soil moisture sensors

Installing and Using Soil Moisture Sensors

Daniel CooperIrrigation, Tip of the Week

By Sandra M. Guzmán and Amir Rezazadeh During Florida’s rainy and hurricane season, accurate water management becomes even more critical for citrus growers. Soil moisture sensors (SMSs) can be used as a baseline tool for making informed irrigation decisions. But to get reliable readings, it is critical to choose, install and use them correctly. WHERE TO INSTALL Proper SMS placement …

fruit drop

Reducing Fruit Drop in HLB Citrus

Daniel CooperFruit Drop, HLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Tripti Vashisth Fruit drop has become one of the biggest challenges for Florida citrus growers, especially in groves hit hard by HLB. On top of the disease, recent hurricanes like Ian and Milton have made the problem worse, causing fruit to drop not just during the storm but often weeks later. Other stresses — such as drought, flooding or …

high-density plantings

Managing Psyllids in Groves and Protected Structures

Tacy CalliesPsyllids, Tip of the Week

By Jawwad A. Qureshi The impact of the Asian citrus psyllid continues to intensify through devastation of its vectored huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Although there is no permanent solution for HLB yet, psyllid suppression reduces its impact. Chemical control is the most implemented method. Its strategic use helps reduce psyllid resistance and collateral damage to non-target organisms, including beneficial organisms needed …

august

Sneak Peek: August 2025 Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperSneak Peek

August signals that the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo is soon to come! The August issue of Specialty Crop Grower magazine previews the show growers look forward to every year. The not-to-be-missed event takes place Aug. 20–21 at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. In the Citrus Industry section of the magazine, growers can get an update on the progress …

nutrient

Emerging Trends in Nutrient Rate Studies

Daniel CooperAs Seen On Instagram, Nutrition, Tip of the Week

By Davie Kadyampakeni, Noor Basar, Alisheikh Atta, Muhammad Shahid, Shahid Iqbal and Alan Wright Citrus trees in Florida impacted by HLB have limited nutrient uptake largely due to limited root mass, compromised physiology and extremely sandy soil. The state’s current nutrient management guidelines were developed based on data prior to the spread of HLB, when trees had dense canopies and …

hlb

OTC Impacts on HLB in Trees and Psyllids

Daniel CooperEvents, HLB Management, Research

During the recent Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference, Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, presented evaluations of trunk-injected antimicrobials for HLB management. She said the purpose of these antimicrobial treatments is a short-term or stop-gap approach to keep the current inventory of Florida citrus trees in the …

Growers Look to the Future at Florida Citrus Industry Conference

Tacy CalliesEvents

Growers and industry stakeholders gathered in Bonita Springs last week for the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference hosted by Florida Citrus Mutual. Despite the challenges of HLB and recent hurricanes, the event drew strong attendance. The educational program provided updates on potential solutions for the disease that has plagued the industry for two decades. SEEKING A RESISTANT TREEOne of the …

pest

CUPS: Pest Monitoring and Management

Daniel CooperCUPS, Pests, Tip of the Week

By Jawwad A. Qureshi Several insect pests and mites colonize citrus crops in traditional open orchards. Most pests are localized and are suppressed by predators, parasitoids and entomopathogens to levels that are not economically damaging to the crops. The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is the primary vector of huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Despite biological and chemical control of ACP, growing a …

Citrus Industry

Book Chronicles Florida Citrus’ Rise, Fall and Future

Daniel CooperEducation, History, Industry News Release

Fifth-generation Floridian David Sumner, who grew up in a citrus family, has written “The Rise, Fall, and Future of Florida’s Citrus Industry.” The 327-page book includes historic citrus photos dating back to the late 1800s. Sumner tells the story of Florida citrus from the end of the Civil War to the present. He visited Florida archives and conducted 53 interviews …

disease

Florida Foliar Disease Outlook for 2025

Daniel CooperDiseases

By Megan Dewdney As I write this article in January 2025, the world is a chilly place, and it is hard to imagine warm and wet weather in Florida. The predicted weather pattern from now until flowering is moving from La Niña toward neutral. This is predicted to bring above-average spring temperatures with reduced rainfall. This is a hopeful sign …

Agroview

The Growth of AI-Based Agroview

Daniel CooperTechnology

A few weeks after Yiannis Ampatzidis started working at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in 2017, Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on Florida citrus groves. Growers needed to count their trees with precision to get crop insurance, but it was a laborious, time-intensive task. Ampatzidis, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the Southwest …

survey

Survey Shows Popular Scions and Rootstocks

Daniel CooperRootstocks, Survey, Varieties

The Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey seeks input from growers on key issues affecting their groves. The survey has been conducted for many years, has tracked the trajectory of HLB and reported on production practices. While not a scientific survey, it has reflected general trends over the years. Last month, we published results on trunk-injection therapy and the …

Sneak Peek: February 2025 Citrus Industry

Tacy CalliesSneak Peek

The citrus section in the February issue of Specialty Crop Grower is coming soon. It’s full of features for growers to dive into. First up is part two of results from the Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey. (See part one here.) Learn out what percent of growers say they are replanting and how many are participating in the …

citrus

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Citrus Researchers Coming Together

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source, Research

By Peter Chaires Florida’s citrus industry is well supported by two phenomenal research institutions: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). UF/IFAS provides research and Extension support from its main campus in Gainesville, as well as from its research and education centers and county Extension offices across the state. …

Alico Citrus

Alico Citrus to Cease Operations After This Season

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

Large Florida citrus grower Alico Citrus will cease operations after the current season’s harvest, parent company Alico, Inc. announced Jan. 6. The company cited increasing financial challenges from citrus greening disease and “environmental factors.”  Alico owns approximately 53,371 acres of land across eight counties in Florida, as well as approximately 48,700 acres of oil, gas and mineral rights in the …

hall of fame

Adams, Graham and Richey to Join Hall of Fame

Daniel CooperAwards

The late Charles W. Adams, James H. “Jim” Graham and Daniel R. “Dan” Richey will be inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame March 28, 2025. ADAMS Adams (1879–1945) was a partner in Adams Packing Association and Growers Fertilizer Corporation. He impacted the citrus industry with his progressive ideas for growth. Adams moved from Michigan to Florida in 1911 …

HLB

Changing With the Times

Daniel CooperIndustry News Release

By Robin Loftin and Frank Giles When HLB was first confirmed in Florida in October 2005, it was difficult to imagine the path the disease would take the state’s citrus industry down. In some ways, it has been a testament to the resolve and ingenuity of growers who have kept trees alive and continued planting, despite some early prognostications that …

field day

Field Day Featured Favorable Fresh Fruit Rootstock and Scion Combinations

Daniel CooperEvents, Rootstocks, Varieties

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center recently hosted a field day showcasing its Millennium Block citrus grove. The field day went on despite the grove being impacted by a tornado associated with Hurricane Milton in October. The Millennium Block is one of the largest experimental trials examining fresh fruit …

cups

CUPS Expensive but Beneficial

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, CUPS

The benefits of implementing citrus under protective screen (CUPS) could be major for growers in the cold-hardy region. But they first must overcome the major limiting factor associated with the system — its cost. Arnold Schumann, a professor of soil fertility and water quality at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education …

November

Sneak Peek: November 2024 Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperSneak Peek

The November issue of Citrus Industry magazine features some of the faces of Georgia’s citrus industry. The cover story is a profile of citrus grower Lindy Savelle. She didn’t grow up in the citrus industry, and farming was not her first career. But her unconventional path has led her to become a leader in Georgia’s emerging citrus industry. Savelle serves …