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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “growers”
By Fernando Alferez and Saoussen Ben Abdallah The risk of citrus plantings to become infected with HLB is especially high for young trees, which flush frequently and attract more psyllids than mature trees. Individual protective covers (IPCs) are now being increasingly adopted to protect newly planted citrus trees from psyllid colonization. However, even though IPCs effectively protect young trees from …
Specialty crop growers might be aware of the disease sweeping through Florida’s citrus industry. Its impact has been tremendous and has tested the survival of the state’s signature crop. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the official confirmation of citrus greening disease (also known as huanglongbing or HLB) in Florida. In the past two decades, the state’s output …
Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are testing a new type of citrus tree that can fight off the HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The genetically modified tree has only been tested in the lab and the greenhouse but is very promising as a potential solution to HLB. The approach involves inserting a …
Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Government has partnered with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and Hort Innovation to prepare the citrus industry against huanglongbing (HLB). Although widespread in Asia and found in North and South America, HLB is not known to be present in Australia. The psyllid that spreads HLB is also absent from Australia. A collaborative research …
The Florida Citrus Show is scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2025. The event will be held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce. The Florida Citrus Show combines educational seminars for both …
Chilean lemon production is projected to grow by 2.6% in 2024–25, reaching 197,000 metric tons (MT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported. Chile’s lemon acreage is expected to reach 10,400 hectares, a 4.8% increase from 2023–24. The increase in area planted is a major reason for the expected production increase. The area planted with lemons …
A December Florida TaxWatch report, The Continuing Decline of Florida’s Citrus Industry, highlights the causes of the industry’s demise in recent decades. Edited excerpts follow: In the last 20 years, Florida’s total citrus production has decreased by more than 90%, from around 300 million boxes in 2003–04 to just 20 million boxes in 2023–24. The 2022–23 season was the worst …
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing an additional $650 million in funding for the new Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program and is extending the application deadline to Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. With a total of $2.65 billion available, MASC helps specialty crop producers expand markets and manage higher costs. FSA is also increasing …
By Lauren Diepenbrock Pest management is a year-round challenge in Florida citrus. With the warm climate, pests are at the ready as soon as plant resources are available to them. With knowledge of invertebrate biology in relation to tree phenology, growers can develop plans to protect fruit and maintain productive citrus trees. HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC PESTS Populations of some highly problematic …
The Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey seeks input from growers on key issues affecting their groves. While not a scientific survey, it has reflected general trends over the years. This year’s survey asked growers to weigh in on major events like the impact of Hurricane Milton and the performance of trunk-injection therapies. HURRICANE MILTON Hurricane Milton made landfall …
Cold weather is in the forecast with the potential for freezing temperatures in the coming days. That means citrus growers should be thinking about their plans for cold protection. Chris Oswalt, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus Extension agent for Polk and Hillsborough counties, recently joined the All In For Citrus podcast to provide details …
South African orange production and area under production are both forecast to increase by 1% in 2024–25 compared to the prior year. Orange juice production is projected to climb 4%. The forecasts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) are for 1.69 million metric tons (MMT) of orange production, 44,500 hectares of oranges planted, and orange …
Citrus growing is migrating to additional areas in Brazil, such as the Triângulo Mineiro region, the northwest of of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul. For this reason, Fundecitrus began testing insecticides in these areas and observed that some products, to which the HLB-spreading psyllid is often resistant, performed well in the initial evaluation. Fundecitrus researcher Marcelo Miranda said …
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) is accepting applications for its Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems (FARMS) cost-share program. The program expedites water resource development and alternative water supply projects on agricultural properties by providing funding assistance to implement production-scale best management practices (BMPs). To qualify for funding, projects must be located in the SWFWMD and include one or …
By Peter Chaires As fall approached and Hurricane Milton was not yet on the radar, growers were quietly discussing promising results from oxytetracycline (OTC) therapy. As one would expect, results are as variable as the products, methods of application and factors in the field. However, the view from 40,000 feet was encouraging. Growers not only reported positive observations in their …
Rodents, particularly rats, have wreaked havoc in California orchards and vineyards this year. Some growers have reported yield losses, damage to trees and destruction of irrigation lines, electrical wiring and other infrastructure. Farmers face soaring costs to replace what has been destroyed or damaged, but also to control populations of the pests. The rodent problem was initially reported in San …
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) estimated Hurricane Milton citrus production losses are from $23.1 million to $55.2 million in Florida. The UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP) stated that significant fruit drop was reported, especially on varieties that were ready for harvest. Impacted fruit included early oranges, tangerines and tangelos. Some growers also reported …
By Ute Albrecht, Gabriel Pugina and Caroline Tardivo Two years have passed since trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) was approved for HLB management in Florida. Many growers have adopted this technology. While most reported positive responses, others did not. The plant physiology team at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education …
There have been some changes and new opportunities for growers to benefit from a cost-share program available from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Office of Agricultural Water Policy (OAWP). We asked John “JP” Fraites to provide some insights on what the OAWP does and the cost-share program. First, what is your role with FDACS? FRAITES: As …
There’s been much talk about the “tree of the future” in the Florida citrus industry. That’s a tree with the trifecta of HLB-resistance, great quality and strong yield. So far, that perfect combination has not been found. But the search is on. This was a topic of discussion during the December episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Michael …
