By Ute Albrecht, Gabriel Pugina and Larissa Nunes According to a recent industry survey, 64% of Florida citrus growers have injected their trees for three consecutive years with oxytetracycline (OTC). This article reports the results from three research trials conducted by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Plant Physiology Team at the Southwest Florida Research …
Climate Change Is Changing Citrus Nutrition
Climate change is creating new challenges for citrus growers, and one of the biggest impacts is on tree nutrition. According to a recent article in Frontiers in Plant Science authored by an international team of researchers, rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, drought, flooding, salinity and elevated carbon dioxide levels are all affecting how citrus trees take up and use nutrients. …
FDOC Discusses How Best to Spend State Funds
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) met virtually on May 29 to allocate legislatively authorized state general revenue funds for Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) marketing. The FCC, whose members are appointed by Florida’s governor, is the board that oversees the FDOC. After the FCC previously met on May 20, the Florida Legislature concluded its work on a budget that designates …
Leaf Quantity Matters for Fruit Quality
By Tripti Vashisth, Taylor Livingston, Meryam Manzoor and Johann Hiller Citrus fruit quality and yield remain major concerns for sweet orange growers in the huanglongbing (HLB) era. These outcomes largely depend on the tree’s ability to support developing fruit throughout the growing season. Leaf area and canopy density are positively correlated with carbohydrate production and allocation to fruit, directly influencing …
Sneak Peek: June 2026 Citrus Industry
The Citrus Industry section of the June 2026 issue of Specialty Crop Grower focuses on leadership and research. On the cover of the magazine is Ned Hancock, winner of the 2026 Citrus Achievement Award. He is being recognized for his decades-long leadership and dedication to serving Florida’s citrus industry. Don’t miss the accompanying video in the digital issue of the …
OJ to Keep Flowing at Florida Welcome Centers
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on May 20 approved a $250,000 contract with Visit Florida to continue providing free orange juice at Florida welcome centers on interstate highways. The FCC serves as the governing board for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), which performs marketing, research and regulatory functions for the state’s citrus industry. Visit Florida, the state’s official destination …
Pressures Impacting the Brazilian Citrus Industry
Shifts in the international geopolitical landscape, rising logistics costs, sanitary barriers and currency fluctuations are directly impacting Brazil’s fruit industry, including citrus. The effects of these transformations were discussed during a recent edition of the Socioeconomics Debates series, hosted by Embrapa, under the theme, Brazil’s Fruit Industry: How Global Crises Impact What Reaches Your Table. Researchers, economists and production representatives …
Florida Citrus Marketing Plans Presented for 2026–27
The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) presented marketing plans for the 2026–27 season at the May 20 meeting of the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC). The FCC serves as the FDOC’s governing board. ORANGE JUICE Florida orange juice will continue to be positioned as the original wellness drink. The marketing effort will be aimed at juice consumers and health professionals. The …
Florida Citrus Mutual Hosts Spring Grower Meeting
Florida Citrus Mutual hosted its spring informational meeting for growers at Golden Ridge Groves in Alturas on May 13. Golden Ridge Groves is growing fresh fruit in citrus under protective screen and recently added you-pick and agritourism options for the public. Steven Hall, executive director of the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation, gave an update and recounted the …
Orange Pulp Gains Status as Valuable Raw Material
Orange pulp — long treated as a waste product of the citrus industry — has been gaining new status as a valuable raw material. Composed of peels, seeds and fibers, this material — previously destined primarily for animal feed — is also known as citrus bagasse. Brazilian citrus association Fundecitrus reports that companies in the citrus industry have been investing …
Trunk-Injection Takeaways Presented
Researcher Ute Albrecht on April 21 shared lessons learned from three years of oxytetracycline (OTC) trunk injection for HLB management in Florida. Albrecht is an associate professor with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) specializing in citrus plant physiology. She works at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. Albrecht reported on results of a …
Research Confirms OTC Improvements in Groves
The Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute was held at South Florida College in Avon Park last week to share the latest research from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Besides hearing presentations, attendees had an opportunity to interact one-on-one with scientists at 21 learning stations covering topics like entomology, citrus breeding, weed control and soil nutrition. …
Ask These Questions When Conducting an Agricultural Water Assessment
By Michelle Danyluk, William “Billy” Mitchell, Stephanie Brown, Emmy Collins, Keith R. Schneider and Taylor O’Bannon Most citrus growers have been meeting the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) requirements since 2016. However, changes to this rule in May of 2024 now require growers to have an agricultural water assessment (AgWa) for production (i.e., pre-harvest) water. A …
Florida Citrus Show: A Day of Education and Enjoyment
The Florida Citrus Show marked another successful event in March in Fort Pierce. The show provided attendees with a fun, informative day to learn about citrus and specialty crops while engaging with exhibitors during the tailgate-style trade show. CRAFT UPDATE Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) programs have been very popular with growers and have incentivized new citrus plantings across …
Supplemental Nutrition Mitigates HLB Symptoms in Mandarins
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research found that supplemental nutrition mitigates HLB symptoms and improves fruit quality and shelf-life of Sugar Belle and Tango mandarins. Faisal Shahzad, Tripti Vashisth, Mark Ritenour and Jeffrey Brecht, all with UF/IFAS, authored an article in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science about the research. The article …
CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Thought About Brixy?
By Peter Chaires Nurseries and growers are continuously searching for suitable substitutes for Hamlin sweet orange to supply the early/mid-season orange juice market. Besides traditional sweet oranges, many new hybrids are in various stages of development. Some of these are likely to rise to the level of commercial viability in the orange-like category. Growers wanting to trial an orange-like hybrid …
Gmitter and Grosser Receive Rare Award
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus breeders and geneticists Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser recently received the rare Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) Resident Professorship Award. The award has only been bestowed four other times in CREC’s 109-year history. The award recognizes careers that have brought distinction to the CREC through outstanding programs, important …
Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Citrus Production
By Davie Kadyampakeni, Jonas Pereira de Souza Junior, Edilaine Istéfani Franklin Traspadini, Shankar Shrestha and Alisheikh Atta Integrated nutrient management is critical for improved and sustainable citrus production. Typical practices include split fertilization applications, the use of leguminous cover crops and the incorporation of soil amendments. This article discusses the importance of using novel blends, including macronutrients and micronutrients, as …
Postfreeze Effects on Georgia Citrus
University of Georgia (UGA) Assistant Professor and Citrus Extension Specialist Mary Sutton reported on the impact of this winter’s freeze on fruit quality and trees in Georgia: FRUIT QUALITY A Tango trial was harvested at the end of January as a winter storm was hitting. A subsample was taken prior to that on Jan. 15 and sampled again after the …
Türkiye Mandarin, Lemon and Grapefruit Forecasts
Forecasts for 2025–26 tangerine, lemon/lime and grapefruit production and trade in Türkiye were included in a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) report. TANGERINES/MANDARINS UP Turkish tangerine/mandarin production is forecast to increase 10% to around 2.19 million metric tons (MMT). The Satsuma variety is the most widely produced in Türkiye and is crucial for both domestic …





























