Israel Citrus Exports Expected to Climb

Ernie NeffExport/Import

Exports of citrus from Israel in 2021-22 are forecast to reach 158,000 metric tons, up 16% from 2020-21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported. However, FAS cautioned that exports could be lower “if higher-than-normal freight costs and limited shipping options continue.” Israel is seeking new export markets that will be able to absorb its produce with …

Texas Researchers to Lead HLB Project

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Research

Scientists from Texas A&M AgriLife Research will lead a public-private collaboration across Texas, Florida, California and Indiana to advance new, environmentally friendly and commercially viable HLB control strategies. The $7 million, four-year AgriLife Research project is part of an $11 million suite of grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture. In addition to Texas …

HLB-Tolerant Tree Among CRDF Topics

Tacy CalliesCRDF

Research proposals and a newly discovered tree that shows tolerance to HLB were among the topics discussed at the Dec. 7 Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors meeting. Rick Dantzler, CRDF chief operating officer, provided a summary of actions taken at the meeting. OFFICERS AND DIRECTORSCRDF officers for the next two years were determined. Rob Atchley will …

California

HLB Quarantines Established in Alabama

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Regulation

Effective immediately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI), is establishing new quarantines for huanglongbing (HLB; citrus greening disease). The new quarantines are effective in all areas of Baldwin and Mobile counties in Alabama. APHIS is taking this action because of HLB detections in …

alico

Florida Citrus Company Says Production Down, Prices Up

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

Florida citrus company and landowner Alico, Inc. saw harvested boxes of fruit decrease during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 but got a boost from higher prices linked to consumer demand for orange juice. The company reported this in federal Securities and Exchange Commission filings released Tuesday. Alico said it harvested 6.4 million boxes of fruit during the year, …

Grapefruit Import Action Protested

Ernie NeffExport/Import, Grapefruit

The state agriculture commissioners for Florida and Texas recently urged U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to reinstate juice content requirements on grapefruit imports. They stated that a so-called “patch” issued earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture creates unfair advantages for Mexico and other countries over domestic grapefruit producers. “There appears to have been a ‘patch’ quietly …

PIECES OF THE PAST: A Thanksgiving Mantra

Tacy CalliesPieces of the Past

By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Several years ago, I was at the 2017 Florida Ag Hall of Fame dinner for my friend, Bernie Lester, who was being inducted that year. He recounted such a wonderful story during his speech that I asked him to send it to me so I would have it for the Citrus Archives, and I’d like to …

Mississippi

New HLB Find Is Likely Farthest North in Florida

Ernie NeffHLB Management

What is believed to be the most northern HLB find in Florida was made the first week of November in a backyard Satsuma tree in Tallahassee. A homeowner sent photos of the tree’s symptoms to Leon County Extension horticulture agent Mark Tancig, who collected samples that were confirmed as HLB. “I’ve told the homeowner he should remove it (the tree), …

California

HLB Research Funded for $11 Million

Ernie NeffResearch

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced an investment of nearly $11 million for research to combat HLB. “NIFA’s Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension program brings the nation’s top scientists together with citrus industry representatives to find scientifically sound solutions to combat and prevent HLB at the farm-level,” said NIFA Director Carrie …

mandarin

Breeders Discuss Favored Citrus Varieties

Ernie NeffVarieties

Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser discuss some relatively new varieties they like – a mandarin, some oranges and a pummelo-grapefruit hybrid. Gmitter and Grosser are University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant breeders at the Citrus Research and Education Center. SUGAR BELLE® MANDARIN“Looking at Sugar Belle® and its performance against citrus greening, it’s clearly one of …

California

Oak Leaf Extract Tested as HLB Tool

Ernie NeffHLB Management

In the search for solutions to HLB, a formulation based on oak leaf extract has been developed by citrus growers Travis Murphy and Tom Thayer, the Indian River Citrus League’s October River Ramblings newsletter reported. The formulation was developed following the growers’ observations that citrus trees under oak trees were free of HLB compared to nearby field trees that had …

Sneak Peek: November 2021 Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

The low initial U.S. citrus crop forecast for the 2021–22 season points to the need to plant more trees to sustain the country’s citrus industry. The November issue of Citrus Industry magazine features articles that will help growers take care of their young trees. Two articles help answer the question of what to plant. First, University of Florida’s (UF) Ute …

Gator Bites: Competition for Clementines

Ernie NeffVarieties

Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) Director Michael Rogers recently praised the Gator Bites mandarin variety that is being developed by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Gator Bites look like California clementines, branded as Cuties and Halos, but Rogers thinks Gator Bites is a better piece of fruit. “This makes the Cuties and Halos …

CUPS Not for All Citrus Growers

Tacy CalliesCUPS

One of the unique ways of managing citrus greening disease developed by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers is not for all producers. Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) is just too expensive for all growers to take advantage of, says Fred Gmitter, a UF/IFAS citrus breeder. “It’s an extremely expensive investment,” Gmitter says. “For that …

Survey Seeks Input on Fresh Fruit Decay

Ernie NeffFresh

Florida growers, packers and shippers of fresh fruit are being asked to take a survey that will help guide programs addressing fresh fruit decay. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Mark Ritenour said he’d like as many survey responses as possible by mid-November. Ritenour said funding has been provided from a Florida Citrus Packers/U.S. Department of …

HLB Research Is Focus of Short Videos

Ernie NeffHLB Management

Two short videos about HLB-related research were available at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) booth at Citrus Expo in August. The videos are available online for viewing. UF/IFAS researcher Tripti Vashisth narrated the video, HLB-Associated Preharvest Fruit Drop. She said up to 40% of fruit can drop from mildly HLB-symptomatic trees shortly before harvest, …

Millennium Block Field Day Draws Growers

Ernie NeffRootstocks, Varieties

More than 50 citrus growers and researchers attended a field day Oct. 14 in Fort Pierce to view 154 new citrus scion-rootstock combinations. Some of the combinations will result in trees that tolerate HLB. The Millennium Block Drive-Thru Field Day occurred at the University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC). …

Floridians Discuss HLB on Australia TV

Ernie NeffHLB Management

A Florida citrus grower and a Florida citrus researcher were quoted extensively in a recent Australia Broadcasting Corporation TV show about HLB. Grower Kyle Story and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant pathologist Megan Dewdney appeared in an approximately 12-minute segment of the show Landline. The segment’s focus was Australia’s effort to keep HLB out of …

Fungus Suppresses Asian Citrus Psyllids

Ernie NeffHLB Management

The citrus disease HLB, also known as citrus greening, has a formidable enemy in a fungal pathogen, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers reported. The fungus is Cordyceps javanica, strain Apopka, discovered by research scientist Lance Osborne in the mid-1980s. The fungus was isolated from dead insects on plants in a greenhouse at the UF/IFAS …

Making Sense of Biologicals: Seaweed for Citrus Stress Management

Tacy CalliesMSOB

Florida provides an environment conducive to producing a variety of crops 365 days a year. It has beautiful sunshine, an ideal climate and ample rainfall for most of the year. These conditions allow Florida growers to produce some of the best citrus in the world. But Florida citrus is not immune to the harsh realities that can come with growing …