University of Florida scientist Christopher Vincent is used to working with the unknown to learn new grove management practices. As a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant physiologist, Vincent works to discover how citrus trees can thrive under stressful conditions. Now, during the coronavirus stay-at-home recommendations, he’s applying those skills in a whole new experience — …
HLB Research Uses Psyllid Neuropeptides
Researchers with several organizations are in the early stages of investigating the use of neuropeptides found in Asian citrus psyllids as the source for biocontrols for HLB disease. The researchers are with the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) at Cornell University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and the University of Washington. The research team is led by …
New Citrus Greening Treatment Shows Promise
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have discovered another possible solution to the plague of citrus greening that is impacting Florida’s citrus groves. This new information adds to the growing portfolio of knowledge that UF/IFAS scientists are amassing to fight the disease. Led by UF/IFAS microbiology and cell science professor Claudio Gonzalez, a team of plant …
Fresh Florida-Grown Citrus Sales to Increase
Even with a projected downturn in production, “fresh citrus movement is projected to increase as a result of new plantings and other favorable conditions,” a Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) official reported recently. Florida Citrus Packers, the trade association for fresh fruit packers and shippers, agreed. Marisa Zansler, FDOC director of economic and market research, noted that the production forecast …
Payne on Past, Present and Future of Florida Citrus
Jack Payne, head of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), looks at the past, present and future of Florida citrus. He has been in the role of senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources since 2010 and is slated to retire on July 1. “Of course, citrus is the iconic industry in Florida,” which …
Orange Juice Sales Still Surging
New reports from the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Economic and Market Research Department show that U.S. orange juice (OJ) sales continue to surge. The FDOC’s “Retail Sales Trends: Report #7 of the 2019-20 Season Period Ending 04/11/2020” includes data from the Nielsen Topline Report. It shows average year-over-year (YOY) total OJ sales increased by 46 percent to 44.05 million …
California Lawsuit Over Water for Farmers
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has filed a lawsuit to stop the federal government from increasing water deliveries to California farmers, including growers in the citrus regions of Central and Southern California. The increased deliveries are needed to comply with new state requirements to improve groundwater recharge efforts. The increased deliveries came about by changes in biological opinions. Biological opinions are …
What Should I Plant?
Rick Dantzler has determined in conversations over the last few months “that the primary question on growers’ minds is, ‘What should I plant?’ And that really frames the discussion we [the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) governing board] had regarding our plant improvement efforts going forward.” Dantzler is CRDF chief operating officer, and he was referring to discussions at …
FAWN Website Now Easier to Use
The Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN), a University of Florida-operated service aiding agricultural decision-makers statewide since 1997, relaunched its website with a new look and additional features. “Our main goal in revamping the site was to make it more efficient for users,” said Rick Lusher, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) project manager for FAWN. “One …
UF/IFAS Working Through COVID-19
Whether in the field or from home, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus staffers are working for growers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center at Lake Alfred, tells how. “We still are doing business right now,” Rogers says. “IFAS continues to provide support in any way …
Citrus Work Still Moving Forward at University of Florida
While the scenery may have changed, the work remains the same for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus faculty and Extension agents. “The coronavirus pandemic has altered the daily routine but not our mission to provide research and educational service to the citrus industry,” said Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and …
All In For Citrus Podcast, April 2020
April’s All In For Citrus podcast includes timely information, says goodbye to a recognized figure at the University of Florida, and says hello to a new face on the citrus team. Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) Director Michael Rogers starts off the episode with on update on operations amid COVID-19 restrictions. The citrus team has transitioned to working remotely …
Production Benefits of Gibberellic Acid
Gibberellic acid (GA), a plant growth regulator (PGR), has the potential to aid production. It can reduce citrus flowering, improve fruit size, reduce fruit drop and possibly improve tree health, says researcher Tripti Vashisth. Vashisth is a horticulturist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake …
COVID-19 Citrus Damage to Top $200 Million
The chief executives of three large U.S. citrus grower associations estimate that “the immediate COVID-19 impact to certain varieties of citrus will be over $200 million.” Casey Creamer of California Citrus Mutual, Dale Murden of Texas Citrus Mutual and Mike Sparks of Florida Citrus Mutual offered that economic damage assessment in an April 9 letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny …
Citrus Sales Surge During COVID-19
Sales of Florida citrus and juice jumped during the COVID-19 pandemic in March, The Ledger newspaper in Lakeland reported. The newspaper cited a Nielsen report that not-from-concentrate OJ sales climbed 28 percent for the 4-week period ending March 21. The surge followed approximately two decades of OJ sales declines. Consumers appear to focus on OJ’s heavy vitamin C content in …
Orange Juice Sales, Supply and Marketing
Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Ned Hancock reports that the news continues to be positive on the retail sales front for orange juice. “During this time of great uncertainty, Americans continue to seek out products they know and trust,” he said in an April 10 report to Florida citrus industry members. “Additionally, they are turning to items they know may help …
Active Hurricane Season Predicted
An above-average Atlantic hurricane season was recently predicted by both Colorado State University (CSU) hurricane researchers and AccuWeather. The CSU researchers cited the likely absence of El Niño as a primary factor in its prediction. “Tropical and subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures are currently warmer than their long-term average values and are consequently also considered a factor favoring an active …
Brazil Releases Season’s Final Orange Crop Forecast
Brazil reported it will produce 386.79 million boxes of oranges in the 2019–20 season. This is the final forecast for the season and includes production from the São Paulo, Triângulo Mineiro and West-Southwest Minas Gerais Citrus Belt. Fundecitrus, in cooperation with Markestrat, FEA-RP/USP and FCAV/Unesp2, published the forecast on April 9. It represents a decrease of 0.54 percent compared to …
Irrigation Management Advice for HLB Trees
Water is a limiting factor in Florida citrus production during the majority of the year. Florida citrus trees may require irrigation throughout the year due to the low water-holding capacity of sandy soils and the warm subtropical climate with distinct drought periods during the spring. Davie Kadyampakeni, assistant professor of soil and water sciences at the University of Florida Institute …
Hemp Grower Partners Wanted
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hemp program is seeking 20 qualified partners across Florida for on-farm trials. Zack Brym, agronomist at the Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead and research coordinator of the UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project, says partner farms will conduct a coordinated field planting on 2 acres with variations in land …





























