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Below you'll see everything we could locate for your search of “sugar belle”
“Hurricane Ian has devastated much of Florida’s citrus industry,” said Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center. “The harsh reality is that the 2022–2023 season will be one of the most challenging that any of us has faced.” Several UF/IFAS Extension agents made early assessments of the …
By Arnold Schumann, Laura Waldo, Chris Oswalt, Napoleon Mariner, Timothy Ebert, Perseveranca Mungofa, Shankar Shrestha and Laura Cano-Castro Florida grapefruit production for the 2021–22 season was 92% less than in 2003–04, which was prior to the arrival of huanglongbing (HLB) disease [Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, (USDA NASS)]. The decrease in Florida tangerine production for the …
By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP Just as HLB can affect fruit flavor, so can our numerous innovations to manage HLB. Yu Wang works to make sure our solutions are sweet. When the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hired her as a flavor chemist seven years ago, Wang worked primarily with breeders. Her objective was …
By Fernando Alferez, Daniel Boakye, Susmita Gaire and Tim Gast Growing citrus under protective screen (CUPS) structures for fresh fruit production is effective in controlling HLB disease by completely excluding the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina citri). After several years of research on CUPS to grow HLB-free trees in Florida, and with commercial growers increasingly adopting this technology, there is …
By Jude Grosser, Manjul Dutt and Fred Gmitter Exploiting citrus genetic diversity is the key to defeating HLB. Plant species have survived for millennia with evolving, hostile pathogens. This is possible through natural selection within genetically diverse populations. Tolerant or resistant individuals survive and intermate, get through the bottleneck, and the species evolves. Current citriculture is based on extremely limited …
By Jude Grosser and Fred Gmitter New sweet oranges and sweet orange-like hybrids could offer improved juice quality for growers. It’s no secret that the recent season in Florida was a disaster, with record low production and terrible fruit quality due to HLB. Juice Brix and soluble solids were so low that harvest was delayed in many groves, resulting in …
By Anirban Guha and Christopher Vincent A quick body temperature test is common these days before entering many workplaces, hospitals and clinics due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose is to screen people for fevers, usually with a non-contact infrared thermometer. Measurement of plant body temperatures also has become common for many field crops, not to screen for infectious …
Jake Price with University of Georgia Extension in Lowndes County provided an update on pruning of South Georgia citrus trees in a recent Cold Hardy Citrus Connection newsletter. The newsletter is published by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. His report follows: In February 2021, we pruned the Owari rootstock trial trees to where most limbs …
Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser discuss some relatively new varieties they like – a mandarin, some oranges and a pummelo-grapefruit hybrid. Gmitter and Grosser are University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant breeders at the Citrus Research and Education Center. SUGAR BELLE® MANDARIN“Looking at Sugar Belle® and its performance against citrus greening, it’s clearly one of …
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 …
By Fernando Alferez, Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser Citrus trees bloom profusely. It is estimated that a healthy adult tree can produce more than 200,000 flowers every year. This figure is much higher than the number of fruits the tree can maintain and develop. Normally, only 1% to 5% of flowers set fruit that develops, matures and can ultimately be …
Citrus growers need both quantity and quality for a successful crop. As HLB continues to negatively impact both these factors, growers are seeking strategies to safeguard their fruit. The October issue of Citrus Industry magazine presents ideas for enhancing fruit quality and quantity. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers Tripti Vashisth and Christopher Vincent …
Updates on the so-called greasy green disorder and the Cold Hardy Citrus Association were presented at the virtual Packinghouse Day on Aug. 26. GREASY GREENThe greasy green disorder affecting fruit primarily in Florida’s Indian River region has “been getting worse the past two seasons,” researcher Mark Ritenour reported. Ritenour is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …
Fred. G. Gmitter Jr. has been named a 2021 Fellow by the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS). Gmitter is a professor of horticulture and a citrus breeder at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. Being recognized as a Fellow is the ASHS’ highest honor. Fellows …
Brothers Jerry and Keith Mixon have been surprised by how well trees grow in their citrus under protective screen (CUPS) facilities in Alturas, Florida. “All of the varieties we are growing have responded amazingly,” they said recently about their CUPS experience. Though each brother has his own CUPS structures, they jointly discussed their results. The brothers have a combined 130 …
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) plant breeder Fred Gmitter discussed potential fresh fruit variety options for Florida growers in a July 14 virtual presentation. Gmitter focused on releases made by breeders at UF/IFAS’ Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. SUGAR BELLEGmitter said the Sugar Belle mandarin hybrid has high tolerance for HLB. This …
In response to HLB, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus breeding program is focused on developing improved varieties and rootstocks for sustainable and profitable production. Rootstock and scion performance trials have been established throughout the state. UF/IFAS citrus breeder Fred Gmitter touched on some of the experimental trials being done in Florida’s Indian River …
Citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt reports the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is determining the acclimation of Florida citrus trees to cold weather by measuring citrus leaf freezing temperatures. “Certain environmental conditions will initiate this acclimation process,” says Oswalt. “These environmental cues will cause physiological changes to occur within the plant that will depress the …
Ongoing citrus rootstock trials being conducted by University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension in Lowndes County hold promise for increased yields, improved fruit quality and greater disease resistance. Jake Price, UGA Extension agent and Lowndes County Extension coordinator, has six local citrus rootstock/variety trials with varying objectives. The trees are custom-produced by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified citrus nurseries in …
Like several commercial Florida citrus growers, Ben Bateman of Brandon has noticed strong improvement in what he calls his “recreational grove” after applying oak mulch to the trees. Bateman planted 26 mixed-variety trees in large pots about six years ago, transplanting them to the ground five years ago. He said he spent nearly $1,000 on foliar nutrients “with little to …
