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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “growers”
During the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference earlier this month, Tamara Wood, executive director of the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation, gave an update on a new phase of the CRAFT program. Started in 2019, CRAFT was initially focused on new plantings. The program helps growers cover the cost of new plantings if they agree to an experimental …
Speaking at the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference in June, Scott Angle, leader of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), reaffirmed the urgency the institution has placed on finding viable solutions to HLB. This includes presenting the citrus industry with a road-map document to lay out UF/IFAS HLB research priorities and objectives. One of the approaches …
The July issue of Citrus Industry magazine focuses on the latest work to breed better citrus trees. Chief among the goals is developing varieties resistant or tolerant to HLB. A trio of articles will give readers an inside look at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA …
By Danielle Sprague Williams In North Florida and South Georgia, there has been a significant growth in citrus production due to the relatively mild winters, advances in freeze protection and cold-hardy citrus varieties. In addition to this, there is a relatively low incidence of the citrus greening pathogen and its vector, the Asian citrus psyllid. Due to these factors, many …
In late February, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) pushed through a new methodology used to determine the hourly adverse effect wage rates (AEWR) for agricultural employers. The rule became effective March 30. Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) Director of Labor Relations Jamie Fussell discussed the action’s impact on growers: IMPACT ON EMPLOYERSSimply, the new rule may mean that …
The president of Fedefruta (Federation of Chilean Fruit Producers), Jorge Valenzuela Trebilcock, is receiving testimony from farmers affected by damaging frosts. The frosts have spread through various productive areas of fruit and vegetables and have lasted much longer than normal. They have caused damage that is not yet quantifiable to avocados, lemons, oranges, tangerines and avocados. “The frosts have been …
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette Gap Kovach, formerly head of HESCO, recently sent me a surprise packet of goodies for the Citrus Archives that included citrus labels, the 1986 Miss Florida Citrus program and the Winter Park Public Library 1985 calendar. The calendar was in honor of the library’s centennial celebration and featured numerous Florida citrus crate labels “as a salute …
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) held its June board of directors meeting in conjunction with Florida Citrus Mutual’s Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference in Bonita Springs. The June gathering is when the CRDF board passes its budget for the next year. The board funded a project by Zhanao Deng, professor of environmental horticulture with the University of Florida …
California Citrus Mutual (CCM) in mid-June welcomed congressional support for critical federal citrus programs. The programs being supported include the Citrus Health Response Program, the HLB Multi-Agency Coordination Group and an additional $1 million in federal funding for a new citrus breeding program. The House Appropriations Committee has included additional funding for citrus breeding research. The research is intended to …
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on June 14 received an update about a program for expedited propagation, in which 23 nurseries are participating. The goal of the expedited tree propagation program is to have several million HLB-tolerant or HLB-resistant trees planted in the next several years. Rosa Walsh, Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) director of scientific research, provided the update. …
Looking for the perfect tree planting density to meet all of your objectives for citrus fruit quality and yield? That may not be possible, University of California Cooperative Extension’s Craig Kallsen said in a recent talk about planting density’s impact on navel orange yield and quality. The citrus and pistachio farm advisor for Kern County gave the example of a …
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) fees for petition-based non-immigrant visas for H-2A temporary foreign workers will increase on June 17, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) reported. The final rule from DOS will increase the H-2A visa fees by 7.9%, from $190 to $205, less than DOS originally proposed in 2022. In its original proposal, DOS would have increased …
Highlands County Citrus Growers Association (HCCGA) President Aaron Nelson recently shared observations about trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) for trees with HLB. The first formulations for citrus trunk injection became available in January. His observations follow: Over the course of the last six months there have been countless hours spent injecting millions of trees all over the state. What follows …
The Citrus Label Tour, comprised of 81 signs in Florida, has been established to educate the public about the history of the citrus industry through citrus crate labels. The tour is a partnership of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, Polk History Center and Visit Central Florida. The tour is now in four counties — Polk, Indian River, Lake and …
Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-18) announced the House of Representatives passed the Block Grant Assistance Act on June 12. This critical bill provides needed authority for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue block grants to growers devastated by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. It now heads to the Senate for consideration. Those supporting the Block Grant Assistance Act include Florida …
Low Brix has been a major problem plaguing the Florida citrus industry in recent years. While many growers are struggling to achieve the minimum required Brix level, this has not been an issue for citrus grower Chip Henry. He recently shared how he believes his organic production techniques contribute to high Brix as well as stopping premature fruit drop in …
By Taylor Livingston and Tripti Vashisth Fighting HLB alongside weather disasters like freezes and hurricanes is leaving growers with little options for sustaining yields. The Hamlin sweet orange variety is known for higher susceptibility to HLB symptoms which cause rapid tree decline, including increased pre-harvest fruit drop and canopy loss. Production strategies that target fruit drop and canopy health improvement …
Florida Grower magazine chose Glenn Beck as the 2023 Citrus Achievement Award winner. He is featured in the magazine’s June cover story. For more than 20 years, the people who have won the award have helped shape the history of the state’s citrus sector. Some years, selecting a winner is an easy process because the person checks so many boxes. …
Using drones to apply chemical control for HLB-spreading psyllids in Brazil proved effective against adult insects, a Fundecitrus researcher reported. The researcher, Marcelo Miranda, said psyllid mortality was above 80% as a result of drone applications. Miranda’s work was pioneering in 2021. There was no record of the use of drones for the chemical control of the psyllid in western …
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists intercepted a species of citrus root weevil for the first time in Wilmington, Delaware, on May 22. They found the Cleistolophus viridimargo (Champion, 1911) weevil, a significant actionable pest, while inspecting a shipment of pineapples from Honduras. CBP said citrus root weevils pose a serious threat to the $3.4 billion U.S. citrus …
