A portion of San Diego County in California has been placed under a quarantine for the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly). The quarantine follows the detection of six flies and one larva in and around the unincorporated area of Valley Center. The quarantine will affect any growers, wholesalers, nurseries and retailers of host fruit or host plants in the area. The …
A Shift Toward Soil Microbes in Young Citrus Tree Care
SUMMARY: Many Florida citrus growers have made the decision to shift their focus away from saving older HLB-infected trees and toward protecting and strengthening young citrus trees, using soil probiotics, before too much damage is done. Understanding citrus trees’ vascular systemsCitrus trees have developed a complex but effective circulatory system for the uptake, storage, and utilization of water and nutrients. …
Sneak Peek: September 2022 Citrus Industry
The September issue of Citrus Industry magazine centers on two topics: citrus under protective screen (CUPS) research and a wrap-up from the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. Three articles cover the latest CUPS findings from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. An article by Arnold Schumann and his colleagues includes a summary of seven seasons of …
Nurseries Approved for Expedited Propagation Program
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on Aug. 24 approved agreements with 25 nurseries for the Program for Expedited Propagation of HLB Tolerant and Resistant Trees. The nurseries are: Agromillora Florida Inc. Ben Hill Griffin Inc. Blue Heron Nurseries LLC Brewer Citrus LLC Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery LLC Citrific Holdings Inc. CitriSun Nurseries LLC Cutrale Farms Inc. Dilley Citrus Nursery Inc. …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Of Men and Measures
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette I recently came across a paper by P.H. Rolfs in the 1935 Florida State Horticultural Society’s Annual Proceedings. It gave credit to J.A. Stevens for the first Florida Citrus Seminar in 1910 or 1911. It was held in “the old dormitory, Thomas Hall. There were no set lectures, simply laboratory demonstrations and explanations. The first call …
Psyllid Management Alert for Brazil
The onset of rains in several regions of Brazil’s citrus belt has made it necessary for growers to pay added attention to citrus greening, Fundecitrus reported. The association of citrus growers and juice manufacturers from the state of São Paulo said the extra attention is needed due to the increase in greening-spreading psyllid populations in this period. Fundectirus reported that …
Solid Crop Needs to Survive Rust Mites
Citrus growers in North Florida and South Georgia are expected to start harvesting in early November. While the crop still looks promising, producers need to keep an eye on rust mites, says grower Kim Jones. “Rust mites can still be a real danger at this point. With fresh fruit, we’ve got to have a pretty piece of fruit. That rust …
CRDF Reviews Audit and Analyzes Budget
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors gathered for its August meeting. Its first order of business was a review of an auditor’s report. “I’m pleased to report there were no findings. A clean audit is always good news,” said Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of CRDF. The board dedicated time to the budget, analyzing funds available …
What to Do About Three Florida Citrus Pests
Entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock discussed control of three pests — lebbeck mealybug, Bulimulus sporadicus snails and diaprepes root weevils — at the recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher described the mealybug and snails as “new pest challenges” and diaprepes as the resurgence of an old pest. LEBBECK MEALYBUGLebbeck mealybug was …
California CRaFT Project Targets Psyllids
All commercial citrus producers in California are invited to apply for participation in the Citrus Research Board’s (CRB) California-focused Citrus Research and Field Trials (CA-CRaFT) project. The overarching goal of CA-CRaFT is to demonstrate the effects of additional mitigations on Asian citrus psyllid control within commercial citrus groves across the various citrus-growing regions in California. The project is supported by …
New Organic Transition Initiative
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced details of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) $300 million investment in a new Organic Transition Initiative. The initiative will help build new and better markets and streams of income for growers. The number of non-certified organic farms actively transitioning to organic production dropped by nearly 71% since 2008. USDA hopes to reverse this trend, …
All In For Citrus Podcast, August 2022
The August episode of the All In For Citrus podcast takes listeners on a deep dive into the use of plant growth regulators like gibberellic acid (GA) to help fight fruit drop. The episode features an in-depth conversation between Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, and …
Packinghouse Day Is Aug. 25
Fresh citrus growers, packers and shippers will meet for Citrus Packinghouse Day on Aug. 25 at the Citrus Research and Education Center’s (CREC) Ben Hill Griffin Hall in Lake Alfred, Florida. They will hear the most current information about food safety, worker visa options and other topics related to fresh fruit handling and transport. The free event will include exhibitors …
Woman of the Year in Agriculture Named
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) named Madeline Mellinger the 2022 Woman of the Year in Agriculture. Mellinger founded Glades Crop Care, Inc. in 1972 and is still the company’s chief operating officer. Glades Crop Care provides integrated pest management and crop counseling services to more than 65,000 acres of plants and more than 60 varieties of fresh …
Progress With HLB Products
Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer of the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), spoke during the general session of the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo. He provided an update on products he hopes will help the citrus industry reset and begin to increase production again. The products are two oxytetracycline (OTC) materials that can be injected into citrus trees. “We …
OJ Magnate Cutrale Dies
Fundecitrus reported that Brazilian orange juice magnate José Luis Cutrale died Aug. 17 in London, England. Fundecitrus issued the following comments: “José Luis Cutrale worked in several areas of activity: in the commercialization of fruits, in the cultivation of citrus and in the orange juice industry. “With his very high level of entrepreneurship, he raised the name of Brazil internationally, …
Using Technology to Support Citrus Management Decisions
By Yiannis Ampatzidis and Sandra M. Guzmán Pests and diseases, nutrient deficiencies, tree stress from environmental conditions and other factors can be overwhelming. The arrival of sensors and small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) make it possible to gather large amounts of data to assess risk factors and estimate possible crop performance scenarios based on the availability of resources. At the …
Minimize Mite Pressure in Citrus
Hot temperatures and dry conditions in some parts of the Southeast add up to ideal conditions for mite populations to increase in citrus groves. Lauren Diepenbrock, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences assistant professor and entomologist, said citrus can tolerate some spider mite pressure. Increased pressure, though, can leave an impact. “You can handle some amount of …
USDA to Enforce Imported Grapefruit Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will enforce the juice content maturity requirements on imported grapefruit. USDA will also collect the necessary data to issue a new and lasting marketing order regarding the imported grapefruit. Last fall, the USDA suspended Section 8e grapefruit juice content standards for imported grapefruit without warning. As a result, low-quality grapefruit products from …
Two-Time Gun Safe Winner at Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo
One of the top traditions at the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo that growers look forward to every year is the annual gun safe giveaway sponsored by Everglades Equipment Group. Only growers who preregister for the event are eligible to win the valuable prize. Miss Florida Citrus Payton Barrington drew the winning name. Austin Pell of Pell Citrus and Nursery …





























