UC Davis Seeking a Few Good Citrus Orchards

Len WilcoxCitrus

Professor Patrick Brown, of the University of California, Davis Department of Plant Sciences, needs the help of some citrus growers with high-producing citrus orchards for a special project. He is looking for growers who have both navels and mandarins that are productive. “It’s a non-destructive study. We just want to collect leaf samples and analyze them for nutrient levels,” said …

Sneak Peek: June 2017 Citrus Industry Magazine

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Sneak Peek

There is no doubt that the biggest risk Florida citrus growers currently face is HLB disease. But there are many other risks that can and should be managed effectively. University of Florida’s Ariel Singerman and Steve Futch provide risk management advice for growers in the June issue of Citrus Industry magazine. Their article offers practical information on production, market, financial, …

HLB

New CRDF Manager Will Push HLB Solutions

Ernie NeffCitrus Greening, HLB Management

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) will soon hire another top administrator to ensure potential HLB solutions make it to the grove. The application period for a senior project manager ends May 24. Rick Kress, CRDF vice president and Governance Committee chairman, discusses the need for the position and the manager’s duties. “Right now, the entire citrus industry, specifically …

Lawsuit Filed to Stop Argentine Lemons

Len WilcoxCitrus

California lemon growers are suing the U.S. government for allowing Argentine lemons into the United States. The U.S. Citrus Science Council (USCSC), representing approximately 750 family citrus farmers, has filed the lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in federal district court in Fresno, California. Members of the California citrus industry are challenging the rule because the Administrative Procedure …

AgNet Hosts ‘This Week in Agribusiness’ — An Epilogue

Abbey TaylorAgriculture

By Gary Cooper AgNet Media Founder and President I recently connected with Max Armstrong, host of the nationally syndicated “This Week in Agribusiness” television program, for a fast-paced rural area and farm tour in Central Florida. It turned out to be a great opportunity for all involved, especially for Florida, which deserves more and better national media attention as an …

HLB

Grower Discusses Many HLB-Related Issues

Ernie NeffBactericides, Citrus Greening, HLB Management

Wauchula citrus grower and orange grove salesman Kenny Sanders was one of the growers sharing experiences at a recent grower roundtable meeting in Wauchula. Sanders tells why he attends the meetings and discusses several practices aimed at coping with HLB. “This is very interesting,” Sanders says of the roundtable meetings. “We hear from the growers ourselves, and today we learned …

Dual Treatment Tested for HLB Trees

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Nutrition

Severe pruning combined with enhanced foliar nutrition did not prove cost-effective. By Monica Ozores-Hampton, Fritz Roka, Robert Rouse and Pamela Roberts Citrus trees affected by huanglongbing (HLB) become diminished, weak and develop dieback resulting in reduced production. Decline in fruit yield ultimately prevents economically acceptable commercial citrus production. Pruning and spraying foliar nutritionals are two practices being considered to restore …

AgNet Hosts ‘This Week in Agribusiness’ — A Citrus Update

Josh McGillCitrus

By Gary Gooper AgNet Media Founder and President Editor’s note: Read the prologue to this article. This week, I accompanied television program host and anchor Max Armstrong of the nationally-syndicated ag news program “This Week in Agribusiness” to guide him on a quick tour of Central Florida and help bring his audience up to date on the Florida citrus situation. …

Citrus Expo Season Has Started

Tacy CalliesCitrus Expo

Online pre-registration is now open for the 2017 Citrus Expo. The 26th annual event will take place August 16-17 at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers, Florida. The theme of this year’s Citrus Expo seminar program will be Challenge, Change and Opportunity. By attending the seminars, growers will be able to earn continuing education units toward a Florida …

mandarin

UF-Developed Mandarin Shows Increased HLB Tolerance

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release, Research

by Brad Buck, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences While citrus greening disease has blemished the Florida industry, University of Florida scientists have developed a mandarin hybrid that seems to be winning the battle. Now, researchers are learning what makes this fruit a fighter. University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have discovered that a mandarin …

App Identifies Nutrient Problems

Tacy CalliesNutrition

A Dinuba, California-based company specializing in plant nutrition has developed a phone app that helps growers identify and treat crop nutrient deficiencies. The company — Nutrient Technologies, Inc. — has been manufacturing and selling agricultural fertilizer products since 1986 in the Central Valley and throughout California, specializing in citrus crops. The app, called Crop Nutrient Advisor, shows photos of plants …

An Update on UF/IFAS-Grower Citrus Nutrition Trials

Tacy CalliesNutrition

By Tripti Vashisth Mineral nutrition plays an essential role in a plant’s life cycle and is critical for its growth and development. Since the early 19th century, the importance of mineral nutrition for plants has been recognized, and fertilization has become an important aspect of crop production. At least 17 mineral nutrients are considered essential for plants. These include carbon, …

usda

USDA Citrus Crop Forecast

The first USDA citrus crop forecast for the 2024-25 season is scheduled to be released at 12:00 noon Eastern Time/9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Oct. 11, 2024. You will be able to tune in and hear the numbers as they are given by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. Click on the player below to hear the …

psyllids

Two Big Psyllid Questions Answered

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Psyllids

Michael Rogers with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) says growers frequently ask him two questions. One is whether they need to continue to control HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllids even though HLB is widespread in Florida. The other is about the best time to spray for psyllids. Rogers, an entomologist and director of the UF/IFAS …

citrus forecast

European Union Trade Breakthrough for U.S. Citrus

Daniel CooperCitrus, Trade

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Acting U.S. Trade Representative Stephen Vaughn announced that the European Union (EU) has amended its requirements for imports of U.S. citrus. Specifically, the EU has dropped its requirement that U.S. groves be surveyed for citrus canker, which eases entry of U.S. citrus into the EU market and saves growers millions of dollars in …

Argentine Lemons Entering U.S. Market Despite Objections

Len WilcoxCalifornia Corner, Legislative, Trade

The Trump administration is moving to permanently allow Argentine lemons to enter the U.S. market. This is despite objections from California citrus growers and warnings of dire consequences for California lemons, including exposing the industry to new pests and diseases. “It is evident that the California citrus industry is the pawn in a greater trade deal between the Trump administration …

New Packing Shed Shows Growth of Organic Citrus

Len WilcoxOrganic

The first organic packing shed in California’s Imperial Valley is scheduled to begin operations in August of this year. The shed will be owned and operated by Doc’s Organics, which grows 630 acres of organic citrus in the valley. The facility is currently under construction in Westmoreland. The shed was financed in part by an Agricultural Benefit Program loan from …

Controlled-Release Fertilizer Boosts Health of HLB Trees (Part 2)

Tacy CalliesCitrus, Nutrition

By Pete Spyke, Joby Sherrod and Jude Grosser Part 1 of this article, published in the April 2017 issue of Citrus Industry magazine, provided some background information on controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) along with a discussion of practical applications in citrus production. This article, part 2, includes summaries of observations from several case studies in which CRF has been applied for …

Summer Citrus from South Africa Planning Sessions 2017

Summer Citrus from South Africa Hosts 2017 Planning Session

Daniel CooperCitrus, Industry News Release

This year’s Annual Planning Meeting, hosted by Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) brought members from across the United States and Western Cape together to review sales and marketing plans, production volumes, shipping schedules and category trends to support the 2017 season. Seald Sweet International’s Mayda Sotomayor opened the planning sessions by introducing the growers, importers, retailers, marketing team and …

Psyllids

Psyllids: Windbreaks, Grove Orientation and Tree Planting

Ernie NeffHLB Management, Psyllids

Populations of HLB-spreading psyllids in groves can be impacted by windbreaks, grove orientation and whether new plantings are resets or solid settings. So says Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski, an entomologist with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “Windbreaks are one of the best things that you can do in terms of protecting the grove,” Pelz-Stelinski says. She says …