Two Citrus Organizations
Kristi Joyner on April 1 succeeded Brenda Eubanks Burnette as executive director of both the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame (FCHOF) and the Miss Florida Citrus program. BACKGROUND AND GOALS “I started my career in political campaigns and grass roots advocacy, working on numerous successful congressional, state legislative and county commission campaigns,” Joyner said. “I spent many years as a …
Citrus Industry Leader Has High Hopes for OTC
Rick Dantzler, Citrus Research and Development Foundation chief operating officer, provided hope for citrus growers during the recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. He believes citrus greening disease could soon be a thing of the past. But to get growers to that “tree of the future,” they need short-term solutions to overcome the devastating disease. Dantzler continues to tout trunk …
Citrus Greening Quarantine Expanded in California
Federal and state agriculture officials have expanded the quarantine for citrus greening in the Perris area of Riverside County in California by 33 square miles. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the quarantine. The measure parallels the intrastate quarantine that CDFA established …
All In For Citrus Podcast, August 2025
The August All In For Citrus podcast features seminar recaps from the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, which was held this month at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The event included an extensive citrus educational program with more than 20 presentations. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and …
New, Faster Solutions Needed for Citrus Survival
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have made significant progress in finding ways to manage citrus greening disease. But solutions needs to be expedited for the sake of the citrus industry’s future in Florida. Scott Angle, UF/IFAS senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, emphasized that point during last week’s Citrus & Specialty Crop …
The Five Rs of Citrus Sustainability
One of the themes that emerged during the citrus seminars at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo was that integration of multiple strategies is needed to keep HLB-infected trees productive. Davie Kadyampakeni’s talk detailed the five Rs of sustainable citrus production in the era of HLB. Kadyampakeni is an associate professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and …
Citrus Grower Information Meetings Set for September
Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) will be holding a series of grower meetings around the state to provide citrus producers with the latest information on various funding and programs available to assist their operations. The meetings will take place at 10:30 a.m. as follows: Mike Joyner, FCM executive vice president and chief executive officer, will begin the meetings with an update …
Citrus Mealybug Activity Peaking in California
An August citrus mealybug (CMB) pest memo released by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources warned that CMB activity typically peaks during the summer months. Highlights from the memo follow: In August, it is critical to access both pest pressure and natural enemy activity. This is a crucial period for making informed decisions that support biological control and avoid …
UF/IFAS Launches New Magazine at Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) debuted a new publication at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. The UF/IFAS Citrus Magazine is an Extension initiative to deliver Florida’s geographically dispersed citrus research to growers. “You can expect three editions per year, featuring articles written by UF/IFAS citrus scientists and Extension faculty across the state,” said …
Organic Fertilizer Substitution Improves Citrus Quality
A recently published Chinese study found that long-term substitution of chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers can improve the quality of citrus fruits. The authors found that 50% organic nitrogen substitution is the appropriate proportion for promotion in Newhall navel orange production. The study is titled “Organic fertilizer substitution synergistically improves the fruit-soil-bacteria system in Newhall navel orange under long-term management.” …
Syngenta Seeks Summer 2026 Citrus Interns
Syngenta Crop Protection is recruiting citrus interns in Florida for summer 2026. Paid interns will gain hands-on experience in the agriculture industry. Each intern will be assigned to a mentor and a territory for a summer project and be provided a vehicle for work use. Interns will gain experience in territory management along with pest and disease identification. The internships …





























