The Florida 2022–23 all-orange forecast inched up 1% in March to 16.1 million boxes while the grapefruit forecast rose 7% to 1.6 million boxes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) forecast for Florida tangerines and tangelos was unchanged at 500,000 boxes. The entire rise of 100,000 boxes in the orange forecast was in the …
Black Spot Management by Variety and Age
In Brazil’s São Paulo citrus belt, infections of fruit by black spot usually occur from petal fall, in September/October, until the end of the rainy season, usually in April. Black spot can reduce production by up to 85%. Some studies have shown that the amount of fungicide applications to control black spot can be established according to the orange variety. …
Examining Hamlin Survivor Trees
By Gary England, Fred Gmitter and Manjul Dutt In 2014, most groves in Central Florida had citrus greening infection rates approaching 100%, but a Lake County grower reported that some trees in his Hamlin on Swingle blocks seemed to be relatively healthy. Some visual HLB symptoms were observed on these “surviving” trees, but they did not have the massive fall …
All In For Citrus Podcast, February 2023
With spring fast approaching, Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, addresses important crop care items that should be on growers’ checklists. He shares his comments in the February episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. After the destruction left behind from last year’s hurricanes, Rogers …
Brazil’s Orange Forecast Climbs Slightly
The third 2022–23 orange crop forecast for Brazil’s São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt amounted to 316.23 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms each. That is 0.7% higher than the projected crop in December 2022. This increase is mainly due to the production of Pera Rio orange. Pera Rio’s harvest is close to complete with higher-than-expected yield. The forecast …
Alico Shares Quarterly Update
Alico Citrus harvested 841,000 boxes of early- and mid-season (early/mid) oranges for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2022. That’s a decrease of approximately 6.1% from the same period in the prior fiscal year. The company will complete harvesting of early/mid oranges in the current fiscal year. It said it will recognize an overall decrease in the number of early/mid …
Trunk Injection for HLB: What You Need to Know
Some Florida citrus growers have recently started oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) injection into tree trunks to help manage HLB. Other growers are considering it. Researcher Ute Albrecht offered a list of best practices for the product’s use during a Jan. 31 presentation in Immokalee. The presentation was made at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Southwest Florida …
Sting Nematodes and IPCs
By Larry Duncan and Fernando Alferez Newly planted citrus trees are far less tolerant of pests and diseases than when mature. Sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) was not considered a serious economic threat to Florida citrus until successive hard freezes in the 1980s caused widespread replanting of groves. Patches of stunted, declining trees caused by the irregular distribution of sting nematodes …
Considerations for Managing Citrus Black Spot
In Florida, citrus black spot (CBS) is present primarily in commercial groves in five southwest counties (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee). The disease can cause up to 60% yield loss in severe situations with little management, researcher Megan Dewdney reported in January. More commonly though, growers with infestations experience fruit drop levels of 10% to 20% in a minimally …
Planning Your 2023 Pest Management
By Lauren Diepenbrock Pest management is a year-round challenge in Florida citrus. With the warm climate, pests are at the ready as soon as plant resources are available to them. With knowledge of insect and mite biology in relation to tree phenology, plans can be developed to protect fruit and maintain productive citrus trees. Populations of some highly problematic pests …
Updates on Florida Citrus Diseases
Researcher Megan Dewdney recently provided updates on citrus canker, postbloom fruit drop (PFD) and algal spot. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor of plant pathology at the Citrus Research and Education Center. CANKERFruit is most susceptible to canker when it is from 3/8 to 1.5 inches in diameter, Dewdney said. The fruit’s …
Pest Risk Assessment of Citrus Imports From Egypt
Editor’s note: The comment period has been extended to give stakeholders additional time to submit comments. The draft pest risk assessment will be available for review and comment until March 14, 2023. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has drafted a pest risk assessment for the importation of fresh oranges and tangerines from Egypt into …
The Promise of Gibberellic Acid
Researcher Tripti Vashisth shed additional light on the promise of gibberellic acid (GA) applications in rejuvenating HLB-affected orange trees during a Jan. 11 presentation. Some of the important messages that the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor highlighted were: VALENCIA TRIALIn a 2016 to 2022 Valencia field trial, GA applications made from September to January …
Trunk Injection Not a Silver Bullet for HLB
Although trunk injection of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCl) has received much recent press for its promise in managing HLB, there is still no silver bullet for the devastating disease. That was part of plant pathologist Ozgur Batuman’s message at a Dec. 10 seminar addressing HLB and other citrus diseases that may exacerbate HLB’s effects on trees. “There is no single effective …
Get the Timing Right for Gibberellic Acid Applications
By Tripti Vashisth Since 2021, a number of Florida growers have adopted the use of gibberellic acid (GA) in their grove management programs. This widespread adoption is due to the fact that GA-treated trees show canopy rejuvenation and reduction in preharvest fruit drop, resulting in improved yields. The research on Valencia shows that the effect of GA improves over time. …
Hurricanes Complicate Citrus Flowering
In the latest episode of the All In For Citrus podcast, Tripti Vashisth discusses the citrus flower bud advisory system. The service is provided by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The advisories on flowering generally start before Thanksgiving and run through the end of February or early March. “The goal of the flower bud …
The Most Critical Step to a Good Nutrition Program
By Tripti Vashisth, Faisal Shahzad and Jamie Burrow Leaf nutrient analysis is an important part of a successful citrus management program. Good fertilization practices are critical for optimal crop production, especially in HLB conditions. The two main objectives of nutrition management in citrus are 1) optimum and consistent yield and 2) building a strong tree that grows and produces year …
Pair of Problems for Louisiana Satsumas
Plant Diagnostic Center Director Raj Singh at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSA AgCenter) recently addressed two stresses that impact yields in Louisiana citrus — internal dry rot and puffy fruit. INTERNAL DRY ROTMature fruit affected by internal dry rot may look healthy on the outside, but peeling the fruit reveals dry, discolored flesh. This internal dry rot is …
Improving Yield Safety of Glyphosate
By Ramdas Kanissery Florida citrus growers face weed management problems throughout the year because of conditions that favor rapid weed growth in groves. A weed-free tree row is desired in a citrus grove to minimize weed competition with trees. Hence, chemical weed control using post-emergent, systemic herbicides like glyphosate has become a vital production practice in the Florida citrus industry. …
Orange Crop Forecast for Brazil Remains Stable
The second 2022–23 orange crop forecast update for the São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt, published on Dec. 12 by Fundecitrus and its cooperators, is 314.11 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms each. This update indicates that the crop remains within expectations in relation to the projected forecast in September, with an increase of only 20 thousand boxes, which …





























