crop insurance

Post-Irma Crop Insurance Adjustments Flawed

Ernie Neffcrop insurance

Lakeland agricultural attorney Michael Martin discusses shortcomings he says persisted in the adjustment of crop insurance for citrus following Hurricane Irma in September 2017. “What we found out was that the loss adjustment manual in crop insurance talks about above-ground injury, which if you have freeze damage is very helpful,” Martin says. “But the loss adjustment manual doesn’t address the …

Sneak Peek: September 2018 Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

Some fruit drop in citrus is a naturally occurring process, but other types of drop can and should be avoided. In the September issue of Citrus Industry magazine, University of Florida researchers discuss HLB-associated pre-harvest fruit drop and glyphosate-related fruit drop. Not only does HLB increase fruit drop, it also negatively impacts fruit flavor. Another research article in the September …

Citrus Expo Presentations Now Available

Abbey TaylorCitrus Expo

The 27th annual Citrus Expo saw great success as growers piled into the Lee Civic Center on Aug. 15–16 in North Fort Myers, Florida. Growers experienced the biggest trade show in Citrus Expo history, as well as extended citrus seminar sessions. The educational program, titled “Planting Tomorrow’s Profits,” featured presentations on the latest research from the University of Florida Institute …

aphis

Florida Citrus Acreage Declines Again

Ernie NeffAcreage

Florida’s citrus acreage continued a long descent in 2018, decreasing 2 percent to 447,012 acres. The total number of acres is the least since the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service began keeping count in 1966. The 2018 count was released on Aug. 28. There was a gross loss of 20,114 acres in 2018, partially offset by new …

Global Perspectives

Brazil’s Citrus Forecast for 2018–19

Tacy CalliesGlobal Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves The season’s first orange crop forecast is one of the most important numbers of the year for Brazil’s orange juice business. The citrus forecast for 2018–19 was published on May 9 by Fundecitrus, in cooperation with Markestrat, University of São Paulo and São Paulo State University. SIZE AND VARIETIES Brazil expects 288.29 million boxes of oranges …

The Road to Recovery

Tacy Callieshurricane

Growers discuss lessons learned from Hurricane Irma, replanting plans, grove rehabilitation, crop insurance and more. By Tacy Callies Florida citrus growers awaiting Hurricane Irma federal aid and insurance payouts are doing their best to keep crops healthy until more money is available. Paul Meador, citrus grower and head of Everglades Harvesting & Hauling in LaBelle, took a big hit from …

citrus research

CRDF 2018 Funding Cycle Is in Full Swing

Tacy CalliesCitrus

Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) On April 24, the CRDF board of directors approved research priorities for two separate research funding programs. One is for projects that will lead directly to the development of commercial products, tools or recommendations (Commercial Product Development Committee, CPDC-18). The other is for projects with broader, fundamental researchable questions (Research …

Managing Mites in Florida Citrus

Tacy CalliesPests

By Lukasz L. Stelinski, Jawwad A. Qureshi and Philip A. Stansly Florida citrus is host to four main groups of mites categorized by differences in lineage and morphology. However, only rust mites, spider mites and broad mites historically cause economic damage to commercially grown citrus in the state. The fourth group, referred to as false spider mites, are vectors elsewhere …

Current Considerations for Citrus Irrigation Management

Tacy CalliesIrrigation

Growers can use these tips and tools for trees impacted by HLB and Hurricane Irma. By Davie Kadyampakeni, Kelly Morgan, Mongi Zekri, Rhuanito Ferrarezi, Arnold Schumann and Thomas A. Obreza Water is a limiting factor in Florida citrus production during the majority of the year. This is because of the low water-holding capacity of sandy soils resulting from low clay …

How Will Irma Affect Citrus Canker Management?

Tacy CalliesDiseases

By Evan G. Johnson The citrus canker season is quickly approaching again, so it is time to start planning your canker management program to avoid fruit drop and fresh-market quality loss. It is easy to forget the importance of controlling citrus canker with the current state of HLB in Florida. However, citrus canker can cause almost complete crop loss if …

root

Tips for Post-Hurricane Tree Recovery

Ernie Neffhurricane

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences horticulturist Evan Johnson offers care tips for trees recovering from Hurricane Irma. A key suggestion is not to push the growth of trees damaged by the storm. Johnson notes that many trees suffered from standing in water for five days and more, and from having leaves blown off. Those issues lead …

crdf

Update on Thermotherapy Research

Tacy CalliesNews from our Sponsor, Thermotherapy

Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation As early as 1965, high-temperature treatments were shown to reduce HLB bacterial infection without killing the tree. Trials [Ehsani, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS)] using portable, semi-transparent, plastic houses were placed over trees, achieved temperatures of above 120 F for several hours over several days, and reduced …

Tools for Integrated Management of Citrus Psyllids and Leafminers

Tacy CalliesPests, Psyllids, Research

By Jawwad A. Qureshi, Philip A. Stansly and Lukasz L. Stelinski Pest management has always been important for citrus production in Florida. It has become even more critical following invasion of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and citrus leafminer (CLM), due to their association with huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening) and canker diseases, respectively. ACP and CLM develop and reproduce …

Sneak Peek: February 2018 Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

The cover of the February issue of Citrus Industry magazine features a familiar face at the Citrus Research and Education Center. Jude Grosser has been a part of the University of Florida facility for more than three decades. He tells about the citrus variety research he has accomplished so far, as well as the goals he is still striving to …

HLB

Millennium Block Resurrected for HLB Research

Ernie NeffGrapefruit, HLB Management

An approximately 35-acre research plot that fell victim to citrus canker years ago will soon become a new research site helping growers pick trees that fare best with HLB. The plot at the Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce will keep its former name, the Millennium Block. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences …

Pruning and Controlled-Release Fertilizer to Rehabilitate HLB Trees

Tacy CalliesNutrition, Production

By Tripti Vashisth and Troy Gainey Pruning is one of the oldest horticultural practices that changes the form and growth of a tree. The pruning process 1) adjusts tree shape and the ratio of framework to fruit-bearing shell of the canopy, 2) alters the shoot/root ratio and 3) changes the carbohydrate (food storage) status of the tree. Under Florida weather …

Citrus Expo

Impacts of Hurricane Irma on HLB Field Research

Tacy CalliesNews from our Sponsor

By Harold Browning Column sponsored by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation The effects of Hurricane Irma in early September on the Florida citrus industry were obvious and immediate. Serious loss of this year’s fruit crop, tree damage and standing water in groves were experienced. Every effort must be made to address these impacts on Florida citrus growers. The hurricane …

Addressing Claims of Herbicide in Orange Juice

Tacy CalliesFood Safety

By Kevin M. Folta A number of websites recently made claims about detection of the herbicide glyphosate in orange juice from several leading brands1-3. It is important to understand the claims, who is making them, and how to communicate the actual risk, which the science says approaches zero. WHAT IS THE CLAIM? Moms Across America (MAM) claims that it has …

USDA Responds to Skepticism About Citrus Forecast

Ernie NeffCrop Forecast

The season’s initial U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) citrus crop forecast for Florida, issued Oct. 12, was met with skepticism soon after being released. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam and Florida Citrus Mutual both expressed concern that the 54 million-box Florida orange projection did not adequately reflect damage created by Hurricane Irma. Mutual, the state’s largest citrus grower organization, …

Florida Senate Agriculture Committee Hears About Citrus Damage

Abbey Taylorhurricane, Legislative, Weather

Citrus was a hot topic Thursday morning during the Florida Senate Agriculture Committee meeting in Tallahassee to discuss hurricane damage to Florida agriculture. Led by Chairperson Denise Grimsley, the committee heard from two sets of panelists as they explained the damage in their respective industries. The Florida Department of Citrus was represented by citrus grower Ellis Hunt in one of …