By Lauren Diepenbrock Citrus under protective screen (CUPS) has provided growers with a profitable method for producing fresh fruit in Florida. Growers who have implemented this system have noted quality fruit production and reduced inputs. However, when changes are imposed to the production environment, they are also imposed to the invertebrate pest complex, which can be either beneficial or detrimental …
A New Step Before You Spray
By Matt Smith The pesticide label is going online — kind of. I’ll explain, but the main takeaway is that a new step before spraying is required from now on. It’s not particularly difficult, but it is going to add to your pre-spray paperwork and planning. Why is this happening? After multiple lawsuits, judges reaffirmed that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, …
How To Reduce Spray Drift
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) provided the following tips for reducing spray drift in citrus groves: Source: UF/IFAS Sponsored ContentReMedium TI® Trunk Injections and Wet WeatherNovember 4, 2026Finding Opportunity Amid ChallengesOctober 21, 2026Citrus Producers Express Growing Optimism Since the Introduction of ReMedium TI®October 14, 2026
New Chinese Citrus Hybrid Sells Out in Seven Days
A team of graduate students from the Citrus Research Institute of Southwest University sold out 5,000 boxes of a newly developed hybrid citrus variety in just seven days. The Citrus Research Institute in Chongqing, China, is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It all started when Li Shunxin, a graduate student under researcher Cao Li, and four classmates …
Tools Available for Bulimulus Snail Management
“Bulimulus snail management is an ongoing challenge, but we have some tools to help!” researcher Lauren Diepenbrock stated in her recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo presentation. CHALLENGES Diepenbrock, associate professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center, reported that not every Florida grove is infested with the snails. …
Pesticide Exposure and Response Strategies
By Lisa Hickey Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. A minimum score of 70% is required to receive credit. The Florida citrus industry plays a crucial role in the state’s …
CRDF Funding Focuses: ACPs and Trees of the Future
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) met for its July board of directors meeting to discuss a number of research topics. According to CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler, Asian citrus psyllids (ACPs) were on the agenda. “The CRDF board approved funding of a proposal from Lukasz Stelinski, an entomologist and professor with the University of Florida Institute of …
New Resource for Citrus Exporters
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) launched a new resource to support American farmers’ access to international trade opportunities. Maximum Residue Limit Quick Reference Sheets provide information about pesticide residue requirements in major export markets for U.S. producers and shippers of fruits, vegetables and other horticultural crops. USDA FAS developed the MRL Quick Reference Sheets in partnership …
Brazilian Biotech Company Targeting Citrus Pathogens
With support from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Ideelab is developing more efficient strategies to combat pathogens that threaten citrus. The work of Ideelab, a São Paulo startup company, is based on the principle that plants communicate with microorganisms through specific molecules called effectors. Effectors are peptides and proteins that are produced naturally and interact with the pattern recognition …
The Harm Weeds Do
Before HLB, canker and diaprepes root weevils became major problems for Florida citrus growers, weeds were among the constant and major annoyances in groves. Even with the pests and diseases growers have faced over the past five decades, the need for weed control may be as important, and costly, as ever. A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
California Navel Production Costs Soar
It costs $4,215 per acre to grow navel oranges in California in 2025, California Citrus Mutual (CCM) reported following a recent survey of production costs. That’s up from $3,300 in 2020 (a 35% increase), $2,712 in 2015 (a 75% increase), $2,099 in 2010 (a 125% increase) and $1,555 in 2005 (a 171% increase). Additionally, CCM reported that picking and hauling …
Greening-Resistant Orange Tree Research Progresses
Researchers with the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) recently visited Brazil to discuss cooperative efforts with Fundecitrus to develop greening-resistant orange trees. The CIRAD researchers were Raphaël Morillon and Bárbara Hufnagel. CIRAD is an agronomic research and international cooperation organization for the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions. CIRAD maintains a large citrus genomic database on …
Snail Management Can Be Complex
By Lauren Diepenbrock Snail management is becoming a more common discussion in Florida citrus with the arrival of a newer species in the Southeast. The snail of concern is Bulimulus bonariensis, previously referred to as Bulimulus sporadicus (Figure 1). Over the past three years, the first emergence of newly hatched snails was noted in late April through early May. The …
Developing Snail Management Programs in Florida Citrus
By Lauren Diepenbrock and Nicole Quinn In recent years, a new pest has been added to the ever-evolving scope of pest management in Florida citrus: Bulimulus bonariensis snails. These snails, also referred to as ghost snails or peanut snails, were reported to be clogging irrigation jets in Central Florida in 2020 in limited locations. Now, in 2025, they have spread …
Rules and Regulations of Pesticide Use
By Alissa Hevesh Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. A minimum score of 70% is required to receive credit. Pesticides are regulated to ensure the safety and well-being of the …
Mechanism of Resistance to HLB Identified
A research team led by Jian Ye from the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified the first mechanism of citrus resistance to HLB. Results of the study were published in Science. Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), the team has also developed antimicrobial peptides that offer a promising therapeutic approach to combat the disease. This discovery addresses …
Chilli Thrips Management in Florida
By Maegan Beatty Last month, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a citrus insect workshop that covered almost 10 different pests that pose a threat for Florida citrus. Lance Osborne, professor and researcher at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, presented research on chilli thrips. Chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis) can live in over 150 …
Now Is the Time to Knock Back Psyllid Populations
Now is the time for Florida citrus growers to implement management tactics to control the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the insect that vectors citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing (HLB). ACPs are currently in low populations across Florida’s citrus-producing region. That means growers should act now to protect their crop from the insect’s impact, says Chris Oswalt, University of Florida …
Temperature Inversion: Not a Friend of Pesticide Applicators
By Wael Elwakil Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. Temperature inversion is a weather phenomenon that alters the natural air movement in the lower layer of the atmosphere (troposphere). …
Protect Trees Post-Freeze With Fungicide
Growers in the cold-hardy citrus region should consider fungicide application following snow last week and multiple days of running irrigation for freeze irrigation. That advice comes from Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association, on the heels of historic snowfall recorded across the Southeast. “I’ve heard some people having up to 10 inches of snow where we grow …




















