Photo by Matthew Orwat
Cold-hardy citrus growers are on the cusp of starting another harvest season. Management options need to continue up until the first crops are plucked from the trees, according to Certified Crop Adviser Bill Barber with Ag Services LLC.
Barber spoke at a citrus workshop on Sept. 24 at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Perry. He discussed the concerns that growers should have with just a few weeks remaining in the production season.
RUST MITES
“Probably the big thing right now is to watch out for rust mites. They will build in such a hurry until they destroy your crop within a week to 10 days,” Barber advised. “The other thing is cleanliness. Pickers don’t like weeds growing everywhere. They’re a hindrance to harvest. Pickers are there to do a job, and they want to get in and get out without any interruptions.”
According to Barber, rust mites will feed on the outside surface of fruit and cause calloused tissue to form.
“If rust mites are really heavy, the whole side of the fruit, or even the whole fruit sometimes, becomes rusty looking. The fruit will be thrown out at grading and won’t be packed,” Barber said. “It’s devastating if it happens.”
HURRICANE HELENE
Growers will start harvesting during the last couple of weeks in October. Most were optimistic about the crop before Hurricane Helene’s pending landfall along the Big Bend coast of Florida. The major storm is expected to wreak havoc with its high winds and excessive rains.
“Harvest is looking very good, but who knows what this hurricane’s going to do,” Barber said. “Everyone’s looking forward to (harvest) season because there’s a bumper crop. Right now, it’s really pretty. Normally the buyers want small sizes, and we’ve got such a loaded crop that the fruit is a little small on the trees.”
By Clint Thompson