Snail impacts on Southeast citrus production can be devastating. A big part of the problem is not the damage to citrus trees but the harm the pest inflicts on irrigation systems. Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor and entomologist, conveyed this message to cold-hardy producers during the Citrus Grower’s Summer Update meeting on …
Florida CUPS: From a Small Plot of Potted Plants to 1,500 Acres
When University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Professor Arnold Schumann started a citrus under protective screen (CUPS) plot in Florida in 2014, the grapefruit trees were in above-ground pots. The plot at the Citrus Research and Education Center was on 1.33 acres that included 1 acre of planted citrus. After five years, the grapefruit trees on …
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 …
Summer Update Informs Growers on Impactful Issues
The annual Citrus Grower’s Summer Update meeting on Aug. 14 in Valdosta, Georgia, provided cold-hardy growers with updates on several factors impacting the industry. Information on topics ranging from snails to phytophthora to Asian citrus psyllid trapping were presented to growers who are on the cusp of harvesting another season’s crop. Jake Price, University of Georgia (UGA) area citrus agent …
Farm Bureau Offers ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Recommendations
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) on Aug. 1 sent a series of recommendations to the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. AFBF stated that the recommendations “will benefit health outcomes and ensure farmers can continue growing safe, healthy and affordable food for America’s families.” “Farmers and ranchers share the goal of advancing health in America,” said Farm Bureau President …
UF/IFAS To Share the Latest Research at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo
By Jamie D. Burrow and Tripti Vashisth There are many aspects to research from start to finish, but it’s the time in between that can be most intriguing and exciting. Each year, the UF/IFAS Citrus Team brings the latest research to the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. The Aug. 20–21 trade show at the Florida State Fairgrounds will be your …
AI To Help Growers Improve Soil Health
Someday soon, farmers might use technology equivalent to Siri or Alexa to check the status of their soil’s quality. Anastasia Kritharoula, a doctoral student in the Soil Science Artificial Intelligence lab of the University of Florida, works under the supervision of Nikolaos Tziolas, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor at the Southwest Florida Research …
H-2A Labor Certification Fees Temporarily Suspended
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (DOL) has temporarily suspended the collection of H-2A labor certification fees. Implementing a temporary suspension period will allow ETA’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) to move toward accepting electronic fees, as directed by an executive order by President Trump. That order, Executive Order 14247, is titled Modernizing Payments …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Gearing Up for a New Season
By Peter Chaires Summer schedules can make it challenging to assemble board meetings and facilitate planning for the fall season. Once the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference concludes in June, folks tend to disperse to their favorite islands, fishing holes, mountain hideaways and beaches. Some visit friends and family. Others seek isolation and a psychological recharge. For everything, there is …
Less Confidence in Latest Hurricane Forecast
Colorado State University (CSU) on Aug. 6 maintained its forecast for a slightly above-normal 2025 Atlantic basin hurricane season, although noting lower-than-normal confidence in the latest outlook. CSU hurricane forecasters report that sea surface temperatures across the eastern and central Atlantic have anomalously warmed over the past few weeks and are now somewhat warmer than normal. Multiple indicators anticipate likely …
New Tool to Improve Crop Breeding
A new tool has allowed researchers probe the metabolic processes occurring within the leaves, stems and roots of clementine citrus trees. The goal is to improve the yields, flavor and nutritional value of citrus and non-citrus crops. To build the tool, the team — led by the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) researchers — focused on the …
Emerging Trends in Nutrient Rate Studies
By Davie Kadyampakeni, Noor Basar, Alisheikh Atta, Muhammad Shahid, Shahid Iqbal and Alan Wright Citrus trees in Florida impacted by HLB have limited nutrient uptake largely due to limited root mass, compromised physiology and extremely sandy soil. The state’s current nutrient management guidelines were developed based on data prior to the spread of HLB, when trees had dense canopies and …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Beuch From Zeuch (Buy From Zy)!
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Vero Beach was initially named “Vero” by Sarah Gifford, meaning truth in Latin. Her son, Friend Charles, succeeded his father, Henry, as postmaster for Vero and became a ticket agent when the Florida East Coast Railway established a station there in 1903. He went on to cultivate 160 acres and established the area’s first citrus grove …
Potent Compound for Psyllid Control
A recent article by the São Paulo Research Foundation explains how a potent compound might aid in controlling the Asian citrus psyllid, the vector of citrus greening disease. In São Paulo, greening is managed in part by controlling the psyllid. In an attempt to manipulate psyllid behavior, a team of scientists discovered α-copaene, a molecule present in large quantities in …
One Big Beautiful Bill a Win for Florida Farmers
President Trump on July 4 signed into law One Big Beautiful Bill, a budget and tax package with major implications for agriculture. For Florida farmers, ranchers and rural communities, the bill delivers meaningful wins across the board, Florida Farm Bureau stated. The wins include long-term funding for the Farm Bill, pro-growth tax relief and reforms to federal nutrition programs that …
New Study on Orange Juice and Diabetes
A recent publication concluded that acute glycemic control in individuals with well-controlled type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is not significantly influenced by serving orange juice, whole orange pieces or a sugar-sweetened beverage with a standard high-carbohydrate meal. The article in Nature, “Acute glycemic response of orange juice consumption with breakfast in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over trial,” was …
New HLB Treatment Delivery Systems Under Study
Texas A&M AgriLife Research is launching a multi-institutional study to develop and evaluate systems that deliver treatments to HLB-affected trees. The principal investigator is Kranthi Mandadi, plant molecular biologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology. The three-year, $1.1 million project is supported by the Emergency Citrus Disease Research …
Citrus Biotechnology and Sustainability Addressed at Conference
Fundecitrus researcher Nelson Wulff discussed his organization’s efforts against citrus greening in Brazil during the recent IFAMA 2025 (International Food and Agribusiness Management Association) world conference. The event took place in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. Wulff spoke about Fundecitrus’ research focused on combating greening and controlling its vector in orchards. His presentation occurred during his participation in a panel titled …
The Potential of Trunk Injection for Fresh Market Citrus
By John M. Chater Citrus tree trunk injection of antibiotics has been recently and widely used in Florida. The success of oxytetracycline (OTC) in sweet orange to mitigate huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening) disease has been documented by the laboratory of Ute Albrecht, associate professor at the University of Florida. Some results suggest that OTC injection can improve Brix, ratio, …
Biomass and Carbon Stock in Brazil’s Orange Trees
Fundecitrus and Embrapa Territorial carried out a joint scientific research project to quantify carbon stocks and identify wildlife in Brazil’s Citrus Belt of São Paulo and Triângulo/Southwest Minas Gerais. The work, supported by resources from Innocent Drinks, resulted in the publishing of an article titled “Estimating biomass and carbon stock in orange trees (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) of the São …





























