By Peter Chaires It is hard to believe that it has been eight years since Brian Scully returned to Florida as lab director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida. Scully was certainly no stranger to Florida or its citrus industry at the time of his return. However, he accepted the USDA position at …
CRDF Board Acts on Research Recommendations
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) board of directors spent much of its monthly meeting in July considering recommendations from the foundation’s research management committee (RMC). TRACKING TREESThe RMC recommended that a request for proposals be put forth to create an inventory of all germplasm existing in field trials from the plant breeding programs CRDF has helped to fund. Having a …
International Trade Commission Clears Way for Fertilizers
By Frank Giles The International Trade Commission (ITC) recently ruled against imposing tariffs on nitrogen fertilizers imported from Russia and Trinidad and Tobago. The panel’s ruling found that imports from those countries did not hurt American producers of fertilizer. The ITC ruling removed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties of up to 132% on urea nitrate fertilizers from Russia. Duties of 113% …
UF/IFAS Breaks Record on Research Expenditures
Research conducted at the University of Florida in agricultural sciences and natural resources conservation topped previous years’ spending totals in the latest figures reported to the National Science Foundation. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS) researchers reported a total of $277.9 million spent during their projects in the fiscal year that ended June 30, the highest …
Webinar Focuses on Citrus Trunk Injection to Treat HLB
The pros of injecting the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) into citrus tree trunks to combat HLB appear to be numerous, including increased fruit yield, according to scientist Ute Albrecht. On the other hand, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher only discussed one con, but it was a big one. “Trunk injections cause injury, and long-term effects need to …
Florida Citrus Crop Decline Continues
By Frank Giles The final U.S. citrus forecast of the 2021–22 season, released July 12, bumped up the estimate a bit from June forecast. Florida’s all-orange forecast rose 1%, to 40.95 million boxes, due to a slight increase in non-Valencia orange production and a 1% increase in expected Valencia orange production. However, the crop was the smallest since the 1942-43 …
Water and Soil pH Critical to Citrus Nutrition
There 17 essential elements that plants need to grow. Three of those elements come to plants via water and the atmosphere. The 14 other elements come from fertilizer applications. Almost all of those are dependent on soil pH to determine how well they are picked up by plants’ root systems. Getting the soil pH just right was discussed in the …
Register Now: Citrus/Specialty Crop Expo Scheduled for Aug. 17-18
By Clint Thompson Producers and industry leaders should mark their calendars for this year’s Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo scheduled for Aug. 17-18 at the Lee Civic Center in Fort Myers, Florida. Complimentary registration is available for all growers, packers, shippers, processors, association members and university researchers. Those interested can click here for additional information. Josh McGill, show director, discusses …
Citrus Crop Looks ‘Very Promising’
The sweltering heat being felt across the Southeast has done little to dampen the optimism shared by one citrus grower who believes this year’s crop is “very promising.” Kim Jones, who owns a citrus packing facility in Monticello, Florida, and is part-owner of a similar facility in Tifton, Georgia, discusses the state of this year’s crop in North Florida and South Georgia. …
UF/IFAS Begins Research to Update Best Management Practices Nutrient Recommendations
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) received $8.8 million to conduct new research that will provide farmers with new and improved nutrient recommendations for fertilization of key Florida crops. The funding, approved by the Florida Legislature, will be administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Farmers apply fertilizers to their crops …