citrus tree

Experimental Citrus Tree Kills Young Psyllids

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Psyllids, Research

Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are testing a new type of citrus tree that can fight off the HLB-spreading Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The genetically modified tree has only been tested in the lab and the greenhouse but is very promising as a potential solution to HLB. The approach involves inserting a …

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 …

pest management

Plan Your 2025 Pest Management

Daniel CooperPest Management, Pests, Tip of the Week

By Lauren Diepenbrock Pest management is a year-round challenge in Florida citrus. With the warm climate, pests are at the ready as soon as plant resources are available to them. With knowledge of invertebrate biology in relation to tree phenology, growers can develop plans to protect fruit and maintain productive citrus trees. HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC PESTS Populations of some highly problematic …

protection

Have a Plan for Freeze Protection

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast, freeze

Cold weather is in the forecast with the potential for freezing temperatures in the coming days. That means citrus growers should be thinking about their plans for cold protection. Chris Oswalt, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) citrus Extension agent for Polk and Hillsborough counties, recently joined the All In For Citrus podcast to provide details …

Weather

Florida Winter Weather Trends

Daniel CooperWeather

Florida state climatologist David Zierden recently discussed past and present weather impacts on Florida citrus and said the next three months of winter are projected to be warmer than usual. Zierden, of Florida State University’s Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, spoke during a virtual Winter Weather Lunch Break on Dec. 10. PAST Zierden said 13 freezes occurred over a 162-year …

two

Two New Early-Season Sweet Oranges for Florida Growers

Daniel CooperTip of the Week, Varieties

By Manjul Dutt, Sheetal Ramekar and Gary England Developing new citrus cultivars, whether through conventional breeding or genetic engineering methods like transgenics or CRISPR is potentially the most viable long-term strategy to combat huanglongbing (HLB). Identifying potential survivor trees — citrus trees that exhibit disease tolerance in areas with endemic HLB — can also serve as a useful strategy for …

Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton Citrus Losses Could Reach $55 Million

Daniel CooperEconomics, hurricane

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) estimated Hurricane Milton citrus production losses are from $23.1 million to $55.2 million in Florida. The UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP) stated that significant fruit drop was reported, especially on varieties that were ready for harvest. Impacted fruit included early oranges, tangerines and tangelos. Some growers also reported …

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 …

OJ Break

Growers and Industry Attend OJ Break and Fruit Display

Daniel CooperEvents, Insurance

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred recently hosted an OJ Break and Fruit Display. The Dec. 18 back-to-back events were well attended. Ariel Singerman, UF/IFAS citrus economist, presented his research during the OJ Break. One area he addressed was crop insurance adoption among growers. Singerman shared a …

February

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 …

recovery

What Past Hurricanes Reveal About Recovery

Daniel Cooperhurricane

After hurricanes hit citrus-producing regions in Florida, there is always one question included in the conversation: How bad is it? Experience has shown that the damage from hurricanes can take months to fully manifest. And recovery can take years, especially in the HLB-era. Within a week after Hurricane Milton making landfall on Oct. 9, the University of Florida Institute of …

diseases

Problematic Diseases Following Hurricanes

Daniel CooperDiseases, hurricane

Hurricanes bring immediate tree damage from high winds and torrential rainfall, but storms also can lay the groundwork for citrus disease problems. Soon after Hurricane Milton passed through citrus-growing regions, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) hosted a webinar that covered various topics including post-storm disease management. CANKER Megan Dewdney, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant …

fertilizer

Fertilizer Considerations for HLB-Affected Citrus

Daniel CooperNutrition, Tip of the Week

By John M. Chater and Davie Kadyampakeni Soil fertility is a keystone to a productive citrus grove in Florida. In the era of huanglongbing (HLB), the need to fine-tune soil fertility takes on even more importance. The sandy soils found in citrus-growing regions of the state are great for drainage to reduce flooding stress of citrus trees in many cases, …

cold-hardy

Cold-Hardy Citrus Region Continues to Expand

Daniel CooperAll In For Citrus Podcast, Cold Hardy

Muhammad Shahid, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor of horticulture, joined the All In For Citrus podcast recently to discuss the growing citrus industry in the cold-hardy region of North Florida, South Georgia and Southeast Alabama. Production continues to expand in the area with some 7,000 to 8,000 acres of citrus. Shahid is based …

Kistler

Participate in the IRREC Strategic Positioning Session

Daniel CooperEvents, Indian River

Mark Kistler requests the Indian River region’s agricultural and natural resources representatives to attend a strategic positioning session to share their observations on important topics. The session is planned for Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. until noon, at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) at 2199 South Rock Road …

spot

Improve the Success of Spot Sprays

Daniel CooperTip of the Week, weeds

By Ramdas Kanissery Spot application of post-emergent herbicides provides an effective solution for controlling weeds that are missed by standard maintenance herbicide programs in citrus groves (Figure 1, left). This method is also helpful for targeting weeds in areas that herbicide boom sprayers can’t reach, like those growing near the trees (Figure 1, right). Here are some key tips to …

success

CUPS Success Rate a Relief for Researcher

Daniel CooperCUPS

The success of citrus under protective screen (CUPS) in protecting Florida citrus from citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing or HLB, was not surprising to Arnold Schumann. The professor of soil fertility and water quality at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center is thankful research had yielded a temporary solution …

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 …

CRDF

CRDF Board Approves Four More Projects

Daniel CooperCRDF, Research

The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) held its governance and plant improvement committee meetings along with its board of directors meeting on Dec. 3 in Sebring. Rick Dantzler, chief operating officer, said several orders of business were conducted as the year comes to a close. “The CRDF board of directors approved four projects at its last board meeting of …

researcher

UF/IFAS Researcher and Postdoc Honored

Daniel CooperAwards, Indian River

A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher and her postdoc have been inducted into the Sigma Xi scientific research honor society. The inductees are Sandra Guzmán, assistant professor at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) and Gregory Conde, postdoctoral research associate in Guzmán’s Smart Irrigation and Hydrology Laboratory. “Dr. Guzmán and Dr. …