 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “fruit drop”
By Tripti Vashisth and Troy Gainey In the last 11 years, Florida orange production has declined more than 60 percent. This dramatic reduction in yield is attributable to multiple causes, including loss of citrus acreage in the state, citrus canker and other diseases, but huanglongbing (HLB) is now recognized as the primary reason for declining citrus yields. HLB-affected trees are …
Several citrus growers attending a grower forum in Sebring last week said groves are looking very good even though fruit production is expected to be low this season. John Barben, a Highlands County grower and the new president of Florida Citrus Mutual, summarized the situation. “Trees are looking good,” Barben said. “We had a lot of rain the last couple …
By Bill Castle (Editor’s note: Click on the graphs throughout the article to enlarge them.) By classic biological definition, a particular citrus rootstock-scion combination when infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) would be considered tolerant if infected trees had no more than slight reductions in performance, sometimes accompanied by a reduced level of the pathogen. That definition implies that the …
By Stephanie Slinski and Harold Browning (Editor’s note: Click on the graphs throughout the article to enlarge them.) Bactericides have been available to growers as a new tool to improve the health of HLB-infected trees since early March 2016. This use has been under a crisis declaration from the Florida commissioner of agriculture, but on August 15 of this year, …
Jim Snively of Southern Gardens Citrus says his company is trying bactericides for HLB on one-tenth of its 10,000 citrus acres. The company is working with the Citrus Research and Development Foundation to analyze fruit drop, tree condition and more in blocks treated with bactericides. He believes it will take two to three years to determine if the bactericides are …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam expresses pleasure at celebrating the 25th Citrus Expo and dismay at a private citrus forecast of 60.5 million boxes of Florida oranges next season. “Boy, what a kick in the gut that forecast was,” says Putnam, who is a citrus grower. He notes that post-bloom fruit drop no doubt played a role in the …
BASF announces that Priaxor® fungicide has received federal and Florida approval for use on all citrus varieties in Florida. Priaxor® fungicide is already being used in sugarcane and vegetables throughout the state and the United States. Priaxor® fungicide is a mixture of the active ingredient in Headline® fungicide and a new systemic fungicide Xemium®. Testing in Florida has shown the …
With citrus growers trying to save their groves in the wake of the deadly greening disease, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher has found a new technique that could help growers answer a vexing question – why so much fruit is dropping to the ground prematurely. If we know why fruit is dropping, we can …
Florida Citrus Mutual CEO Mike Sparks discusses the association’s annual conference this week, including the election of a new association president, the U.S. presidential race from a tariff perspective, and postbloom fruit drop (PFD). During the conference, Mutual’s trade attorney reported on presidential candidates’ views regarding tariffs, which can impact citrus trade. Sparks comments on that report: “When you hear …
Postbloom fruit drop (PFD), along with the use of bactericides to control HLB, were the big issues for more than 40 participants in a grower roundtable Wednesday in Wauchula. LeAnna Himrod, one of the roundtable hosts, summarizes the issues addressed. Regarding bactericides, she reports: “There were a lot of questions about the bactericides regarding timing: What’s the best time of …
The 64th annual Citrus Packinghouse Day was held in early September at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. The event drew fresh fruit growers and packers from various parts of Florida. Presentations were given on shipping regulations, new varieties and citrus under protective screen (CUPS). Fresh fruit, …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS), cooperating with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, recently released Florida’s 2024–25 Citrus Summary: Production, Price Per Box and Production by County. PRODUCTION PLUNGESFlorida’s citrus production in 2024–25 was 14.6 million boxes, down 28% from the previous season’s 20.3 million boxes. Orange production dropped 32% to …
Minimal satsumas this harvest season will impact cold-hardy producers far beyond the loss of production in the region. MAINTENANCE MANDATORY Growers are now tasked with maintaining their groves when there is little to no fruit on the trees. It is a chore that producers should still follow through on, however, says Jake Price, University of Georgia (UGA) area citrus agent. …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced June 26 that it was establishing and expanding the quarantined areas for citrus canker in Texas to prevent the spread of the disease. The action was taken in cooperation with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). APHIS established a new quarantined area in the Harlingen Area of …
By Ramdas Kanissery As the summer season of weed control kicks off in citrus groves, now is the perfect time to make sure your spray rigs are set up for success. Effective weed control depends on: In many cases, poor herbicide performance is caused by two main issues: spraying at the wrong time and using incorrect application techniques. We’ve already …
Practices that might help with alternate bearing were recently addressed in a report by Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist. Alternate bearing, a common problem in many mandarin varieties, is the tendency of a tree to produce a heavy crop one year followed by a light crop the subsequent year. A slightly edited version …
As the rainy season in Florida is set to begin, we caught up with Megan Dewdney to discuss citrus canker and other disease issues. Dewdney is a plant pathologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Q: How has the prevalence of citrus canker been in Florida in the past year or so? A: Dewdney: Citrus …
Flavia Zambon, assistant professor with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, recently provided an update about Millennium Block research at the Indian River Research and Education Center. The block, established in 2019–20, is a large-scale, 5,500-tree trial seeking HLB-tolerant citrus varieties. Zambon says some varieties in the trial are showing strong fruit attributes without the need …
Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, recently wrote about the causes of alternate bearing in Georgia groves. Alternate bearing is a common problem in many mandarin varieties. A slightly edited version of Sutton’s report follows. CARBOHYDRATES During photosynthesis, leaves produce sugars that are either exported and utilized for growth or stored as starch in …
A new pictorial guide can help California growers differentiate between the damages caused by the same pest on different citrus varieties. Comparing the Fruit Rind Scarring That Three Early-Season Pests Cause in Mandarin Species and Sweet Orange was published by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Early-season insect pests — such as katydids, earwigs and citrus thrips — feeding …
