Lindy Savelle, president of the Georgia Citrus Association, and other industry leaders continue to preach to growers the need to diversify their crop portfolios. The Christmas freeze event that ravaged production in the Southeast last December should not be a deterrent for farmers hoping to produce citrus other than satsuma mandarins. Yes, non-satsuma citrus trees were impacted more by the multiple …
Pheromones Helping Reduce Pest Populations
Citrus growers should emphasize leafminer management this year to preserve new flushes. This is especially important for those producers affected by the Christmas freeze event. The management strategy should include pheromone disruptions, which can help reduce pest populations. Xavier Martini, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC), …
Pheromones Essential in Leafminer Management
By Clint Thompson Citrus growers should emphasize leafminer management this year to preserve new flushes. This is especially important for those producers affected by the Christmas freeze event. The management strategy should include pheromone disruptions, which can help reduce pest populations. Xavier Martini, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research …
Sen. Ossoff: I’m Excited About Georgia Citrus
By Clint Thompson Georgia citrus producers have a vocal legislative supporter in their corner, and that’s good news for the industry heading into the future. U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) recently visited with Georgia citrus farmers and industry leaders to learn more about the growing commodity in the state. He came away impressed with how citrus has blossomed in popularity …
Citrus Variety Research Update
The Florida Citrus Commission on March 15 heard an update on four sponsored projects under the New Varieties Development and Management Corp. (NVDMC). Peter Chaires, NVDMC executive director, provided the updates: Additionally, two early-maturing OLL clones were propagated and offer real potential to replace Hamlin. Fourteen high-soluble-solids OLL clones were identified as well as two 20-year-old Hamlin trees in the Orie Lee Alligator Hamlin …
Legislation Passes for Georgia Citrus Commission
By Clint Thompson Georgia citrus farmers and industry leaders scored a legislative victory on Monday when the state Senate overwhelmingly passed the proposal to start a Georgia Citrus Commission. The win for the industry will come when Gov. Brian Kemp signs it into law. The legislation states, “There shall be an Agricultural Commodity Commission for Citrus Fruits established on July …
USDA Provides Assistance for Citrus Growers After Hurricane Ian
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently visited a citrus grove in Polk County, Florida, to survey the impact of Hurricane Ian and meet affected growers. He highlighted efforts by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help Florida producers recover from the devastating impact of hurricanes. USDA is working through nearly 2,500 requests for assistance following Hurricane Ian. It has aided …
The Seasonal Satsuma Bottleneck
The short timeframe for satsuma mandarins to be harvested and sold in the fall created a bottleneck of supply around the Thanksgiving holiday in 2022. An excess supply led to a challenge for growers attempting to sell their fruit when demand diminished, according to Kim Jones, who grows and packs citrus in Florida and Georgia. “The week of Thanksgiving when …
Cold Acclimation Helping Trees Rebound From Freeze
Trees in the Sweet Valley Citrus region are more acclimated to cold temperatures than those in Central and South Florida. That is a reason that Bill Barber, Certified Crop Adviser and owner of Barber Ag Services, believes citrus trees in North Florida, South Georgia and South Alabama have rebounded well following the Christmas freeze event. “I first thought the worst. With …
Leafminer Management Vital for Freeze-Impacted Trees
Cold-hardy citrus growers need to protect their trees against the citrus leafminer this year, more so than ever. A lack of control could have negative consequences for trees still recovering from the Christmas freeze last December. Xavier Martini, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center, spoke on leafminer …