Sugar Belles

Sugar Belles Show Good Production in Georgia Trial

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Rootstocks, Varieties

University of Georgia (UGA) County Extension Coordinator Jake Price recently provided an update on a row of Sugar Belles planted at a Georgia research plot in 2018. The Sugar Belle planting originally had 20 trees on four different rootstocks. Each rootstock was replicated five times. The rootstocks used were US-852, US-942, US-897 and Rubidoux. “After the December 2022 freeze, the …

IPCs

Combine IPCs and Brassinosteroids to Prolong Young Tree Health

Daniel CooperIPCs, Tip of the Week

By Fernando Alferez and Saoussen Ben Abdallah The risk of citrus plantings to become infected with HLB is especially high for young trees, which flush frequently and attract more psyllids than mature trees. Individual protective covers (IPCs) are now being increasingly adopted to protect newly planted citrus trees from psyllid colonization. However, even though IPCs effectively protect young trees from …

hlb

Weathering the HLB Storm

Daniel CooperHLB Management

Specialty crop growers might be aware of the disease sweeping through Florida’s citrus industry. Its impact has been tremendous and has tested the survival of the state’s signature crop. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the official confirmation of citrus greening disease (also known as huanglongbing or HLB) in Florida. In the past two decades, the state’s output …

hlb

Study Shows Impact of HLB Bacterium on Roots

Daniel CooperResearch, Root health

A recent study sheds light on the significant effects of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the bacterium responsible for HLB, on the root systems of grafted Valencia orange trees. The findings reveal that root system reductions caused by the infection are more extensive than the corresponding aboveground declines. That finding underscores the hidden yet critical impact of the disease below the …

International

International Project Arms Citrus Industry Against HLB

Daniel CooperHLB Management, International

Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Government has partnered with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and Hort Innovation to prepare the citrus industry against huanglongbing (HLB). Although widespread in Asia and found in North and South America, HLB is not known to be present in Australia. The psyllid that spreads HLB is also absent from Australia. A collaborative research …

Florida Citrus Show

Registration Is Open for the Florida Citrus Show

Daniel CooperCitrus, Events, FCS24, Florida Citrus Show

The Florida Citrus Show is scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2025. The event will be held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce. The Florida Citrus Show combines educational seminars for both …

milton

Survey Tracks Hurricane Milton Impacts and OTC Usage

Daniel Cooperhurricane, planting, Survey

The Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey seeks input from growers on key issues affecting their groves. While not a scientific survey, it has reflected general trends over the years. This year’s survey asked growers to weigh in on major events like the impact of Hurricane Milton and the performance of trunk-injection therapies. HURRICANE MILTON Hurricane Milton made landfall …

controls

Controls Needed to Effectively Evaluate Treated Trees

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Ute Albrecht, Gabriel Pugina and Caroline Tardivo Two years have passed since trunk injection of oxytetracycline (OTC) was approved for HLB management in Florida. Many growers have adopted this technology. While most reported positive responses, others did not. The plant physiology team at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education …

june

All In For Citrus Podcast, December 2024

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast

There’s been much talk about the “tree of the future” in the Florida citrus industry. That’s a tree with the trifecta of HLB-resistance, great quality and strong yield. So far, that perfect combination has not been found. But the search is on. This was a topic of discussion during the December episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Michael …

HLB-resistant tree

Fundecitrus Researchers Participate in International Citrus Conference

Daniel CooperEvents, International

Researchers with Brazil’s Fundecitrus discussed HLB-related topics at the recent 15th International Citrus Conference in South Korea. Fundecitrus’ Franklin Behlau participated in the section of papers related to HLB, also known as citrus greening disease. Most of the papers provided updates on the disease situation in different locations, including Florida, China, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Iran and Brazil. Behlau discussed the …

cold-hardy

Owari Yields in Georgia Pruning Trial

Daniel CooperGeorgia, Pruning

University of Georgia (UGA) County Extension Coordinator Jake Price recently reported on the Nov. 19 harvest of fruit from six Owari satsuma trees on X-639 rootstock. The trees were part of a pruning field trial. Price said three pruned trees yielded 380, 527 and 457 pounds of fruit, respectively; three unpruned control trees yielded 569, 596 and 418 pounds, respectively. …

Citrus Industry

Citrus Industry: A Continued Commitment

Daniel CooperHistory

As Citrus Industry changes to a new format in 2025 (see more here), now is a good time to look back at some of the stories the publication has covered over the years. The world’s largest citrus library at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred holds a mostly …

All In For Citrus

All In For Citrus Podcast Discusses Indian River Events

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast, Events, Indian River

The Millennium Block grove is a large-scale trial evaluating HLB tolerance of various rootstock/scion combinations at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce, Florida. The trial is primarily focused on grapefruit scion/rootstock combinations. Recently, a Millennium Block field day allowed growers to view various selections that …

open house

Indian River Open House Includes Varieties Display

Daniel CooperEvents, Indian River, Varieties

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center (UF/IFAS IRREC) will hold an open house Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Numerous activities are planned for the facility at 2199 S. Rock Road in Fort Pierce.  UF/IFAS IRREC and its next-door neighbor, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service …

hybrid

HLB-Tolerant Hybrid Varieties Highlighted

Daniel CooperEvents, Indian River, Varieties

Two varieties that tolerate HLB and produce ample fruit yield and juice were the highlights of the recent Millennium Block Field Day in Fort Pierce, Florida. The 20-acre Millennium Block at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) examines fresh fruit varieties and rootstocks. “The two varieties that give …

momentum

Juice Maturity Standards Eased; Varieties Approved for Licensing

Daniel CooperFlorida Citrus Commission, Varieties

Update as of 12-2-24: For the period beginning 12:00 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2024, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on May 23, 2025, maturity standards in regard to ratio are suspended for all grapefruit including field run and eliminations. This emergency rule supersedes Emergency Rule 20ER24-4. At the request of Florida processor and grower associations, the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) …

IMG

IMG Citrus Moving Forward With More CUPS

Daniel CooperCUPS

A Nov. 22 Lake County farm tour, hosted by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, included a visit to the 13-acre citrus under protective screen (CUPS) site owned by IMG Citrus. Located in Groveland, the facility consists of Ruby Red grapefruit on Swingle rootstock planted in May 2022. Clint Updike, IMG citrus production manager, told farm …

june

All In For Citrus Podcast, November 2024

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast

In November, academia from around the world gathered in Jeju, Korea, for the 2024 International Citrus Congress. A contingent of researchers from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) attended the event. Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, was among the attendees. He discusses the trip in the November episode of …

industry survey

Florida Growers Reminded to Complete State of Industry Survey

Daniel CooperFlorida, Survey

The 2024 Florida Citrus State of the Industry Survey will provide a current view of the status of the state’s citrus industry. Among the topics covered in this year’s survey are hurricane impacts and the use of trunk-injection therapies to improve the health of HLB-infected trees. If you are a grower or a consultant/caretaker (who can answer generally on behalf …

Georgia

CITRUS NURSERY SOURCE: Georgia’s Citrus Team Is Shaping Up Nicely

Daniel CooperCitrus Nursery Source, Georgia

By Peter Chaires Many have been following the development of the Georgia citrus industry with great interest and curiosity. Though satsuma remains the dominant fresh citrus crop, other varieties are in varying stages of trial and adoption. The University of Georgia (UGA) has been supporting citrus growers in this process for more than a decade. Wayne Hanna, though his appointment …