The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Nov. 24 announced its intent to purchase up to $30 million in fresh citrus from American farmers. Under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935, the USDA has the authority to purchase commodities from American farmers and producers and distribute the products to food banks and nutrition assistance programs across the country. “These …
Texas Citrus: Heavy Crop but Smaller Fruit
Texas citrus is showing heavy crops, but limited summer irrigation has led to smaller fruit sizes so far, said Juan Anciso of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Anciso is an AgriLife Extension vegetable specialist and associate head of the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Weslaco. According to Anciso, quality continues to remain good to …
Dual-Action Approach to Mitigate Preharvest Fruit Drop
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 …
Texas Mexfly Fruit Movement Protocol Revised
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 …
Oxytetracycline Aids Fruit Quality for Some Scions
A presenter at the recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo said oxytetracycline (OTC) trunk injections improved fruit quality in several citrus scions that were studied. The presenter was John Chater, assistant professor and citrus genetic improvement horticulturist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center. Chater opened his presentation with these …
The Potential of Trunk Injection for Fresh Market Citrus
By John M. Chater Citrus tree trunk injection of antibiotics has been recently and widely used in Florida. The success of oxytetracycline (OTC) in sweet orange to mitigate huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening) disease has been documented by the laboratory of Ute Albrecht, associate professor at the University of Florida. Some results suggest that OTC injection can improve Brix, ratio, …
Management of Mites for Fresh Market Citrus
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Associate Professor Xavier Martini recently wrote an article In the Cold Hardy Citrus Connection about management of mites for fresh market citrus. Martini is an entomologist at the North Florida Research and Education Center. An edited version of his article follows. Two types of mites mainly affect citrus production in …
Senate Bill Would Prohibit Fresh Citrus From China
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida on March 31 introduced the United States Citrus Protection Act, which would prohibit the importation of commercially produced fresh citrus fruit from China. Scott stated the bill would further protect American jobs, ensure the integrity of domestic agriculture and reduce reliance on goods produced by regimes that pose a threat to the United States. …
Additional Fresh Citrus Treatment Approved in Texas
Conditions for the movement of fresh citrus fruit from the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantined areas in Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) were recently modified. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) took the action to make treatments more feasible or economically viable. Growers who intend to move citrus from the core areas of …
Reduce Fruit Drop From Citrus Canker
By Megan Dewdney Citrus canker can contribute significantly to the loss of fruit prior to harvest. As bloom begins in Florida, it is time to finalize management plans for foliar diseases. For many growers, very aggressive canker management programs are no longer a possibility, however, some management is important. Citrus canker susceptibility of young fruitlets usually starts at the end …
Seeking Better Degreening Methods for Fresh Citrus
Two University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) scientists reported on research into more effective and environmentally friendly degreening methods for fresh citrus. They are Muhammad Shahid and Muhammad Nadeem, assistant professor of horticulture and postdoc scholar, respectively, at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC). Edited excerpts follow: Some varieties of citrus fruit, even …
Medications and Grapefruit Could Be Compatible
In an advance that could change how millions of patients take their medications, researchers have identified the genetic mechanism behind grapefruit’s notorious interaction with prescription drugs. The discovery opens the door to developing new varieties of grapefruit that won’t interfere with medications, potentially allowing patients to safely enjoy the fruit again. For decades, healthcare providers have advised patients to avoid …
Growers and Industry Attend OJ Break and Fruit Display
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred recently hosted an OJ Break and Fruit Display. The Dec. 18 back-to-back events were well attended. Ariel Singerman, UF/IFAS citrus economist, presented his research during the OJ Break. One area he addressed was crop insurance adoption among growers. Singerman shared a …
USDA Announces $25 Million Fresh Citrus Purchase
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Oct. 17 it will purchase up to $25 million in fresh citrus from domestic producers to distribute to food banks and nutrition assistance programs. The purchases are being made through Section 32 of the Agriculture Act of 1935 and will assist producers and communities in need. “These purchases will benefit citrus producers by …
Growers Cautioned To Be Wary of Fruit Quality Following Helene
Georgia’s citrus growers may have dodged catastrophic results from Hurricane Helene, but they might not know the full impact of the storm for at least a couple of more weeks. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association, warned that though fruit may still be in the trees, it may have suffered irreparable damage from high winds when the …
Nutrients for Improving Fruit Growth and Quality
By Tripti Vashisth, Jeff Brecht, Yu Wang and Faisal Shahzad In the last decade, fruit quality and size has become a major issue. Moreover, fruit peel color is another challenge to overcome for citrus growers who intend to sell for fresh fruit consumption. Many nutrients are known to improve fruit growth and quality in citrus trees. For example, potassium increases …
Fourth Generation to Lead Fresh Citrus Business
There have been many challenges faced by the Florida citrus industry in its long and storied history. Innovative growers have found ways to overcome those challenges, making citrus one of the core industries in the state. Few would argue that HLB is not the biggest challenge to date, but growers continue to innovate to try to save the industry. A …
Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee to Continue
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA AMS) plans to renew the charter of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC) for two years. The FVIAC’s current charter expires May 23. The purpose of the FVIAC is to examine the full spectrum of issues faced by the fruit and vegetable industry and suggest ways the USDA can …
A Fresh Approach
Despite the challenges of the Florida citrus industry, Feek Family Citrus continues to successfully grow, pack and ship fresh fruit. In an effort to discourage his son from working in the citrus business, Doug Feek’s father gave him all the worst jobs to do in the family’s small grove. “He wanted me to save my back and work a desk …
Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine Conditions Modified
Conditions for the movement of fresh citrus fruit from the Redlands Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantine area of San Bernardino and Riverside counties in California have been temporarily modified for the duration of the 2024 harvest season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) announced the modification on Feb. 5. Due to the imminent …





























