Why HLB Is So Difficult To Control

Daniel CooperBrazil, HLB Management

Brazil’s Fundecitrus recently published a scientific article explaining why HLB is so difficult to control. “Why is it so difficult to control huanglongbing (HLB)? Point of view” was published by the journal Scientia Agricola (Agricultural Science). It was authored by Fundecitrus researcher Renato Bassanezi and post-doctoral researcher Isabela Vescove Primiano, in collaboration with the late professor Armando Bergamin Filho of …

Vietnam

Pomelos From Vietnam Concern Citrus Australia

Daniel CooperInternational, Trade

Citrus Australia has called on Australia’s minister for agriculture and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to pause the market access application for pomelo from Vietnam. It cited biosecurity risks that require further scientific assessment.  Citrus Australia Chief Executive Officer Nathan Hancock said Australia’s citrus industry strongly supports mutually beneficial trade and recognizes the importance of open, rules-based market …

Korean

Korean Citrus Byproducts Going to the Dogs

Daniel CooperInternational

Korean manufacturer Suchang recently announced it has successfully developed a new dog food product using gamgyul-bak — byproducts from the Korean citrus processing industry. Tentatively branded Orange Dogs, the product is designed for global markets, with export plans targeting the United States, Japan, China and Europe. The key ingredient of Orange Dog, gamgyul-bak, refers to the peel and residual materials …

Florida

What We’ve Learned From 20 Years of HLB Research in Florida

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Research

By Michael Rogers It has now been two decades since huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, was first detected in Florida. That announcement in August 2005 changed everything for the Florida citrus industry. At the time, Florida citrus was still a global powerhouse. Less than a year earlier, HLB had been confirmed in Brazil, and we were aware of its devastating …

native

Finding Opportunities for Native Australian Citrus

Daniel CooperInternational, Research

Growing global production of citrus offers opportunities for Australia’s little-known six native species, according to a University of Queensland researcher. Doctoral candidate Joel Johnson at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) is investigating the chemical composition and nutritional potential of those indigenous citrus species. They are: C. australasica (Australian finger lime), C. australis (round lime), C. garrawayi …

citrus Extension

Citrus Extension Agents Encourage Growers to Engage With Their Services

Daniel Cooperextension

Florida citrus Extension agents are a conduit to growers, connecting them with the educational and support resources of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Recently, two of those agents held stakeholder meetings to seek input from growers on areas where they would like to see more education and assistance from UF/IFAS. Alissa Hevesh is the …

harvest

Alico Announces Harvest Results for Fiscal Year

Daniel CooperHarvesting

Alico, Inc., which completed its last major citrus harvest this year, announced results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Sept. 30. LESS PRODUCTION For the fiscal year, Alico Citrus harvested 2.3 million boxes of fruit, a decrease of 25.9% from the prior year. It harvested 944,000 boxes of early- and mid-season oranges, down 20.9% from 2024. Its Valencia …

Northern Hemisphere

Northern Hemisphere Citrus Forecast Released

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The World Citrus Organisation (WCO) has released its annual Northern Hemisphere citrus forecast for the 2025–26 season. The preliminary forecast is based on data from industry associations from the Mediterranean region and the United States. Citrus production for 2025–26 in the Northern Hemisphere is expected to decrease by 1.51% from the 2024–25 season, with a total of 27.397 million tons. …

citrus podcast

All In For Citrus Podcast, November 2025

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast

The November All In For Citrus podcast takes a trip around the globe. Faculty from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) join the show to describe citrus production in regions outside of the United States. Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, gives an update on citrus in the Caribbean and …

nitrate

Citrus Seedlings Prefer Nitrate Over Ammonium

Daniel CooperNutrition

In a recent study, Chinese researchers found that citrus seedlings clearly prefer nitrate over ammonium as a nitrogen source. The researchers — Hao Xu, Wenlang Hu, Kaiyuan Du, Yan Dong, Qingru Fan, Zengrong Huang, Lin-Tong Yang, Li-Song Chen and Jiuxin Guo — are with the Fujan Agriculture and Forestry University. In their study, the researchers compared two citrus cultivars (C. reticulata …

soil moisture

Adequate Soil Moisture Is Key to Avoiding Fruit Drop

Daniel CooperFruit Drop, Irrigation, Weather

A lack of adequate soil moisture could make an already challenging situation for Florida citrus growers worse. It is imperative that producers keep applying irrigation amid any prolonged dry period, says Chris Oswalt, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus agent. Oswalt noted that many citrus-producing regions in Florida have had little, if any, rain in …

South African

Surge in South African Citrus Exports

Daniel CooperExport, International, Trade

South African citrus growers packed 203.4 million 15-kilogram cartons for global markets in the 2025 export season. That’s a 19% increase from the original April estimate of 171.2 million cartons, and a 22% increase from 2024 exports. INCREASE IN ALL VARIETIES Final packed figures for 2025 are: GROWTH DRIVERS Driving the growth is a combination of favorable weather conditions in …

Georgia growers

Georgia Growers Tour Brazil’s Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperBrazil, Georgia

A recent tour of Brazilian citrus provided Georgia growers with valuable information on how to capitalize on production amid huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association and owner of JoNina Farm, was one of seven producers who attended the week-long tour this fall. One of the main observations was Brazil’s strong production despite the prevalence …

heavy

Texas Citrus: Heavy Crop but Smaller Fruit

Daniel CooperTexas

Texas citrus is showing heavy crops, but limited summer irrigation has led to smaller fruit sizes so far, said Juan Anciso of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Anciso is an AgriLife Extension vegetable specialist and associate head of the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Weslaco. According to Anciso, quality continues to remain good to …

gene editing

Improved Citrus Gene Editing

Daniel CooperBreeding, HLB Management, Research

A University of Connecticut researcher recently made advancements in citrus gene editing techniques to reduce the drawbacks of traditional methods. The researcher is Yi Li, professor of horticultural plant breeding biotechnology in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. BACKGROUND Scientists employ genome-editing technologies to precisely modify a plant’s own genes, either by inactivating or activating specific target genes …

Florida Farm Bureau

Florida Farm Bureau Supports Amending OJ Standard

Daniel CooperLegislative, Orange Juice

Florida Farm Bureau has submitted comments supporting the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposal to amend the standard of identity (SOI) for pasteurized orange juice (POJ) by lowering the minimum soluble solids content from 10.5° to 10° Brix. The FDA proposed an amendment earlier this year in response to a 2021 Florida citrus industry petition. Following are some comments from …

Golden Ridge Groves

Golden Ridge Groves to Open CUPS U-Pick and Farm Market

Daniel CooperCUPS

Golden Ridge Groves will open Nov. 20 in Alturas, Florida. The new business includes u-pick in a citrus under protective screen (CUPS) structure and a farm market. The operation will be open for the season Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Husband and wife owners Shane and Katie Bevilacqua answered questions about the new business. Q: When will …

ReMedium TI®

ReMedium TI® Approved for Fourth Year in Florida

Daniel CooperHLB Management

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently approved TJ BioTech’s request for a Section 24(c) registration related to a fourth year of use of the oxytetracycline (OTC) product ReMedium TI®. The product is a systemic injectable antimicrobial for the control or suppression of huanglongbing (HLB) disease in citrus. The Section 24(c) registration is a special local need registration. …

positive

Positive Signs Being Seen in Florida Groves

Daniel CooperProduction

In the November Highlands County Citrus Growers Association newsletter, President Riley McKenna and Executive Director Ray Royce reported mostly positive signs they’ve been seeing in groves. MCKENNA “As the month progresses, so have the cooler nighttime temperatures. This cold front marks an important shift moving forward into our early harvest season,” said McKenna. “It brings both anticipation for fruit ripening …

California citrus

Packer Upbeat About California Citrus Season

Daniel CooperCalifornia Corner, Packing

Jesse Silva, vice president of Kings River Packing, recently gave an upbeat outlook on the California citrus season. Silva termed it “a high-quality, high-demand year.”  Kings River and its affiliated companies, including Cobblestone Fruit and Jireh Packing, are operating at full capacity across their four facilities in Sanger, Reedley and Orosi, Silva said. “We’re running 24/7 right now,” he said. …