By Christa Court Disaster events, such as extreme weather events (hurricanes, floods, droughts, etc.), have always been and will continue to be a threat for growers. Impacts to a citrus grove might include production losses associated with fruit drop from surviving trees and asset damages to buildings, machinery/equipment, irrigation systems and destroyed trees. Producers might also incur increased costs for …
Liberibacter Relative Mutating Rapidly
A bacterial species closely related to citrus greening disease is rapidly evolving its ability to infect insect hosts and possibly plants. The newly identified species belongs to Liberibacter, a family of bacteria known to infect several economically important crops. There are nine known Liberibacter species, including three that are associated with citrus greening. Citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing or …
European Orange Crop to Decline
European Union (EU) orange production is projected at 6.1 million metric tons (MMT), down from 6.5 MMT in 2020–21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported recently. The decrease is driven by moderate production declines in Spain and Italy, which combined account for nearly 80% of total EU orange output. PLANTED AREA The forecast for total EU …
Evaluation of Citrus × Microcitrus Hybrid Scions
By Ute Albrecht, Anas Fadli and Chandrika Ramadugu Most commercially available citrus scion cultivars are highly attractive to the Asian citrus psyllid and susceptible to HLB. There are some citrus species, however, that are HLB tolerant or resistant. This may be because they are less attractive to the psyllids and/or because they restrict pathogen proliferation and therefore HLB disease development. …
Unlock Soil Nutrients to Benefit Your Citrus Grove
Florida citrus growers are facing a rising mound of challenges these days. With citrus greening disease (HLB) devastating groves, low supply, soaring fertilizer prices and a substantial increase in overall production costs, the current odds are stacked high against citrus growers. This is an industry in crisis. Fortunately, science is catching up with new solutions to combat these urgent issues. …
Sweet Orange Scab Regulations Modified
The conditions under which citrus fruit may be moved interstate from areas quarantined for sweet orange scab (SOS) when destined for processing or packing in a commercial citrus-producing state without a statewide SOS quarantine have been modified. The modification was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). In 2010, APHIS published Federal …
How to Handle Worker Heat Stress
By Amir Rezazadeh Heat stress happens when the body is exposed to extreme heat in a hot environment. Heat-related illnesses include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat rashes. Other signs of heat stress include sweaty palms, fogged-up safety glasses and dizziness. Agricultural workers are at risk of heat stress. Those who are 65 years of age or older, …
Hurricane Season Is Here. Are You Prepared?
By Amir Rezazadeh Every year, hurricanes and tropical storms can occur in Florida from June 1 to Nov. 30. Hurricanes and tropical storms damage citrus trees by blowing fruit off trees or from flooding due to too much rain or high tides. Also, high tides due to wind may cause rising water levels and saltwater flooding. The best practice for …
Brazil’s First Orange Forecast for 2022–2023
The 2022–2023 initial orange crop forecast for Brazil’s São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt is 316.95 million boxes. The forecast was published on May 26 by Fundecitrus and its cooperators. The projected volume is 20.53% higher than the previous crop, which totaled 262.97 million boxes. The orange production forecast includes:• 59.48 million boxes of Hamlin, Westin and Rubi• …
High Summer Temperatures Take a Toll on Trees
By Anirban Guha and Christopher Vincent A quick body temperature test is common these days before entering many workplaces, hospitals and clinics due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose is to screen people for fevers, usually with a non-contact infrared thermometer. Measurement of plant body temperatures also has become common for many field crops, not to screen for infectious …
Florida Growers Consider Bamboo Potential
An event in Lake Placid, Florida, on the potential of bamboo as an alternative commercial crop drew a large turnout of growers. Citrus growers, in particular, are interested in crops that could go on marginal grove land until a more viable solution to HLB comes along. Bamboo might fill that need, according to Phillip Rucks, owner of Phillip Rucks Citrus …
Florida Legislature Supports Citrus
Matt Joyner, Florida Citrus Mutual’s (FCM) new chief executive officer and executive vice president, recently reported that FCM helped achieve substantial citrus industry support in the recent Florida legislative session. Following are citrus-related items that Joyner highlighted in the recently passed state budget: $8 million for the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) to continue basic research into HLB ($3 …
The Persistent Problem of Algal Spot
By Megan Dewdney Mid-summer to fall has become algal spot season in my office. The disease is re-emerging in Florida for unknown reasons. While much of the year algal spot is low key and hard to spot, between June and September it is very obvious. So, what is algal spot, should you be concerned, and what can you do about …
Emergency Declared for Florida Post-Freeze Harvest
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Feb. 2 issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency in many counties where citrus and other agricultural commodities were affected by a Jan. 28–30 freeze. It specifically gives state officials authority to relax restrictions on commercial vehicles to facilitate an emergency harvest. “The relaxation of the restrictions on commercial vehicles is necessary to …
Increasing Pesticide Effectiveness With Adjuvants
By Ajia Paolillo Editor’s note: THIS ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR CEU CREDIT. Pesticides are widely used in commercial agriculture to manage insects and other arthropods, diseases and weeds. Each application needs to be as effective as possible in managing the target pest. Many factors, such as environmental conditions, tank-mix incompatibility and solution pH, can cause a pesticide application …
Frigid Florida Weather Has Growers on Alert
The coldest temperatures in years predicted for Florida this weekend have fruit and vegetable growers worried and preparing to protect their crops. Temperatures in the 20s and 30s are expected deep into the peninsula of Florida. And the freezing weather could persist for up to four hours or more. Gene McAvoy, associate director for stakeholder relations at the University of …
Paraquat Alternatives for Citrus Weed Control
By Ramdas Kanissery Paraquat is an herbicide labeled for various crops, including citrus, for post-emergent weed control. When applied during the early growth stage, paraquat controls many annual grasses and broadleaf weeds commonly found in Florida citrus. Additionally, paraquat typically offers relatively good crop safety in citrus due to its lack of translocation in the plant. This makes it the …
Developing a Management Plan for Lebbeck Mealybug
By Lauren Diepenbrock Managing lebbeck mealybug has become an ongoing challenge in many citrus-growing areas of Florida. This pest expanded into 14 counties from 2019 to fall of 2021 and impacts both commercial and residential citrus. Damage includes distorted fruit and leaves, stem dieback and fruit drop. Loss of young trees can occur under extreme infestation scenarios. In addition to …
Orange Establishment and Production Costs
The costs of establishing and producing oranges in the San Joaquin Valley and the potential returns are the subjects of a new study by University of California (UC) specialists. Conducted by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Cooperative Extension and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, the study includes information on the production of navel oranges using …
Making Sense of Biologicals: Seaweed for Citrus Stress Management
Florida provides an environment conducive to producing a variety of crops 365 days a year. It has beautiful sunshine, an ideal climate and ample rainfall for most of the year. These conditions allow Florida growers to produce some of the best citrus in the world. But Florida citrus is not immune to the harsh realities that can come with growing …





























