mixing and loading

Proper Mixing and Loading of Pesticides

Daniel CooperCEU

By Amir Rezazadeh Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. The primary pesticide handling tasks are mixing and loading. These are also the most harmful aspects of pesticide application. Because …

Chilean Citrus

Chilean Citrus Export Expectations

Daniel CooperExport, Export/Import, International

The Chilean Citrus Committee recently estimated that global citrus exports from Chile will total 383,000 tons this season, a 4% decline from 2023. Export declines are projected for clementines, mandarins and oranges. Lemons are the only citrus fruit forecast to have increased export volume this season. The committee forecast clementine export volume of 40,000 tons, which is 35% less than …

Southern Hemisphere

Forecast for Southern Hemisphere Citrus Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The World Citrus Organisation’s (WCO) preliminary forecast for the 2024 Southern Hemisphere citrus season projects total production will decrease 0.77% from the prior year. Production for Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay is estimated at 24.34 million tons this year. The WCO broke the forecast down by variety: CLIMATIC CONDITIONS IMPACT PRODUCTION The Southern Hemisphere’s 2024 …

harvest+

Brazil’s Harvest+ Seeks Improved Citrus Harvesting

Daniel CooperBrazil, Harvesting

Brazil’s Fundecitrus, in partnership with the companies Agricef and Move Agro, has created the Harvest+ project that seeks to improve the country’s orange harvest. In addition to enhancing the manual harvesting process, the project is searching for mechanized and semi-mechanized solutions for citrus farming. Harvest+ is in response to demand from producers and companies that want equipment capable of harvesting …

Brazilian

Outlook for Brazilian Acreage and Production

Daniel CooperAcreage, Brazil, Production

A study by researchers Gilberto Tozatti, Mauricio Mendez and Rodolfo Castro indicated the likely future significant reduction in Brazilian citrus acreage and production due to huanglongbing (HLB or greening). The calculations are based solely on the current Brazilian Citrus Belt and do not consider future citrus projects happening in areas outside of it. Tozatti presented the study at the recent …

research

Evolving Research Priorities for Florida Citrus

Daniel CooperCRDF, Research

Last week, growers convened in Avon Park for the annual Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute. The daylong seminar program provides updates on the latest research in the fight against HLB and other production issues facing growers. Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), presented an update on the organization’s research priorities. He noted that CRDF …

planting

Determining Planting Density

Daniel CooperEconomics, planting

As growers grapple with planting new blocks in the HLB era, there has been considerable discussion about planting densities to optimize growth and yield. John Chater, assistant professor of horticultural sciences with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), has been working with growers in evaluating new varieties and rootstocks as trees are planted. TRENDING HIGHER …

Citrus Budwood

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: New Leadership at Bureau of Citrus Budwood Registration

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source

By Peter Chaires The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Bureau of Citrus Budwood Registration is key to maintaining a healthy citrus nursery industry. The bureau ensures that Florida nurseries have access to clean, quality, reliable budwood. It is important for industry to remain familiar with the team running the bureau. Considering recent changes to the bureau’s leadership, …

voting

Georgia Growers Now Voting on Citrus Commission Funding

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Legislative

Through April 30, Georgia citrus producers are voting in a referendum to determine if they will fund the newly formed Georgia Citrus Commission. If growers pass the referendum, the state will begin collecting an assessment from citrus growers to carry out research, education and promotion projects coordinated by the commission. The commission consists of Georgia citrus growers.  At the request …

Citrus Congress

Fundecitrus Participates in Australian Citrus Congress

Daniel CooperEvents, International

General Manager Juliano Ayres and researcher Franklin Behlau of Brazil’s Fundecitrus participated in the recent Australian Citrus Congress. Attendees discussed the impacts caused by citrus greening in affected countries like Brazil and worked to establish strategies for preventing and detecting the disease in Australia. During the event, Behlau gave a lecture at the Citrus Australia Biosafety Symposium and provided an …

destination dupes

Destination Dupes, Simpler Times and Grower Assessments

Daniel CooperFlorida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus

The March 20 Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) meeting provided some education about destination dupes for people who aren’t constantly in the social media loop. It looked at how Florida orange juice (OJ) can invoke simpler times and provided a preview of likely Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) grower tax assessments for the 2024–25 citrus season. DESTINATION DUPES John Fuller, director …

fresh

A Fresh Approach

Daniel CooperCRAFT, Fresh, Packing

Despite the challenges of the Florida citrus industry, Feek Family Citrus continues to successfully grow, pack and ship fresh fruit. In an effort to discourage his son from working in the citrus business, Doug Feek’s father gave him all the worst jobs to do in the family’s small grove. “He wanted me to save my back and work a desk …

acreage

California Citrus Growers Anticipate Good Year Despite Challenges

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Pests, Production

Two California citrus industry leaders recently shared their perspectives on the prospects of the industry.  Al Bates, chief executive officer and president of Sun Pacific, said the yield for this year’s crop is mediocre but that “the fruit size is larger and ideal from a consumer perspective.”  The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) projected a 1% increase in …

CRAFT

CRAFT Program Promotes New Planting and Knowledge

Daniel CooperCRAFT, planting, Research

Since its founding in 2019, the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program has been responsible for the planting of just under 10,000 acres of new trees. This includes about 6,000 acres of solid-set groves and just shy of 4,000 acres of resets. CRAFT is a first-of-its-kind program and considered an innovation among funding agencies needed to support such efforts. …

outlook

Summary of the 2022–23 Florida Citrus Season

Daniel CooperExport, Florida, Production

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) summarized Florida citrus production, value and exports last season in its new Florida Citrus Statistics 2022–23 report. PRODUCTION Florida’s total citrus production in 2022–23 was 18.1 million boxes, down 60% from the previous season’s 45.3 million boxes. Florida’s orange production, at 15.8 million boxes, was down 62% from the previous season. …

marketing agency

New Marketing Agency Likely for Department of Citrus

Daniel CooperFlorida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus, Marketing

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on March 20 expressed its intent to hire a new marketing agency for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). The FCC, which governs the FDOC, voted to give FDOC staff approval to post the intent to award Padilla the marketing business and pursue contract negotiations with them. Padilla would replace current FDOC agency Edible Inc. …

production

Turkish Lemon and Grapefruit Production to Rise

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projects that lemon and grapefruit production in Türkiye (previously known as Turkey) will both increase in 2023–24. LEMON Lemon production is forecast to increase 20% to 1.58 million metric tons (MMT). The increase is due to favorable weather conditions during spring 2023. Half of the total lemon production in Türkiye …

impactful

PIECES OF THE PAST: An Impactful Citrus Sisterhood

Daniel CooperMiss Florida Citrus, Pieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette It’s amazing to see how impactful the Florida Citrus Queens have been in marketing our crops! From swimming with dolphins to posing on top of the sign for the host hotel of the annual pageant, these women worked overtime to sell Florida citrus. Dick Pope, founder of Cypress Gardens, was a master at using the Florida …

growing

Growing Citrus With Soil Health in Mind

Daniel CooperCover Crops, Georgia, Soil Health

Herb Young enjoyed a 40-year career in the agricultural chemical industry, starting as a technical service representative and eventually becoming a product manager. During those years, he worked on various specialty crops across the country. About 25 years of his career was spent in field research roles. So, experimentation with crops and growing practices comes naturally to Young. He has …

Australian citrus industry

Increasing Australian Citrus Export Demand

Daniel CooperExport, International

With production gains projected in coming seasons, the Australian citrus industry has instituted a plan to increase demand overseas. A $5.3 million market development and quality program is being delivered through Hort Innovation and led by Citrus Australia. Its intent is to ensure the Australian citrus industry remains well-informed, profitable and able to supply quality fruit reliably and sustainably to …