productive

Growers Can Stay Productive in the Face of HLB

Daniel CooperHLB Management

Despite declaring there will be no silver bullet for HLB, Ozgur Batuman in a Jan. 21 virtual seminar said growers using integrated pest management (IPM) tools “can stay productive.” However, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor also warned that producing citrus juice in Florida “will not be easy or cheap.” Oranges are by far …

Nutritional Needs of HLB-Affected Trees

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Nutrition, Tip of the Week

By Davie Kadyampakeni, Alisheikh Atta and Edilaine Traspadini Citrus trees require optimal nutrition to be able to maintain high fruit yields, canopy size and good root health. Adequate nutrition supports not only yield and growth, but also tree resilience to disease and environmental stress, which is particularly important in HLB-affected groves. A balanced mix of macronutrients and micronutrients is needed …

recovery

Grower Results With ReMedium TI® Mirror Researcher Results

Daniel CooperHLB Management, OTC Expert, Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content Question: Are there any updates on the performance of ReMedium TI® and citrus yield improvements? Answer: We are hearing from growers about groves in central and southern Florida where they are observing HLB recovery. I am getting reports from growers that have been steadfast users of ReMedium TI® that seem to be in agreement with much of the …

grove

Grove Conditions, Infrastructure and Funding Addressed

Daniel CooperProduction

In the recent Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) newsletter, Riley McKenna discussed conditions in groves, shrinking infrastructure and the importance of block grant funding. GROVE OBSERVATIONS McKenna, HCCGA president, stated that “faint hints of March bloom are already beginning to fill the air.” He added that the weather shows little indication of stabilizing or slowing tree growth, “which could …

UGA

UGA Extension Monitoring for Psyllid Movement

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Psyllids

The vector of citrus greening disease remains in low numbers in Georgia. University of Georgia (UGA) researchers are hoping the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) stays that way. Led by UGA entomologist Apurba Barman, UGA Extension is monitoring for the insect in hopes of limiting its migration throughout South Georgia. “The good thing is, so far, we’ve found ACP in only …

varieties

Budgeting for Satsumas and Seeking Alternative Varieties

Daniel CooperEconomics, Georgia, Varieties

As citrus acreage expands in Georgia, the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference has added the fruit to its educational seminar lineup in recent years. This year’s conference, held in Savannah in early January, featured various citrus topics, including pest and disease management, new varieties and economics of citrus production in the state. Greg Fonsah and Guy Hancock, ag economists …

Christmas

PIECES OF THE PAST: The Warmth of a Florida Christmas

Daniel CooperPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette There are Christmas memories that sparkle like tinsel and some that glow warm and steady, the way sunlight filters through a grove just after dawn. For many Florida families — mine included — Christmas has always smelled faintly of citrus and tasted of oranges fresh from the tree. Before the gifts were fancy and the stockings …

Florida

What We’ve Learned From 20 Years of HLB Research in Florida

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

By Michael Rogers It has now been two decades since huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, was first detected in Florida. That announcement in August 2005 changed everything for the Florida citrus industry. At the time, Florida citrus was still a global powerhouse. Less than a year earlier, HLB had been confirmed in Brazil, and we were aware of its devastating …

Imperial County

First Psyllid in Imperial County Tests Positive for HLB Bacteria

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Psyllids

An adult Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample collected from a rural residential property in Imperial County has tested positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the bacteria that causes huanglongbing (HLB). The ACP sample was collected from a citrus tree on Oct. 30 and was confirmed positive for CLas on Nov. 13. This is the first confirmed CLas-positive adult ACP found …

recovery

Fruit Quality Improvement Takes Time

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, OTC Expert

Sponsored Content Question: Previous questions have been asked about increases in yield and quality of the citrus crop as groves begin to recover from HLB. Why does it take additional time to get quality to improve? Answer: The ability of any crop to produce both high yield and high quality is an agronomic function of a plant’s ability to intake …

fruit drop

Dual-Action Approach to Mitigate Preharvest Fruit Drop

Daniel CooperFruit Drop, HLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Taylor Livingston and Tripti Vashisth Preharvest fruit drop is a major concern for Florida citrus growers, especially in groves affected by huanglongbing (HLB). Environmental stressors such as drought, flooding and cold snaps further accelerate fruit drop and tree decline. Recent field trials in Central Florida evaluated the use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) — specifically gibberellic acid (GA3) and …

recovery

The Road to HLB Recovery

Daniel CooperHLB Management, OTC Expert

Sponsored Content Question: There has been discussion that HLB recovery will be seen in yield first and quality second. Is that happening? Answer: It is still too early to tell exactly what the numbers will look like for the 2025–26 harvest. However, early harvest reports are coming in, and they seem quite encouraging. There is a report on a grove …

movement

Texas Mexfly Fruit Movement Protocol Revised

Daniel CooperPests, Regulation, Texas

Federal agriculture officials have revised the requirements for the interstate movement of fresh citrus fruit from core areas of a Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a revised federal order and protocol on Sept. 23. The protocol in the federal order provides three schedules for the interstate …

Lennon Grove Service

Lennon Grove Service Awarded for Sustainable Farming

Daniel CooperAwards

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation presented Lennon Grove Service, Inc. with a This Farm CARES award on Oct. 6 at the Orange County Farm Bureau annual meeting. The grove was recognized for sustainable farming practices. The award is given to farmers and ranchers enrolled in best management practices. Established in 2000, Lennon Grove Service focuses on citrus production as well as …

Tip of the Week

Fall Insect and Mite Management

Daniel CooperPests, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Diepenbrock Unlike northern regions, fall in Florida is not generally a time when insect, mite and other invertebrate pest populations decline rapidly. In Florida citrus, we generally see the opposite of this trend. In the hot, dry end of summer and early fall, mite populations often soar, requiring management to prevent excessive damage to fruit. (See The Florida …

California citrus

California Mandarin Forecast Issued

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Crop Forecast

The 2025–26 California forecast for Tango and W. Murcott Afourer mandarin varieties, released Sept. 12, is 33 million 40-pound cartons. The forecast came from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), cooperating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS). The forecast is based on the results of the 2025–26 Mandarin Objective Measurement Survey, which …

policy

How To Determine if the Actual Production History Policy Will Be Beneficial

Daniel CooperInsurance, Tip of the Week

By Ariel Singerman Between the 2021–22 and 2023–24 citrus seasons, Florida orange growers were more likely to receive indemnity payments under the Actual Production History (APH) crop insurance policy compared to the Dollar Amount policy. Moreover, when indemnities were paid, the APH policy provided a higher average payout. This raises the question: Will APH continue to be advantageous for Florida orange …

Navel

California Navel Orange Forecast Announced

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Crop Forecast

The initial 2025–26 California navel orange forecast is 80 million cartons, up 6% from the previous year. It was issued Sept. 12 by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), cooperating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. The forecast is based on results of the 2025–26 Navel Orange Objective Measurement Survey, conducted from June 12 …

Blue Goose

PIECES OF THE PAST: True Blue Goose

Daniel CooperPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette James S. Crutchfield came into the world on a summer day — July 3, 1874 — in the small farming town of Goshen, Kentucky. His folks, Albert and Hatta, worked the land, and that country know-how ran deep in Crutchfield from the start. He got his schooling in Louisville, then set his sights on Florida in …

snail management

Tools Available for Bulimulus Snail Management

Daniel CooperCitrus Expo, Pests

“Bulimulus snail management is an ongoing challenge, but we have some tools to help!” researcher Lauren Diepenbrock stated in her recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo presentation. CHALLENGES Diepenbrock, associate professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center, reported that not every Florida grove is infested with the snails. …