A bit of weight was lifted off of Florida citrus growers’ shoulders after hearing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s initial 2016–17 Florida citrus crop forecast that calls for 70 million boxes of oranges. Citrus industry members gathered at Florida Citrus Mutual’s Political Action Committee Clay Shoot and Crop Estimate Luncheon to hear the live forecast from Southeast AgNet. The event, …
Joe Davis Jr. Predicts Orange Crop Size; Discusses PFD Impact
Grower Joe Davis Jr., a panelist at a Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association gathering Thursday, says he expects a Florida orange crop of 61 to 70 million boxes this season. Last season’s Florida orange crop was 81.5 million boxes. “Our groves are down,” Davis says. “We’re guessing that earlies and mids will probably be down about 10 percent, and …
Peace River Growers Discuss Citrus Issues
Six citrus growers shared their views on a wide range of topics with about 50 fellow producers at a Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association (PRVCGA) gathering Thursday in Bowling Green. PRVCGA Executive Director LeAnna Himrod, who posed questions for the panelists, summarizes the discussions by topic. Crop size: “I think that everyone’s expecting it to be lower than last …
How to Irk the Crop Forecast Lady
Candi Erick is keenly involved in production of Florida’s citrus crop forecasts. She’s easy to get along with, but there is one way to get under her skin. By Ernie Neff If you want to irritate Candi Erick, whose primary job is overseeing data collection leading to Florida’s citrus crop forecasts, just tell her, “It’s good enough for government work.” …
Pruning to Rehabilitate HLB-Affected Sweet Orange Trees
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 …
Trees Look Good but PFD and HLB Will Impact Yield
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 …
HLB and ‘Tolerance’ as a Practical Matter in Choosing Rootstocks
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 …
Bactericide Survey Results Summary
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, …
Snively Discusses Use of Bactericides for HLB
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 …
Putnam: Private Citrus Forecast ‘a Kick in the Gut’
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 Label for Priaxor® Fungicide for Florida Citrus
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 …
New Method Tells Growers More About Citrus Decay
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 …
Sparks Discusses Citrus Tariffs and PFD
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 …
PFD, Bactericides for HLB are Top Citrus Grower Concerns
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 …
Irrigation and Nutrition Critical During Citrus Flush
In the March episode of the All In For Citrus podcast, Tripti Vashisth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center assistant director, discusses demands that the recent freeze and ongoing drought have been putting on trees. Both factors heighten the importance of irrigation and fertilization. Vashisth notes the freeze knocked a lot …
Forecast Projects Increased Florida Citrus Crops
Despite a winter freeze in Florida that many thought would reduce the citrus crop, the April 9 federal citrus forecast increased production estimates for all Florida varieties. The forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) also included forecasts for other U.S. citrus-producing states. FLORIDAThe new orange forecast for Florida is 12.2 million boxes, up …
Florida’s Replanting Era: What it Means for OJ Demand
By Marisa Zansler Over the past year, there has been a discreet change occurring in the orange juice (OJ) aisle amid supply shortages. Some of the familiar OJ cartons have changed, not in name but in composition. With Florida’s smaller crop and limited global OJ supplies, Florida’s processors have stretched that limited supply by offering more products that blend OJ …
When and How To Use Silicon for Freeze Protection and Recovery
By Muhammad A. Shahid and Davie Kadyampakeni Silicon (Si) is getting a lot of attention from citrus growers as a tool to help trees handle stress, especially during cold and freeze conditions. It toughens up plant tissues, strengthens cell walls and helps trees better handle stress when it is applied at the right time. BEFORE FREEZE The most important thing …
Cold-Hardy Citrus Damage Expected From Incoming Freeze
Trees in the cold-hardy citrus region have already experienced severe cold weather in 2026. If forecasts come to fruition this weekend, freezing temperatures will make things worse. Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, discussed the impact of recent sub-freezing temperatures that citrus in North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama has been subjected to. …
Postfreeze Citrus Management
By Muhammad A. Shahid, KeAndre Leaks and Davie M. Kadyampakeni Right after a freeze, you may notice new growth turning black and leaves hardening, yellowing or looking water-soaked. About a week after a severe freeze, leaves may start to curl and turn brown. Leaves and fruits may begin to drop. Do not attempt any recovery treatments immediately after a freeze. …





























