Citrus greening disease has yet to find its footing in Georgia. But that doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t eventually. Mary Sutton, University of Georgia assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, discussed the ramifications of citrus greening during the recent Southeast Citrus Update in Lyons, Georgia. “If we get greening established here, we’ll start seeing lower and lower production on …
Honeymoon Phase for Georgia Citrus Production
Georgia citrus growers are still in the honeymoon phase of production with regards to disease, said Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and small fruits pathologist. While established groves in Florida have had to deal with disease buildup for decades, disease has yet to be problematic for South Georgia citrus production. But that could be changing. “With respect …
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 …
Citrus Greening Quarantines Expanded in California
Federal and state agriculture officials recently expanded the areas quarantined for citrus greening disease in California. They expanded the quarantined area in the Coto de Caza area of Orange County by 11 square miles, the Rancho Santa Margarita area of Orange County by 93 square miles, the Perris area of Riverside County by 37 square miles, and the Rancho Cucamonga …
Biological Control: A Significant Component of Citrus IPM
By Jawwad A. Qureshi All citrus pests in Florida have natural enemies, although some are more effective at biological control than others. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have been studying the activity and impact of natural enemies on pest infestations in traditional open production systems and protected systems such as citrus under protective screen …
Argentine Ant Management Innovations
Native to South America, Argentine ants were introduced to California in 1905. Today, 90% of Southern California and coastal orchards are infested with ants. Some trees experience up to 1 million ant visits per day. Ivan Milosavljević, Citrus Research Board (CRB) entomologist, presented that information in a June 17 webinar that was part of CRB’s Grower Seminar Series. His presentation …
Boost Citrus Health and Yield With Silicon
By Muhammad A. Shahid and KeAndre Leaks Silicon (Si) is an emerging powerhouse in citrus production, offering wide-ranging benefits for plant health, fruit quality and stress resilience. While not traditionally considered essential, silicon was officially recognized as a “plant beneficial substance” in 2012 by the American Association of Plant Food Control Officials. Its inclusion as an approved input by the …
Fundecitrus Honored at International Juice Conference
During the recent International Fruit and Vegetable Juice Association (IFU) conference held in Brazil, IFU honored Fundecitrus for its contributions to the citrus industry. Fundecitrus is an association maintained by citrus growers and juice manufacturers from São Paulo, Brazil. The association aims to foster the sustainable development of the Brazilian citrus industry. Its mission includes developing research, disseminating knowledge and …
All In For Citrus Podcast, June 2025
In the June All In For Citrus podcast, Michael Rogers gives an update on some of the activities keeping University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers busy this summer. Rogers is the director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. One of their big projects is helping to coordinate the citrus seminars …
Citrus Engineer Honored
Ivaldo Sala, coordinator of the Fundecitrus Technology Transfer department, recently received the Outstanding Agricultural Engineer in Citrus award. The award was granted by organizers of the 50th Expocitrus/46th Citrus Week in Brazil. The award ceremony was part of the opening afternoon of the exhibition week. Sala, who has worked at Fundecitrus 32 years, said, “We have worked tirelessly, transforming the …
California HLB Quarantines Expanded
Federal and state agriculture officials recently expanded the areas quarantined for huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) disease in California. The quarantined area in the Foothill Ranch and Mission Viejo areas of Orange County has been expanded by 26.69 square miles, the Riverside area of Riverside County by 11.3 square miles, and the Valley Center area of San Diego …
Nearly $23 Million Awarded for HLB Research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) announced May 28 it has invested nearly $23 million in 14 HLB projects in 2025. The projects seek to find solutions to combat and prevent HLB in citrus. The projects are part of the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program. The University of Florida is the only …
IPCs Provide Citrus Trees a ‘Fighting Chance’
Citrus Research and Development Foundation President Morgan McKenna Porter said individual protective covers (IPCs) give newly planted trees a “fighting chance” against huanglongbing (HLB) and serve as a bridge until HLB-resistant trees are available. “IPCs are not flawless, but they certainly can be optimized,” Porter said. “I have the ability to plant a young tree and put an IPC over …
Fire Ant Management
By Lauren Diepenbrock Red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta), commonly referred to as fire ants, are found throughout Florida. This pest infests a broad range of habitats, including urban regions, natural areas and production fields. In citrus, there are a range of impacts from this pest — from human health to both direct and indirect tree impacts. From a human …
Bridging the Gap to the Tree of the Future
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center hosted an OJ Break seminar on May 14. The speakers provided updates on developing a gene-edited citrus tree with resistance to HLB and how growers can use existing tools to mitigate the disease. Nian Wang, UF/IFAS professor, provided an update on the status of …
Georgia Student Honored for HLB Research
Carlton Collins recently was named top master’s researcher in the E. Broadus Browne Research Awards for Outstanding Graduate Student Research competition at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He was recognized for his research on huanglongbing (HLB) disease, also known as citrus greening. Collins, born in Jamaica, was introduced to citrus production on a small …
CUPS: Pest Monitoring and Management
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 …
All In For Citrus Podcast, April 2025
April is a busy month for citrus events. The Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute was held in Avon Park early in the month followed by a citrus field day at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SFWREC) in Immokalee. These events are the topic of the April episode of the …
Brassinosteroids Improve HLB-Affected Tree Health and Fruit Quality
By Fernando Alferez, Divya Aryal and Saoussen Ben Abdallah In the last few years, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus horticulture team at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center (SWFREC) in Immokalee has performed several research trials in commercial farms and at the experimental farm at the SWFREC to elucidate the effect of …
Growing More Than Grapefruit in CUPS
Growers use the citrus under protective screen (CUPS) production system to protect trees from the Asian citrus psyllid, the insect vector of HLB disease. While grapefruit is most commonly grown in CUPS, statistics support the belief that CUPS can be conducive to other types of citrus. “There’s a need to establish the growing requirements and the needs of other varieties. …




























