By Maegan Beatty Earlier this month, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) hosted the 2025 Citrus Health Forum. Growers gathered to learn about citrus production and hear regional citrus updates. Muhammad Shahid, UF/IFAS assistant professor, presented information on optimizing nitrogen fertilization to enhance the quality of satsuma mandarins. …
‘Zero and 10’ Is Brazil Greening Campaign Motto
“For the incidence to be zero, the control needs to be 10.” That’s the motto of the new Fundecitrus campaign to mitigate the incidence of citrus greening in Brazil. The campaign highlights the need for strict control of the greening-spreading psyllid, especially in new regions where citrus farming is advancing. Those regions include the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, …
Highlands Citrus Banquet Highlights Trunk-Injection Research
The Highlands County Citrus Growers Association hosted its annual banquet on March 6 in Sebring. The event drew a good crowd to catch up on the association’s activities. Two of the featured speakers during the event discussed alternative trunk-injection therapies to the current standard of oxytetracycline (OTC). Tanishka Aglave, a sophomore at Strawberry Crest High School, received the H. Robert …
What Georgia’s Citrus Industry Needs To Do To Succeed
One Florida citrus industry leader is impressed with Georgia’s burgeoning industry. Rick Dantzler, Citrus Research and Development Foundation chief operating officer, believes Georgia’s industry can continue to grow as long as it manages citrus greening effectively. He stressed eradication when speaking about citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing (HLB), at the annual meeting on Feb. 25. “Georgia’s potential is bright …
Florida Citrus Mutual’s Legislative Priorities
Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM) recently announced its “key advocacy efforts” during the upcoming state legislative session include the following: CITRUS RESEARCH AND FIELD TRIAL (CRAFT) FUNDS The top priority for FCM this legislative session is securing funding to bolster the CRAFT Foundation’s efforts to replant citrus trees. Putting healthier trees in the ground that are apt to be tolerant against …
Sneak Peek: March 2025 Citrus Industry
The Citrus Industry section in the March issue of Specialty Crop Grower magazine offers timely information citrus growers won’t want to miss. Now is the time for Florida citrus producers to begin thinking about their disease management programs for the season. Megan Dewdney, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant pathologist, offers a foliar disease outlook …
See the Florida Citrus Show Seminar Schedule
The Florida Citrus Show is a day full of learning, fellowship and fun. The educational seminars includes presentations for all specialty crop growers. The general session tackles some of the big issues facing growers today, including ag labor, what to expect from the new Trump administration and a grower panel discussing the challenge of citrus greening. After lunch, breakout sessions …
Florida Citrus Mutual Statement on New Secretary of Agriculture
Last week, Brooke Rollins was sworn in as the 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court of the United States Clarence Thomas. The U.S. Senate confirmed Rollins’ appointment by a vote of 72 to 28. “It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as the nation’s 33rd Secretary of Agriculture — and a …
Mechanical Harvesting Highlighted at Demo Citrus
A citrus mechanical harvesting demonstration and a discussion of Brazilian citrus farming were among presentations at Demo Citrus 2025, held in Seville, Spain in late January. Harvest+ demonstrated a robot harvesting oranges. Harvest+ is a consortium of Fundecitrus, Move Agro and the Andalusian Institute for Research and Training in Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Organic Production in partnership with Pek Automotive. …
USDA Funds Citrus Projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of more than $70 million in the Plant Protection Act program. This includes funding of 357 projects in fiscal year 2025. The work will strengthen the country’s defenses against plant pests and diseases, safeguard the U.S. nursery system, and enhance pest detection and mitigation efforts. Part of the funding is going …
Indian River State College Students Help Decode Asian Citrus Psyllid Genome
A groundbreaking research collaboration led, in part, by Indian River State College Professor Tom D’Elia, has resulted in the successful annotation of the Asian citrus psyllid genome. This marks a significant advancement in the fight against citrus greening disease. The research, published in GigaScience, represents an achievement in both scientific discovery and undergraduate education, featuring 28 Indian River State College …
Florida Citrus Decline: Frustrations and Solutions
A recent Florida TaxWatch report detailed the reasons for the decline of the Florida citrus industry. The report also described frustrations with efforts to combat citrus greening and suggested solutions for the industry’s decline. Edited excerpts from that portion of the report follow: Prominent citrus growers stated they are still optimistic about the future as many citrus entities are investing …
Experimental Citrus Tree Kills Young Psyllids
Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are testing a new type of citrus tree that can fight off the HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The genetically modified tree has only been tested in the lab and the greenhouse but is very promising as a potential solution to HLB. The approach involves inserting a …
International Project Arms Citrus Industry Against HLB
Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Government has partnered with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and Hort Innovation to prepare the citrus industry against huanglongbing (HLB). Although widespread in Asia and found in North and South America, HLB is not known to be present in Australia. The psyllid that spreads HLB is also absent from Australia. A collaborative research …
Florida Citrus Decline Detailed
A December Florida TaxWatch report, The Continuing Decline of Florida’s Citrus Industry, highlights the causes of the industry’s demise in recent decades. Edited excerpts follow: In the last 20 years, Florida’s total citrus production has decreased by more than 90%, from around 300 million boxes in 2003–04 to just 20 million boxes in 2023–24. The 2022–23 season was the worst …
Alico Citrus to Cease Operations After This Season
Large Florida citrus grower Alico Citrus will cease operations after the current season’s harvest, parent company Alico, Inc. announced Jan. 6. The company cited increasing financial challenges from citrus greening disease and “environmental factors.” Alico owns approximately 53,371 acres of land across eight counties in Florida, as well as approximately 48,700 acres of oil, gas and mineral rights in the …
Research Center to Combat Brazilian Citrus Diseases
The Applied Research Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Citrus Farming was inaugurated Dec. 12 in a ceremony at the Palácio dos Bandeirantes, seat of Brazil’s São Paulo state government. Its purpose is to combat the main citrus diseases, such as citrus variegated chlorosis, sudden citrus death and above all, citrus greening. The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Fundecitrus and …
Fundecitrus Researchers Participate in International Citrus Conference
Researchers with Brazil’s Fundecitrus discussed HLB-related topics at the recent 15th International Citrus Conference in South Korea. Fundecitrus’ Franklin Behlau participated in the section of papers related to HLB, also known as citrus greening disease. Most of the papers provided updates on the disease situation in different locations, including Florida, China, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Iran and Brazil. Behlau discussed the …
Climate Change in the Cold-Hardy Citrus Region
Climate change is a key reason that citrus production has progressed in South Georgia, North Florida and South Alabama, the area known as the cold-hardy citrus region. As more varieties, other than satsuma mandarins, continue to be planted in the area, warmer temperatures are needed for trees to flourish. Arnold Schumann, professor of soil fertility and water quality at the …
Citrus Canker Spreading in Cold-Hardy Region
Citrus canker has long been a presence and concern for Florida’s citrus growers. Growers in North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama should be wary of its potential spread into the cold-hardy citrus region. Clive Bock, a research plant pathologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, spoke about the disease during the recent Cold-Hardy Citrus Meeting at the University of …





























