“If you see poo on it, don’t pick it.” That advice from citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt summarized a portion of training aimed at helping fresh citrus growers comply with the federal Produce Safety Rule. The section addressed wildlife and domestic animals in groves. The Produce Safety Rule is a key part of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Oswalt was …
COVID-19 and Food Safety: Facts vs. Fiction
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experts want to help dispel a media-dispersed untruth about COVID-19. UF/IFAS scientists offering accurate information and food safety tips to the citrus industry about COVID-19 include Travis Chapin, Michelle Danyluk, Renee Goodrich Schneider and Keith Schneider. According to the UF/IFAS scientists, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Wind of Change
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette 2020 is the 93rd anniversary of Flamingo Groves, the forerunner of Flamingo Gardens. The founders, Floyd L. and Jane Wray, moved to Florida in 1925 where he sold real estate. The following year, on Sept. 19, a devastating hurricane decimated the area and changed their lives. D.L. Gregory was staying with the Wrays during the hurricane …
Orange Juice Sales Are Soaring
Ned Hancock, chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC), reports that concerns over COVID-19 are increasing the demand for healthy foods and beverages, including orange juice. The FCC is the governing body of the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC). “A Nielsen retail sales report indicates that many Americans are turning to 100 percent orange juice (OJ) during this time,” says …
Irrigation Management for Young Citrus Trees
By Davie Kadyampakeni, Arnold Schumann, Mongi Zekri and Chris Oswalt Irrigation management is important for achieving optimal citrus tree growth and promoting high water- and nutrient-use efficiencies in young trees. In the era of HLB, poor water-management practices, such as infrequent irrigation, lead to water stress in trees resulting in limited growth and impaired root development. On the other hand, …
UF Citrus Entomologist Receives Recognition
(UF/IFAS) — One of the University of Florida’s (UF) most promising professors has been nationally recognized as an industry leader for her scholarship and service. Lauren Diepenbrock, an assistant professor of entomology working at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center recently received the 2019 Southern Region Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center Friends …
Citrus Research and Development Foundation Updates
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) agreed March 24 to seek very focused research projects that will answer growers’ questions about proper nutrition in the face of HLB. The questions were formulated by CRDF’s Nutrition Working Group, a panel of growers, scientists and others. FOCUS ON NUTRITION “We know it’s (nutrition) important and we have to get it right …
Sneak Peek: April 2020 Citrus Industry Magazine
As everyone strives to stay healthy amid the coronavirus crisis, the April issue of Citrus Industry magazine focuses on another kind of health — young tree health. In the first of four articles focused on practices for planting new trees, University of Florida (UF) researchers Ozgur Batuman and Megan Dewdney give growers advice on what to watch for when receiving …
Rootstock Selection Made Easier
The recently released fourth edition of the Florida Citrus Rootstock Selection Guide is “way more user friendly” than past editions, one of its authors says. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher Rhuanito “Johnny” Ferrarezi says “a completely redesigned website” is what makes the guide so useful for growers. Ferrarezi works as an assistant professor at …
All In For Citrus Podcast, March 2020
The March episode of the All In For Citrus podcast covers how the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) is operating under COVID-19 restrictions and some of the research that continues. CREC Center Director Michael Rogers starts the episode with the impacts COVID-19 is having on the citrus research team …
Even in Times of Crisis, Citrus Research Continues
(UF/IFAS) —The coronavirus has upended daily routines, events and schedules. From work to schools to shopping, every aspect of life changed overnight and continues to change with each passing day. Even with a global pandemic, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus researchers plow forward in their quest to find answers to fighting the devastating disease …
FDOC Beefs Up Promotions
At the guidance of state health officials in response to coronavirus (COVID-19), the Florida Citrus Commission met telephonically on March 18. At the meeting, commissioners voted to beef up Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) efforts to promote Florida citrus products. “We agreed to allocate another $500,000 out of our fund balance for media enhancement to our current marketing and promotion …
Effect of Planting Density and Enhanced Nutrition on Grapefruit
By Rhuanito Soranz Ferrarezi, Dinesh Phuyal, Davie Kadyampakeni and Kelly Morgan The Indian River District is the world’s premier grapefruit production region due to a warm, ocean-facing humid climate and Flatwoods soils. The geographical location leads to the production of fruit with thin rinds and exceptional juice and color that has been a high-value export delicacy in Europe and Asia. …
Hemp Advice: Start Small, Be Cautious
There are numerous challenges facing potential growers of industrial hemp in Florida, said Jerry Fankhauser at the recent Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference. Fankhauser is assistant director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station and lead oversight manager of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Industrial Hemp Pilot Project. Researchers involved in the project are looking …
North Florida Meeting Addresses Citrus Production Practices
By Clint Thompson Citrus was the focus of an annual meeting held in Quincy, Florida, on March 12. Growers from Florida and Georgia converged at the North Florida Research and Education Center to learn about various citrus management practices for the region. GROWER-GUIDED AGENDA Danielle Sprague, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension agent in Jefferson …
Keeping Fresh Fruit Marketable
Mark Ritenour with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) discusses research efforts to keep Florida’s fresh fruit marketable. Ritenour is a postharvest horticulturist at the Indian River Research and Education Center. Ritenour begins with maximum residue limit requirements for chemicals in fresh citrus for export. A UF/IFAS website provides pesticide residue limits by various major …
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame: Inductees and More
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Executive Director Brenda Eubanks Burnette names the latest inductees and discusses the organization. Citrus Industry magazine editor Tacy Callies interviewed Burnette at the 2020 Florida Citrus Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 6 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Burnette says this year was “the first time that I can remember … that all …
Now Is the Time to Watch for PFD
With bloom breaking out in Florida citrus groves, plant pathologist Megan Dewdney recommended growers keep an eye out for postbloom fruit drop (PFD). Dewdney works for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. “We have actually observed some diseased flowers,” Dewdney said March 3 at an OJ …
Fried Addresses Citrus Issues
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried delivered the keynote address at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Lakeland on March 6. She also discussed citrus issues with Citrus Industry magazine editor Tacy Callies. Fried says the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), which she directs, is working with the state Legislature on a variety of budget …
Advice for Psyllid/HLB Control
Even with the virtually 100 percent level of HLB infection found in Florida citrus trees, reducing Asian citrus psyllids improves tree health and yield, entomologist Lukasz Stelinski says. Stelinski is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center. Stelinski reports that trials the late UF/IFAS researcher Phil Stansly …