transactions

Saving Citrus Growers Time and Money

Tacy CalliesWater

Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Citrus Task Force aims to improve grower services. With the citrus industry facing challenges due to hurricanes, greening and reduced production, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is working to improve services and business processes for citrus industry customers. SOLICITING FEEDBACKThat’s why District Executive Director Brian Armstrong formed the Citrus Task Force. It’s an …

Sneak Peek: May 2019 Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

The May issue of Citrus Industry magazine offers something for everyone. The diverse range of article topics in this issue is sure to be of interest to readers. First, growers will want to read the latest research on citrus tristeza virus (CTV). Although this is an old problem in Florida, it’s still a threat today — especially if you are …

plot

Grapefruit Grown Under Protective Screens Maximizes Fruit Yield

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, CUPS, Grapefruit, Industry News Release, Research

Growers of one of Florida’s signature citrus crops may see more production and possibly less of the deadly citrus greening disease. Researchers have worked for four years growing grapefruit under protective screens on a 1-acre experimental plot at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), and they’re seeing encouraging results. UF/IFAS scientists and a few commercial …

Cover Crops for Citrus

Tacy CalliesCover Crops

By Sarah Strauss, Davie Kadyampakeni, Ramdas Kanissery, Tara Wade, Lauren Diepenbrock and Juanita Popenoe Cover crops are specific crops not intended for sale but for soil improvement and sustainability. They are increasingly common in the agricultural fields of the Midwest and other grain-producing regions because of the wide range of benefits not just for the soil, but also the cash …

psyllids

Using Organic Insecticides for Psyllid Control

Ernie NeffOrganic, Pests

Organic insecticides rotated with either spray oil or insecticidal soap provided good Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) suppression in long-term studies in Florida, entomologist Jawwad Qureshi reported recently. Qureshi is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. Suppression of ACP is important because the pest spreads citrus …

IMG Citrus Adds 4,000-Acre Grove to Portfolio

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release

The future of Florida citrus is bright. IMG Citrus, a family-owned, vertically-integrated citrus grower, packer and shipper in Vero Beach, Florida, announced the acquisition of one of the largest grapefruit groves in St. Lucie County. The 4,000-acre grove increases IMG’s control of citrus land management in Florida by over 75 percent, securing the company’s position as an established citrus leader …

Citrus Grower Sees Success with Cover Crops

Tacy CalliesCover Crops

By Juanita Popenoe and Lauren Diepenbrock Ed James has citrus in his veins. He has been working and thriving in the citrus business since he was a teenager — from hoeing orange trees to owning a caretaking business that serviced thousands of acres. That is, until about eight years ago. In 2010, James looked around his personal 45-acre citrus grove …

production

Citrus Land Price Rises in Florida

Ernie NeffCitrus, Economics

The sales price of Florida citrus land rose in 2018, according to the Lay of the Land Market Report issued by Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate (CBCSRE) on March 29. The price per net-tree acre was approximately 5.8 percent higher than in 2017, and the gross acre price was approximately 9.2 percent higher than in 2017. “The large growers …

Indian River Citrus Agent Shares Goals

Ernie NeffProduction

Amir Rezazadeh discusses his role as the new multi-county citrus Extension agent for the Indian River production region. “I really want the growers to know that I’m here to support them,” says Rezazadeh, who has experience working in production. In addition to helping growers deal with greening disease, he says he wants to “introduce … new, high-value alternative crops” to …

june

All In For Citrus Podcast, March 2019

Taylor HillmanAll In For Citrus Podcast

March’s All In For Citrus podcast brings multiple citrus research updates to Florida’s citrus growers. Listen to the latest episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. First, Michael Rogers, center director of the University of Florida’s (UF) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC), discusses the upcoming Citrus Growers’ Institute. He discusses the planned seminar program, which is jam-packed with …

$3.5 Million Donation to Aid California Citrus Collection

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Industry News Release

The University of California, Riverside (UCR) has received a $3.5 million donation from Givaudan to support UCR’s Citrus Variety Collection. The gift will help build a screened structure to protect the collection from the impending threat of citrus greening disease, also known as huanglongbing (HLB). The 2.8-acre protective screened structure will house new trees and back-up collections of the UCR …

FDOC

Drone Images Can Accurately Find, Count Citrus Trees

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release, Research, Technology

By using drone technology, Florida citrus growers can find out how many trees live in their groves and, eventually, they may detect the health status of the trees, a new University of Florida study shows. Imaging from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can accurately detect and count citrus trees and spaces where trees have had to be removed in groves, said …

3 Enter Citrus Hall of Fame

Ernie NeffAwards

Tim Hurner, Peter McClure and the late Richard Kinney were inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame on March 8 in ceremonies at Florida Southern College (FSC). Hurner was a longtime Highlands County citrus Extension agent who directed the citrus horticulture program at FSC for several years. He called his time at FSC a career highlight, “working with young …

New Extension Agent for Indian River Citrus Growers

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release, Research

A horticultural research scientist with experience in the development of disease-free citrus rootstock and disease-tolerant citrus varieties in Iran’s northern agricultural region will now serve the Indian River District’s growers. Amir Rezazadeh recently began his new position as multicounty fruit and field crops agent for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension in Saint Lucie …

hlb

Large-Scale Citrus Field Trials Idea Surfaces

Daniel CooperCitrus, Citrus Greening, HLB Management, Research

Citrus research continues to be a topic in state and federal funding circles as the industry’s battle with HLB, or citrus greening, continues. One idea in the incubator of industry discussion is the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program. It would involve large-scale grower field trials throughout Florida. Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development …

florida citrus

Citrus Funding Could Remain Steady as Results Sought

Daniel CooperCitrus, Citrus Greening

Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Ron Bradley supports maintaining the current level of funding for the state’s citrus industry, as a decade of research about combating deadly citrus greening disease is applied more in groves. After hearing presentations Wednesday from citrus-industry leaders, Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said there “certainly” won’t be a drop from this year’s $23.2 million in funding. At the …

chemicals

Automated System Under Study to Deliver Bactericides

Daniel CooperCitrus Greening, Industry News Release, Research

Imagine using a robotic arm to grip and puncture the trunk of a citrus tree to deliver chemicals into the vascular parts of the plant, reducing its susceptibility to the citrus greening disease. Ozgur Batuman, an assistant professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), leads a team of researchers trying to …

mandarin

New Mandarin Gives Growers Advantages

Daniel CooperBreeding, Research

Commercial citrus growers will soon see a new seedless mandarin variety that stays on the tree longer, two traits farmers seek, say University of Florida scientists. Marathon, an early season mandarin, is also easy to peel and tastes good, said Fred Gmitter, a professor of breeding and genetics at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). …

hlb

Deadline Extended for Submitting HLB Project Applications

Tacy CalliesHLB Management, Research

The Huanglongbing Multi-Agency Coordination (HLB MAC) group is extending the deadline for submitting project applications to Friday, March 8, 2019. Information on applying for funding, including the application template, criteria for evaluation and the submission process, is available on the HLB MAC site.  The HLB MAC funds applied research projects that are likely to deliver a useable tool in the …

Indian River’s Grapefruit Plight

Ernie NeffGrapefruit

Florida grapefruit trees have taken a much harder hit from HLB, also known as greening disease, in recent years than orange trees have. Grapefruit production has plummeted drastically, and growers are desperately seeking ways to keep trees alive and productive. The fruit’s troubles have hit especially hard in the Indian River area, known worldwide for its grapefruit. Indian River Citrus …