Lukas Hallman, a graduate student at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC), is doing research to find what is in oak trees that apparently helps citrus cope with HLB. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences operates the IRREC. “Anecdotal reports from Florida growers claim that citrus trees growing within the drip line of large …
Sneak Peek: January 2021 Citrus Industry
Now is the time of year for gifting fresh citrus to family and friends to enjoy. Unfortunately, people are not the only ones who enjoy eating citrus. Numerous pests can be found feasting on various plant parts in the grove. Keeping pests under control is the theme of the January issue of Citrus Industry magazine. Of course, the most concerning …
Update on CRISPR Research for Citrus Improvement
By Nian Wang, Fred Gmitter and Manjul Dutt Nearly all commercially important citrus types — oranges, grapefruits etc. — have originated by mutations that have accumulated over several hundreds to thousands of years, from what once was an original, individual sweet orange tree and a single grapefruit tree. The many different cultivars that we know today are descended from those …
Freeze Protection Measures for Citrus
Multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt discussed historical and current freeze protection measures in a virtual Dec. 22 OJ Break. PASSIVE MEASURESSome cold-protection measures are taken well in advance of freezes; Oswalt referred to them as passive measures. They include grove site selection, crop selection and cultural practices. One site selection consideration is planting groves at higher elevations, which are …
High-Tech Scouting in Citrus Production
By Yiannis Ampatzidis and Tara Wade Traditional sensing technologies in citrus production for pest and disease detection and field phenotyping rely on manual sampling, which is time consuming and labor intensive. Since availability of personnel trained for field scouting is a major problem, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with various sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) can simplify the surveying …
Citrus Holiday Traditions
By Ruth Borger and Megan Dewdney Oranges and other citrus have a special place during holiday celebrations. We find them in our decorations, on our dinner table, shipped to friends and families across the country, and sometimes, if you are really good, in your Christmas stocking. But where did these traditions come from? And when did they become part of …
Orange You Glad to Meet Miss Florida Citrus?
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Leila Sabet, Miss Florida Citrus 2020, virtually started her year of service in June by competing in the very first virtual Miss America preliminary pageant in Florida. Due to COVID-19, Miss Florida Citrus appearances have not been as prolific as in past years. However, as restrictions have eased, Sabet has been invited to several industry events. …
Changes Proposed for Citrus From Australia
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently proposed to expand the production areas in Australia from which fresh fruit may be sent to the United States. It also proposed to revise the conditions under which citrus from Australia may be sent to the United States. Currently, APHIS allows the entry of fresh citrus fruit …
All In For Citrus Podcast, December 2020
December brings the holiday season, but it is also a busy time for harvesting Florida citrus. As early-season varieties come off the trees, the December episode of the All In For Citrus podcast blends critical information for growers with a little holiday history and cheer. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center …
Sending Fresh Citrus out of Florida
By Mark A. Ritenour The holiday season is a busy time for sending friends and family thoughtful gifts. For Floridians, the abundance of fresh produce during the winter months motivates many to share the experience with others. This is especially true for fresh citrus. Florida’s citrus gift fruit shippers have been supplying such treats for decades. With COVID-19 and a …
Citrus Woes Cut Alico Income
Alico, Inc. reported net income of approximately $23.7 million for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, down from $37.8 million for the prior fiscal year. It attributed the decrease in net income primarily to three factors: A decline in the market price per pound solids for citrus fruit this past 2019-20 harvest season largely attributable to unfavorable industry supply dynamics …
Managing COVID-19 Risks in the Citrus Industry
By Joyjit Saha, Matthew Krug and Michelle D. Danyluk The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed so much. SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) is primarily transmitted person-to-person, with no evidence it is transmitted by food or food packaging, including citrus and citrus products. Managing COVID-19 among workers is extremely important. COVID-19 impacts on the health of employees can have catastrophic …
New Products From Citrus Waste
Waste from the citrus industry can provide biogas and valuable products for a range of industries, according to a doctoral thesis at the University of Borås in Sweden. “The citrus industry creates so much waste that it corresponds to between 40 and 60 percent of the total citrus mass,” said Lukitawesa Lukitawesa, who recently defended his doctoral thesis at the …
COVID-19 Impacts on Florida Citrus
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Florida’s citrus industry were recently summarized by Fritz Roka, director of the Florida Gulf Coast University’s (FGCU) Center of Agribusiness. Roka discussed pandemic impacts on both the citrus production side of the industry and the packing and juice-processing segments. Here are some highlights of Roka’s presentation that apply to both the production and …
Four to Join Citrus Hall of Fame
The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame will induct four new members in 2021. They are John L. Jackson of Sorrento, Florida; the late Lew J. Prosser of Plant City, Florida; Adam H. Putnam of Memphis, Tennessee; and Steven D. “Steve” Sorrells of Arcadia, Florida. They will be inducted during a luncheon tentatively scheduled for Nov. 5 at Florida Southern College …
Uncovering How HLB Acts Inside a Citrus Tree
Amit Levy with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) describes research he’s conducting into the way the causal agent of HLB interacts with a citrus tree. The causal agent is the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). Levy, whose research is funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, says CLas is found in a citrus …
Citrus Growers Dodge Freeze
Lindy Savelle received numerous calls and texts from relatively new southern Georgia citrus growers prior to a mild freeze the morning of Dec. 2. “They were asking, ‘What should I do?’” said Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association. The new growers were concerned because lows of 26 and 28 that morning were the coldest in the region in several …
Give the Gift of Citrus This Holiday Season
By Ruth Borger Sending boxes of Florida citrus across the country to friends and family during the holidays is a beloved tradition. But it is important to work with a certified grower/gift shipper as it is illegal in Florida for individuals to send citrus via the mail or delivery services. You can find a list of Florida gift fruit shippers …
New Uruguayan Citrus Varieties for Licensing
The Uruguayan Citrus Consortium has issued an international call for licensing several new mandarin and orange varieties for their evaluation, development, production and commercialization in North America and/or the Mediterranean Basin. The mandarins are F7P3, F4P7, F3P8 and F2P3. The oranges are NVA033, NVA036 and SELP100. An exclusive license is being offered for a period of up to 10 years. …
Citrus Industry Wants Costa for House Ag Committee Chair
California Citrus Mutual (CCM), Florida Citrus Mutual and Texas Citrus Mutual have voiced their support that California Congressman Jim Costa (D-Fresno) be appointed as the new chair of the House Agriculture Committee. A CCM press release stated that Costa understands the industry’s issues, such as pest and disease, trade, water and immigration. Notably, Costa was instrumental in securing federal funding …





























