The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced an investment of nearly $11 million for research to combat HLB. “NIFA’s Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension program brings the nation’s top scientists together with citrus industry representatives to find scientifically sound solutions to combat and prevent HLB at the farm-level,” said NIFA Director Carrie …
Citrus Specialist John Pehrson Honored
It’s been 30 years since John Pehrson retired as a University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) citrus specialist, but he left such a lasting impression on the citrus industry that his work is still revered today. Pehrson was gifted at translating University of California (UC) research and offering practical solutions to help growers better manage their resources and improve citrus …
Graft Compatibility of New Scion−Rootstock Combinations
By Ute Albrecht, Bo Meyering, José Chaparro and Kim D. Bowman Grafting is an ancient horticultural technique. There is evidence of citrus grafting in the Roman era dating back to the fifth century. In western Europe, grafting was regularly practiced in the 16th and 17th centuries when citrus was grown as an exotic ornamental in containers in orangeries. In Florida, …
Fertilization Splitting Helps With HLB
Researchers at the University of Florida have found a way to manage groves infected with HLB by managing the timing of their fertilization. By splitting the application of nutrients to citrus rootstocks, they have been able to improve plant growth and fruit yields. The research was recently published in Soil Science Society of America Journal. Alisheikh Atta and his colleagues …
Nutrition and Yield in the Face of HLB
Fertilization frequency, micronutrient management and rootstocks can all impact the yield of HLB-affected sweet oranges, Tripti Vashisth recently told a Citrus Nutrition Day audience in Lake Alfred, Florida. The educational event was held at the Citrus Research and Education Center, where Vashisth is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) horticulturist. FERTILIZATION FREQUENCYHLB-affected trees should be …
Citrus Is Part of DeLuca Preserve Research
Planting of new improved citrus scion/rootstock combinations to demonstrate sustainable and profitable citriculture is one of eight new research projects slated for the 27,000-acre DeLuca Preserve in Osceola County, Florida. The rootstocks and scions will come from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center citrus breeding program. The eight projects are …
Sneak Peek: November 2021 Citrus Industry
The low initial U.S. citrus crop forecast for the 2021–22 season points to the need to plant more trees to sustain the country’s citrus industry. The November issue of Citrus Industry magazine features articles that will help growers take care of their young trees. Two articles help answer the question of what to plant. First, University of Florida’s (UF) Ute …
All In For Citrus Podcast, October 2021
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus breeding team discusses development of new varieties and rootstocks in the October episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. But before that discussion begins, Michael Rogers, UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) director, has the details on two upcoming events, including one in which growers can …
Open House/Field Day Set at CREC
The work that University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty members have done on HLB will be featured Nov. 16 at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. The center will host growers and others that day at an open house and field day. The morning program will kick off with a panel discussion …
Millennium Block Field Day Draws Growers
More than 50 citrus growers and researchers attended a field day Oct. 14 in Fort Pierce to view 154 new citrus scion-rootstock combinations. Some of the combinations will result in trees that tolerate HLB. The Millennium Block Drive-Thru Field Day occurred at the University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC). …
Growers React Differently to Crop Forecast
Florida citrus grower Kyle Story of The Story Companies thought the initial Florida orange crop forecast for the 2021-22 season was “realistic.” But the 47-million-box forecast struck fellow grower Paul Meador as low. Meador is president of Everglades Harvesting and Hauling and serves on the Florida Citrus Commission. The crop forecast, well below last season’s 52.8 million boxes of Florida …
Citrus Greening Inevitable for North Florida, South Georgia
It’s not a question of if citrus greening disease will be an issue for North Florida and South Georgia citrus growers, but when will it be. Fred Gmitter, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus breeder, believes the disease’s impact in both areas is inevitable. He shared his assessment during a recent Cold Tolerant Citrus Production …
The Past and Potential of Parson Brown
By Gary K. England and Manjul Dutt The Parson Brown is an early-season sweet orange that was identified in 1875 by J.L. Carney and named the Carney Parson Brown (CPB). In a 1923 article titled ‘History of the Parson Brown Orange,’ E.L. Carney described how his brother Capt. J.L. Carney sought a sweet orange of acceptable quality for budding onto …
Phytophthora Root Rot a Concern in Georgia Citrus
A saturated summer across the Southeast means more potential for development of phytophthora root rot disease in citrus trees. The impact on Georgia’s young trees could be devastating, says Jonathan Oliver, University of Georgia assistant professor and small fruits pathologist. Oliver implores Georgia’s citrus producers to stay vigilant with their fungicide sprays, as the wet conditions have not let up. …
Regular Leaf Nutrient Analysis Improves HLB-Affected Trees
By Tripti Vashisth and Davie Kadyampakeni Nutrition management is complex! Multiple factors affect the nutrient uptake and availability in trees. For example, high soil pH can limit the uptake of soil-applied micronutrients such as zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). Oxide forms of nutrients might be less available than nitrate or sulfur forms. Moreover, the time and method of nutrient application …
Lessons on Yield and Root Health From Modified Nutrition
By Davie Kadyampakeni, Evan Johnson, Kelly Morgan and Ali Atta Citrus production in Florida has been decreasing over the last 15 years due to several factors, with huanglongbing (HLB) a major driver. This disease has severe effects on citrus growth and production, including stunted vegetative growth, misshapen small fruits and poor color development, root mortality, stunted branches, excessive fruit drop, …
Brazil’s Orange Crop Takes a Downward Turn
Fundecitrus and its cooperators announced on Sept. 10 that Brazil’s 2021-22 orange crop forecast has decreased to 267.87 million boxes. This is a decrease of 8.9% from May’s initial forecast of 294.17 million boxes. While Brazil was initially expecting a larger orange crop this season, the updated forecast is less than the 268.63 million boxes Brazil produced in 2020-2021. The …
What CRAFT Wants for Cycle III
Five Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Technical Working Group leaders on Aug. 31 discussed the types of projects they’d like to see CRAFT Cycle III growers pursue. The types of projects the leaders expressed interest in will, to some extent, fill gaps in knowledge expected to be gained from previous cycles. CRAFT pays Florida growers to plant trees on …
Technologies for Improved Nutrient Analysis
By Yiannis Ampatzidis and Ute Albrecht Nutrient management is important for citrus production. Regular nutrient assessments should be conducted to optimize nutrient balance and prevent deficiencies or over-fertilization. Optimizing nutrition is important for tree health and can improve tolerance to stresses and diseases. Good nutrient management requires regular field monitoring to identify problems and examine crop responses. Leaves need to …
Citrus Tristeza Virus Still in Florida
Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is still present in Florida and can be transmitted to new trees, especially during brown citrus aphid outbreaks, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). A presentation about surveying for CTV was available at the UF/IFAS booth during Citrus Expo in August. The presentation noted that switching to sour orange …





























