Getting New Varieties to Growers

Ernie NeffAll In For Citrus Podcast, Varieties

The executive directors of two organizations that play a vital role in getting citrus varieties into the hands of growers summarize how the process works. They are John Beuttenmuller with Florida Foundation Seed Producers (FFSP) and Peter Chaires with New Varieties Development & Management Corporation (NVDMC). When University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant breeders propose …

How to Own Your Data and Profit From It

Ernie NeffAgriculture

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, data derived from farms might be more valuable than the crops growers produce. That’s because farmers can make money from their information when companies use it for other purposes, says a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientist. The key for producers is to take ownership of their information. …

nutrition

BMPs Addressed in Bill

Ernie NeffBMPs

Florida Sen. Ben Albritton filed a bill (SB 1000) to address issues related to best management practices (BMPs), the Nov. 19 Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter reported. According to the Triangle, the bill addresses several issues stemming from outdated science supporting University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) nutrient recommendation rates pertaining to BMPs. The bill also …

Sneak Peek: December 2021 Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

Everyone seems to get busier during December as the holidays near. With the harvest season in full swing, this is especially true in the Florida citrus industry. Amidst the rush to complete holiday preparations and tend to never-ending grove tasks, it’s a good idea to pause for a moment to consider farm safety issues. The December issue of Citrus Industry …

ACP Management With UV-Reflective Mulch and Flush-Timed Sprays

Tacy CalliesHLB Management

By Jawwad Qureshi, Lauren Diepenbrock and Davie Kadyampakeni The future of the Florida citrus industry depends on successfully replacing the present bearing tree inventory with new plantings and transitioning them into crop production. This would be a relatively routine process were it not for the ubiquitous presence of huanglongbing (HLB) and its vector, Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). Early infection can …

CREC Open House a Hit

Ernie NeffEvents

The Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) Nov. 16 open house and field day “was quite a crowded event. It went off really well,” CREC Director Michael Rogers reports. Rogers says the event drew about 200 industry members, as well as 150 CREC faculty, staff and students. The CREC is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …

Mississippi

New HLB Find Is Likely Farthest North in Florida

Ernie NeffHLB Management

What is believed to be the most northern HLB find in Florida was made the first week of November in a backyard Satsuma tree in Tallahassee. A homeowner sent photos of the tree’s symptoms to Leon County Extension horticulture agent Mark Tancig, who collected samples that were confirmed as HLB. “I’ve told the homeowner he should remove it (the tree), …

Keeping Food Contact Surfaces Safe

Tacy CalliesFood Safety, Tip of the Week

By Matt Krug, Michelle Danyluk and Taylor O’Bannon Basic cleaning and sanitizing steps implemented on food contact surfaces are fundamental for reducing the risk of cross-contamination of foodborne pathogens during citrus harvest and post-harvest. While these steps may seem straightforward, several variables can influence effective implementation. A regular review of practices can ensure your operation is set up for success. …

HLB Research Funded for $11 Million

Ernie NeffResearch

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced an investment of nearly $11 million for research to combat HLB. “NIFA’s Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension program brings the nation’s top scientists together with citrus industry representatives to find scientifically sound solutions to combat and prevent HLB at the farm-level,” said NIFA Director Carrie …

Early Performance of Orange Rootstocks in Commercial Settings

Tacy CalliesEconomics, Rootstocks

By Ariel Singerman, Stephen H. Futch and Brandon Page This article provides estimates on the performance of different rootstocks grafted with Valencia sweet orange scions in commercial field conditions. These are the first estimates obtained from side-by-side trials that compare the performance of rootstocks developed by two breeding programs: The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) …

citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast, November 2021

Tacy CalliesAll In For Citrus Podcast

The important process that gets new citrus varieties in the hands of growers is the main topic of the November episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Michael Rogers, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) director, discusses the recent CREC open house where breeders displayed potential new varieties for …

Researchers Share Tree Health Suggestions

Ernie NeffHLB Management

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers gave a crowd of growers suggestions that can help keep citrus trees healthy. The panel discussion was part of the Nov. 16 open house and field day at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. HLB-affected trees need enhanced nutrition “throughout the growing season,” said horticulturist …

Lebbeck Mealybug Sanitation Strategies

Tacy CalliesPests, Tip of the Week

Lebbeck mealybug was first found causing damage in Florida citrus in Highlands County in 2019. As of this writing, it has now been found on citrus in 14 counties in Florida. This pest likely gains some dispersal assistance from wind events, either being blown on infested plant material or as crawlers on wind currents as has been noted for scale …

mandarin

Breeders Discuss Favored Citrus Varieties

Ernie NeffVarieties

Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser discuss some relatively new varieties they like – a mandarin, some oranges and a pummelo-grapefruit hybrid. Gmitter and Grosser are University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant breeders at the Citrus Research and Education Center. SUGAR BELLE® MANDARIN“Looking at Sugar Belle® and its performance against citrus greening, it’s clearly one of …

citrus crop forecast

Nutrition and Yield in the Face of HLB

Ernie NeffNutrition

Fertilization frequency, micronutrient management and rootstocks can all impact the yield of HLB-affected sweet oranges, Tripti Vashisth recently told a Citrus Nutrition Day audience in Lake Alfred, Florida. The educational event was held at the Citrus Research and Education Center, where Vashisth is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulturist. FERTILIZATION FREQUENCYHLB-affected trees should be …

growers

Be Prepared for Winter Weather

Tacy CalliesTip of the Week, Weather

By Chris Oswalt The weather folks are predicting weak to moderate La Niña conditions this winter. Typically, having either the La Niña or El Niño conditions during the winter in Florida is a good thing. There is a historically lower probability of having severe freezing temperatures during either of these El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions in Florida. What this means …

Impacts of Herbicides on Young Citrus Trees

Tacy Calliesweeds

By Ramdas Kanissery, Nirmal Timilsina and Mongi Zekri Weed control is crucial for the growth and establishment of young citrus trees. Chemical weed control with herbicides is an efficient and cost-effective method for managing weeds in newly planted groves. However, before applying herbicide products, care must be taken to avoid damaging young trees and newly planted resets. Every so often, …

aphis

Workshop Provides Black Spot Advice

Ernie NeffDiseases

Information to help growers find and control citrus black spot (CBS), as well as CBS regulatory procedures, were provided in an Oct. 26 training workshop in Arcadia. The workshop was hosted by multi-county citrus Extension agent Ajia Paolillo. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant pathologist Megan Dewdney discussed the pest’s lifecycle, potential spread due to …

SuperSour

Research on Rootstocks: More Than HLB

Ernie NeffRootstocks

Plant breeders Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser report on their efforts to develop rootstocks that perform well in Florida from several perspectives. In addition to seeking tolerance to HLB, they are working on rootstocks that might control tree size, deal with other diseases and pests and perform in a range of soils. Gmitter and Grosser are University of Florida Institute …

Citrus Is Part of DeLuca Preserve Research

Ernie NeffResearch

Planting of new improved citrus scion/rootstock combinations to demonstrate sustainable and profitable citriculture is one of eight new research projects slated for the 27,000-acre DeLuca Preserve in Osceola County, Florida. The rootstocks and scions will come from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center citrus breeding program. The eight projects are …