cold-hardy citrus

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Strong Support for Cold-Hardy Citrus Growers

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source, Cold Hardy

By Peter Chaires The citrus research program at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) includes several projects aimed at assisting growers in the cold-hardy citrus region. Let’s take a look at what researchers are working on. EVALUATING SCIONS AND ROOTSTOCKS Presently, the citrus industry in North Florida faces …

Jake Price

Georgia Research Projects Underway

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Rootstocks

Jake Price, University of Georgia (UGA) county Extension coordinator, recently provided a summary of citrus projects he has been working on: Source: Georgia Citrus Association Sponsored ContentTake Advantage of Rising Temperatures to Treat for Fire AntsJune 8, 2026Make a Plan to Eradicate Fire Ants This YearMay 1, 2026Take the Sting Out of Fire AntsApril 1, 2026

hurricane

Have a Hurricane Plan in Place

Daniel Cooperhurricane

Florida citrus growers are all too familiar with the fallout from hurricanes in recent history. In 2017, Hurricane Irma came up the spine of the state causing an estimated $760 million in damage to the citrus industry. Then in 2022, Hurricane Ian took an even more direct path over key citrus-production areas causing another $247 million in losses, according to …

finger limes

Cultural Practices for Finger Limes

Daniel CooperEvents, Limes

At a recent finger lime field day, horticulturist Tripti Vashisth reported that most citrus rootstocks do well with finger limes. She said that Volkamer lemon and X-639 create the most vigorous trees, and that they and US-812 seem to be promising rootstocks for finger limes. Vashisth is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor …

drought stress

Dealing With Drought Stress

Daniel CooperTip of the Week, Weather

By Amir Rezazadeh Citrus trees are not immune to the challenges posed by drought stress. Drought stress occurs when a tree’s water supply falls below its demand, leading to physiological disruptions that can impair growth, development and fruit production. In the dry season, when water scarcity is a prevalent issue in Florida, understanding and managing drought stress in citrus trees …

Planting Cold-Hardy

Planting Cold-Hardy Citrus in Florida

Daniel CooperCold Hardy, planting

Muhmmad Shahid and Shahid Iqbal recently provided advice on planting cold-hardy citrus in Florida. Shahid is an assistant professor of horticulture/fruit physiologist, and Iqbal is a postdoctoral scholar in horticultural sciences, both at the University of Florida North Florida Research and Education Center. Edited excerpts from their article in the Cold Hardy Citrus Connection follow: BEFORE YOU PLANT Properly planting …

georgia

Big Yields Expected in Georgia

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Production

A December 2022 freeze in Georgia significantly reduced the state’s 2023 citrus production, but many growers anticipate a large crop in 2024. “With less fruit production in 2023, trees added a lot more vegetative growth and increased their canopy volume,” University of Georgia Extension citrus agent Jake Price noted. “The satsuma bloom at the research plot was very large and …

alternate bearing

In Georgia Owari Trial, Yields Peaked in 2021

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Research, Rootstocks

University of Georgia Extension agent Jake Price recently summarized yields for three recent seasons from Owari satsuma trees in a rootstock trial. Last year, 2023, was the last harvest year for data collection in the trial. Price reported that yield in the trial plot peaked in 2021 with a yield of about 20,300 pounds on 60 trees, which would be …

Citrus Health Forum

Citrus Health Forum Helps Cold-Hardy Growers

Daniel CooperCold Hardy

Production in the cold-hardy citrus region is still in its infancy. Growers and industry leaders need events like the Citrus Health Forum to obtain the necessary information to help this young industry continue to flourish. The latest forum took place at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy …

Scouting Tools and Tactics

Tacy CalliesCEU

By Matt Smith 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. This article is an updated version of a previous article, “Scouting: The Tip of the IPM Spear,” published in the …

protection

Prepare Now for the Winter Season

Daniel Cooperfreeze

By Maegan Beatty As the cooler months start to arrive, it is important to protect citrus trees from overnight freezes and extreme weather conditions. Last December, the All In For Citrus podcast addressed what cold protection should look like for Florida citrus growers in an interview with Chris Oswalt, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus …

greening

Brazilians Discuss How to Avoid Florida’s Fate With Greening

Daniel CooperBrazil, HLB Management

Brazil’s government, institutions and citrus growers need to join efforts to overcome greening “so that Brazil does not go through the same situation as Florida,” a São Paulo agriculture official declared Nov. 7. Orlando Melo de Castro, undersecretary of agriculture, made those remarks to about 500 people at an international citrus symposium in Araraquara, São Paulo. “To this end, we …

Australian Plant Protection Guides Available Online

Josh McGillEducation, International

The latest plant protection guides for citrus and deciduous fruit growers in Australia’s New South Wales (NSW), developed by NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI), are now available online. The citrus plant protection guide 2023–24 is available here. The orchard plant protection guide for deciduous fruits can be found here. The plant protection guides are developed by NSW DPI …

Brazilians Learn About Mechanical Harvesting

Josh McGillLabor, Technology

Representatives of Fundecitrus and the Brazilian citrus industry went to Seville, Spain, to participate in a meeting about mechanical harvesting of citrus. The key objective was learning about different tools and machines designed for the mechanization of citrus handling. One example of machinery is the mechanized harvesting equipment used for densely cultivated orange groves. In one of their visits, the …

Trunk Injection Wounding: What You Need to Know

Josh McGillHLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Ute Albrecht and Leigh Archer  Trunk injection is an alternative technique for applying crop protection materials. This technology has now been approved to deliver oxytetracycline (OTC) for huanglongbing (HLB) management in Florida. Injections cause injury, and best practices need to be established to minimize injection-induced tree damage. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers (UF/IFAS) injected …

Alert Issued for Leprosis in Brazil

Josh McGillBrazil, Diseases

Brazil’s Fundecitrus is alerting citrus growers to take extra measures against leprosis during the current critical period for disease occurrence, May to September. At this time, fruit are in development, and the lack of rain favors outbreaks of the leprosis-transmitting mite. Leprosis is an important disease of Brazilian citrus that in recent years has caused significant damage to orange groves. …

No Perfect Tree Spacing for Multiple Objectives

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, planting

Looking for the perfect tree planting density to meet all of your objectives for citrus fruit quality and yield? That may not be possible, University of California Cooperative Extension’s Craig Kallsen said in a recent talk about planting density’s impact on navel orange yield and quality.  The citrus and pistachio farm advisor for Kern County gave the example of a …

irrigation

Safeguarding Citrus From Heat Stress

Josh McGillTip of the Week, Weather

By Amir Rezazadeh Rising temperatures and climate change challenges of recent years have brought a significant threat to citrus trees. Heat stress, caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures, poses a severe risk to citrus trees. Excessive soil evaporation, inconsistent rainfall and poor soil water-holding capacity can make trees even more sensitive to heat. High temperatures result in shortened internodes, …

Citrus Research Board to Host Webinar Series

Josh McGillCalifornia Corner, Education

California’s Citrus Research Board (CRB) has announced its 2023 Citrus Growers Educational Webinar Series. CRB will hold four one-hour webinars on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. The dates are June 6, 13, 20 and 27. Each webinar will highlight valuable research and practical discussions for growers. Here’s the lineup: JUNE 6Topic: Tree Density and Pruning Affect Fruit Numbers, Size, Quality and …

Rootstock Influences Cold-Hardiness in Sugar Belles 

Josh McGillfreeze, Mandarins, Rootstocks

Sugar Belles on four different rootstocks in Georgia showed different levels of damage from the December 2022 freeze, reported Jake Price, Lowndes County Extension coordinator for University of Georgia Extension. The Sugar Belles at a Valdosta research plot planted in 2018 have put on the first flush of foliage after being mostly defoliated. The trees are snuggly located between windbreaks …