field day

Finger Lime Field Day Draws Mostly Non-Citrus Crowd

Daniel Cooper Events, Limes

Only a few Florida commercial citrus growers were on hand for an April 24 finger lime field day at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred. Most of the more than 40 attendees did not own citrus groves, and about half were women — definitely not the standard crowd for a CREC event. Those in attendance had …

may

Sneak Peek: May 2024 Citrus Industry

Daniel Cooper HLB Management, hurricane, Sneak Peek

Inside the May issue of Citrus Industry magazine, you’ll find photos and coverage from the Florida Citrus Show. The annual grower-focused event was held in Fort Pierce on April 3. A high point of the day was the outdoor trade show of exhibitors serving an array of tailgate-style foods to attendees. Educational programs included a general session on current agricultural …

summer

Covering the Basics of Summer Cover Crops

Daniel Cooper Cover Crops, Tip of the Week

By Sarah Strauss The recent rising temperatures are a reminder that summer is approaching, and the beginning of the rainy season is a great time to start planting cover crops. If you are looking for a method to invest in your soil health, cover crops are one option. By definition, cover crops are planted to improve soil health and are …

irrigation

Irrigation Frequency Critical to Fight Tree Stress

Daniel Cooper Irrigation

During the month of April, Florida rainfall has been scarce. Groves are drying out after some areas enjoyed more rain than normal during the El Niño winter. The dry weather has growers busy running irrigation. Keeping HLB-infected trees well-watered is especially important to reduce plant stress. That was the message Tripti Vashisth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural …

nutrient availability

The Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Availability

Daniel Cooper Nutrition

By Chris Oswalt Soil pH influences nutrient availability. This article considers the specific fate of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soils with elevated pH values. The discussion also assumes that these effects would be similar to conditions in the wetted zone where micro-sprinkler irrigation has raised soil pH. NITROGEN Soil pH can affect several reactions involving nitrogen in the soil …

April

All In For Citrus Podcast, April 2024

Daniel Cooper All In For Citrus Podcast

April was a busy month for citrus events. The Florida Citrus Show was held April 3 in Fort Pierce followed by the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute in Avon Park on April 9. These events were a topic of discussion between All In For Citrus podcast host Frank Giles and Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food …

eastern lubber

Managing the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

Daniel Cooper Pests

Eastern lubber grasshoppers are out in force in some parts of Florida, munching away on citrus, vegetable crops and landscape plants. They can be found from March or April to about October or November in North Florida and the state’s Gulf Coast. They can be economically important throughout Florida. Eastern lubber grasshoppers can completely strip foliage from plants. More commonly, …

planting

Determining Planting Density

Daniel Cooper Economics, planting

As growers grapple with planting new blocks in the HLB era, there has been considerable discussion about planting densities to optimize growth and yield. John Chater, assistant professor of horticultural sciences with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), has been working with growers in evaluating new varieties and rootstocks as trees are planted. TRENDING HIGHER …

consumers

Florida OJ Has Solid Share of Consumers

Daniel Cooper Florida, Orange Juice, Research

A significant portion of consumers are drawn to Florida orange juice (OJ) despite recent economic setbacks, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) study shows.  “There is an intrinsic value that consumers have for Florida orange juice. When they think of Florida, orange juice is often part of the imagery,” said Marisa Zansler, director of economic …

Kistler

Kistler to Direct Indian River Research and Education Center

Daniel Cooper Education, Indian River

Mark Kistler will become director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce on June 17. He will succeed Ron Cave, who has been the IRREC director since 2016. Cave will continue with UF/IFAS as a faculty member. Kistler currently is professor and dean of the …

particle films

Protect Trees With Particle Films

Daniel Cooper HLB Management, Tip of the Week, Weather

By Christopher Vincent Particle film is a useful tool to take the edge off stress to citrus trees caused by weather and HLB. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research over the past several years shows moderate concentrations of kaolin particle films cause trees to grow faster, suffer less water loss and keep leaves cooler, even …

climate

New Tool Helps Growers With Climate Variability

Daniel Cooper Weather

A new web-based tool will help growers reduce risks that come with climate variability. It’s called the climate indicators tool, the newest addition to AgroClimate. AgroClimate is a web-based platform designed 15 years ago by Clyde Fraisse, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) professor of agricultural and biological engineering. Growers can use the new tool …

Florida Citrus Show

Don’t Miss the Florida Citrus Show!

Daniel Cooper Events, Tip of the Week

By Robin Koestoyo University of Florida citrus and vegetable researchers will present their latest scientific findings at the 78th Florida Citrus Show on April 3. A lineup of educational seminars will build on the show’s extraordinarily successful 77th show, organized by AgNet Media, an agricultural news communications leader. This year’s event will feature a tailgate-style trade show that includes breakfast …

florida citus show

What to Know Before You Go to the Florida Citrus Show

Daniel Cooper Events, FCS24, Florida

We are excited to kick off the Florida Citrus Show tomorrow! Here are some things you need to know before you go: Show Address The Florida Citrus Show will be held in the parking lot between the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (2199 South Rock Road) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Horticultural Research …

pests

A New Pest in Citrus

Daniel Cooper All In For Citrus Podcast, Pests

When it comes to talking about citrus bugs, Lauren Diepenbrock, an entomologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), is happy to join the conversation. And that’s just what she did in the March episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. She discussed several key pests that have been problematic for growers in recent …

protect developing

Protect Developing Fruit From Lebbeck Mealybugs

Daniel Cooper Pests, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Diepenbrock As the March bloom tapers off and fruit begin to set, it is time to think about lebbeck mealybug management to protect developing fruit. Damage to setting fruit causes malformed fruit that are often aborted or not marketable if they continue development (Figure 1). Early-season management is critical to both reducing early fruit damage and to maintaining …

tree health

Get an Assist in Gauging Tree Health

Daniel Cooper Technology

If there was ever a time when Florida citrus growers would want to get a better read on tree health, this season might it. A significant number of acres have been treated with new trunk-injection therapies, and growers have been monitoring groves to observe the impact of the treatments. Growers have traditionally relied on visual observation to get a sense …

tolerant

Growers Must Settle for HLB-Tolerant Trees While Waiting for Resistance

Daniel Cooper Events, HLB Management, Varieties

The dream of citrus varieties being totally resistant to huanglongbing (HLB) disease (citrus greening) is still a distant reality for Florida growers. For now, they must depend on tolerant varieties to lessen the disease’s impact, which is widespread throughout most of the state. Michael Rogers, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center …

march

All In For Citrus Podcast, March 2024

Daniel Cooper All In For Citrus Podcast, Irrigation

As winter transitions to spring, it is important to monitor irrigation needs in citrus. This is especially true in Florida, where nearly all trees are infected with HLB. Irrigation was a topic of discussion during the March episode of the All In For Citrus podcast. Michael Rogers, director of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) …

growing

Growing Citrus With Soil Health in Mind

Daniel Cooper Cover Crops, Georgia, Soil Health

Herb Young enjoyed a 40-year career in the agricultural chemical industry, starting as a technical service representative and eventually becoming a product manager. During those years, he worked on various specialty crops across the country. About 25 years of his career was spent in field research roles. So, experimentation with crops and growing practices comes naturally to Young. He has …