“This year we’re really doubling down and looking to improve our communications even further,” says Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC). “Communications continue to be our focus in the statewide IFAS citrus program.” A big part of the communication effort is getting information to growers …
Georgia Citrus Association to Host Annual Conference
By Clint Thompson Georgia growers interested in adding citrus to their farming operation are invited to the fourth annual Georgia Citrus Association Conference on Monday, Feb. 24, at the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton Campus Conference Center. Scientists from UGA and the University of Florida, as well as producers who are already growing citrus trees, will be in attendance to …
Sneak Peek: February 2020 Citrus Industry Magazine
The February issue of Citrus Industry magazine lets growers know what diseases to be on the lookout for this season and how best to spot them in the grove. University of Florida (UF) researchers Megan Dewdney and Evan Johnson give citrus growers tips on planning for disease management in 2020 in their article. Citrus canker, greasy spot, melanose, black spot …
All In For Citrus Podcast, January 2020
The first episode of the year of the All In For Citrus Podcast includes efforts to get research information out to growers, threshold numbers on production costs that are a little shocking with current juice prices the way they are, nutrition programs that continue to help manage HLB-affected trees, and breeding work to solve citrus challenges. Senior Correspondent-at-Large Ernie Neff …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Twenty-Twenty Vision
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Here we are in 2020. It’s hard to believe that time is flying by so fast. I’m now in the older generation! This makes me want to preserve as many memories as possible before they’re lost and forgotten. Approximately 30 people showed up at a recent Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Oral History Luncheon at the …
Purple Guts? You’ve Got Lebbeck Mealybugs!
One of Lauren Diepenbrock’s props at a Jan. 14 OJ break at the Citrus Research and Education Center was a paper plate bearing the message “Easy diagnostic: smashed lebbeck mealybug = purple guts.” Diepenbrock, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomologist, explains the meaning of the plate’s message. UF/IFAS researcher Lance Osborne found a lebbeck …
HLB: Learning From Brazil
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher Rhuanito (Johnny) Ferrarezi reports on a trip to Brazil to learn about HLB control methods. Ferrarezi, who works at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center, made the trip with former multi-county citrus Extension agent Steve Futch. “Their disease incidence is way lower than in Florida,” Ferrarezi says. …
Georgia Citrus Industry Gaining Ground
By Clint Thompson Georgia’s citrus industry is expected to double in acreage by the end of 2020, according to Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association. The projected increase from 1,000 to nearly 2,000 acres this year presents the growers with an interesting challenge as they prepare for when these trees start producing fruit. “We project by the end …
Citrus Pest Management: More Than Just Psyllids
By Lauren Diepenbrock Non-psyllid, soft-bodied insects are common in Florida citrus. Their ability to cause damage varies by pest, pest population size, tree age and tree variety. Soft-bodied insects include scales, mealybugs, whiteflies and aphids, all of which are small and can be hard to detect until the telltale sign of sooty mold development appears on their excrement (honeydew) or …
Hemp Plant Options and Advice
Adam Elend, CEO of Florigrown, LLC, addresses the four main options for starting industrial hemp plants in the field and offers some advice for choosing suppliers. Elend reports in-depth on the pros and cons of three types of hemp seed in an interview at the end of this article. The fourth option for planting is cuttings. “In an unpredictable world, …
Orange Opportunities
New sweet orange cultivars for processing can be harvested throughout the Florida citrus season. By Jude Grosser, Fred Gmitter and Bill Castle Florida orange juice has always been the gold standard among the growing portfolio of fruit juices and blends available to consumers. However, the now endemic citrus greening disease or huanglongbing (HLB) threatens this status by causing reduced fruit …
Fast, Inexpensive Soil pH Testing
Multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt took several baggies of soil to an OJ break he hosted Jan. 14 at the Citrus Research and Education Center. He inserted a handheld pH meter into the soil in one of the baggies and within seconds told watching growers the content’s pH level. “Soil pH is real important, especially with HLB-infected trees today,” …
Fried on Florida Citrus Production Update
(FDACS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service has released an updated Florida citrus production estimate for the 2019-20 crop year, forecasting a 10 percent increase for Florida grapefruit and predicting that Florida orange production will hold steady at 74 million boxes. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried offered the following statement: “Today’s updated citrus forecast is encouraging. It’s a direct …
CRDF Has Spent $149 Million
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) has spent $149 million during 10 years of existence, Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler reports. He adds that 457 projects have been funded. Dantzler made a report on total CRDF activities to the group’s board of directors in November. He also announced a new slate of CRDF officers. “This has been quite an …
The ABCs of Psyllid Management
By Lukasz L. Stelinski and Jawwad A. Qureshi Getting rid of Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) from your grove is almost like trying to remove the sand from a beach. You can make a huge noticeable impact, but getting every last grain of sand will be impossible. What makes the prospect of ACP management so complex is achieving it in a …
Seeking Profits With Hemp
The fact that growers will be able to legally grow industrial hemp in Florida doesn’t necessarily mean the crop can be grown successfully, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) official says. “There is a huge interest in industrial hemp in the state of Florida,” says Jerry Fankhauser, assistant director of the UF/IFAS Florida Agricultural Experiment …
Supporting Citrus Researchers for 37 Years
Barbara Thompson worked approximately 37 years helping Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) scientists publish manuscripts that aided growers and others in Florida’s citrus industry. For the last several years, she also took over the CREC reception area. She greeted visitors, answered phones and helped growers locate the proper researcher or other agency that could answer their questions. She retired …
HLB and Grove Budgeting
Citrus Research and Education Center Director Michael Rogers says while much progress has been made in dealing with HLB, many growers now face economic woes because of high orange juice inventories. He discusses some decisions that growers facing those economic issues will have to make and offers some suggestions. “We’ve come a long way since HLB came to Florida,” Rogers …
New Varieties and Juice Blends Discussed
Growers recently sampled and graded new fruit varieties, as well as some juice blends, at University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) fruit display events. UF/IFAS plant breeder Jude Grosser commented on the fruit varieties and juice following a sampling event at the Citrus Research and Education Center. “It’s kind of neat because when we first started …
Sneak Peek: January 2020 Citrus Industry Magazine
The January issue of Citrus Industry magazine offers management advice for controlling the most problematic pests found in Florida groves. While Asian citrus psyllids (ACP) remain the biggest challenge, there are other pests of concern that shouldn’t be overlooked. Grower Chip Henry discusses his successful use of a natural insect control option that both organic and conventional growers may want …