Citrus breeding is conducted at different research facilities across Florida. But the objective remains the same for University of the Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) breeders: Develop HLB-resistant citrus. That is the goal for Jose Chaparro, UF/IFAS associate professor in Gainesville. His research will impact citrus produced in the North Florida and South Georgia regions. “If you look at …
Whitmore Farm Field Day Features New Citrus Varieties and Rootstocks
The A.H. Whitmore Foundation Farm near Groveland, Florida, recently hosted a field day. The event was presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), New Varieties Development and Management Corporation (NVDMC) and the Florida Citrus Research Foundation. The farm opened in 1959. The 400-acre property includes 110 acres of groves on prime citrus land. Some of the state’s most popular varieties and …
Diesel Supply and High Prices Challenge Agriculture
By Frank Giles Diesel has been called the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. It fuels the farms that feed America and the trucks that deliver food across the nation. Diesel powers trains, ships and so much more, so it is little surprise recent spikes in prices and inventory concerns have the agriculture industry worried, along with many other sectors of …
Florida Citrus Estimate Sees Large Drop Accounting for Hurricanes
The first federal citrus crop forecast to take into account damage from September’s Hurricane Ian dropped Florida’s projected orange crop for 2022–23 to 20 million boxes. That’s 29% below the initial forecast of 28 million boxes in October, 51% less than last season’s final production of 41.05 million boxes and the lowest orange forecast in many decades. Florida’s non-Valencia and Valencia orange …
Citrus Sampling of Varieties Grown in Gainesville
Consumers have different tastebuds that make them prefer certain fruit more than others. What one may like, another may reject. This is especially true in the citrus industry where palate and consumer preference play a role in what varieties growers choose to produce. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) campus in Gainesville hosted a recent citrus meeting …
UF Citrus Varieties Get a Taste Test in Gainesville
Consumers have different tastebuds that make them prefer certain citrus varieties and other fruit more than others. What one may like, another may reject. This is especially true in the citrus industry where palate and consumer preference play a role in what varieties growers choose to produce. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) campus in Gainesville hosted …
USDA Invites Growers to Respond Online to 2022 Census of Agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has mailed survey codes to all known agriculture producers across the 50 states with an invitation to respond online to the 2022 Census of Agriculture at agcounts.usda.gov. The ag census is the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county and territory. By completing the survey, producers across the nation can …
Florida Citrus Bud Advisories Now UnderwayÂ
Regular flower bud advisories from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) were restarted Nov. 21 and will be provided every other week through early spring. Associate Professor Tripti Vashisth provides the advisories. The advisories provide critical information about the intensity and time of citrus blooms. Growers use this information to determine when to spray for Asian citrus …
Florida H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rate Up Nearly $2
By Frank Giles The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the results of its Farm Labor Survey. This data is used by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to determine the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), which establishes the minimum wages for H-2A workers in states. The survey results indicate the new AEWR in 2023 is estimated to be $14.33, …
Thinking Outside the Box: Citrus Growers Need to Diversify to Remain Sustainable
If cold-hardy citrus growers diversified their crops and not put all of their eggs in the satsuma basket, it would provide them a better chance at long-term sustainability. It would allow producers an opportunity to combat the negative national stigma concerning citrus juices, says Jude Grosser, a professor of plant cell genetics at the University of Florida Institute of Food …