Draining Water From Groves Critical After Freeze

Dan CooperCold Hardy, Freeze, Water

Cold-hardy citrus producers are now coping with the aftermath of last weekend’s winter storm. Water was a key tool that growers used in efforts to protect their crop from sub-freezing temperatures and blistering wind chills. Now, they need that water to drain as quickly as possible, says Lindy Savelle, executive director of the Georgia Citrus Association. “You don’t want to …

FDT Issues Weight Waiver for Ag Commodities

Clint ThompsonFlorida

Executive Orders 24-214 and 26-16 have given authority to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDT) to relieve the size and weight restrictions for divisible loads on any vehicles transporting emergency equipment, services, supplies and agricultural food commodities and citrus in excess of the normal restrictions on weight, height, length and width restrictions for such vehicles. The following commodities and citrus …

fruit

Impacts of Freeze on Fruit Quality

Dan CooperFreeze

Florida citrus growers are in the middle of harvest season. That means plenty of fruit was still left on the trees prior to last weekend’s winter storm that brought freezing temperatures and dangerous wind chills to the state’s citrus-producing regions. Growers are assessing the negative impacts following the freeze, but they may not know the extent of damage for a …

AFVGA Executive Director: Document Any Kind of Freeze Damage

Clint ThompsonAlabama

By Clint Thompson Last weekend’s plunging temperatures and dangerously low wind chills across the Southeast was another weather challenge for the region’s specialty crop producers. Now that the coldest weather so far this year has passed, growers must now take stock of any damage to their crops, says Blake Thaxton, Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA) Executive Director. “We’re …

Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: Tools to Track Peach Chill

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Frank Giles When the weather cooperates in winter and spring, peach growers celebrate the good fortune. Chill hours and chill portions are a good way to measure that progress. But that’s not always an easy task with so many variables that can come into play. Dario Chavez, associate professor in peach and citrus breeding genetics and genomics with the …

wait

Florida Citrus Growers Urged to Wait on Postfreeze Tree-Recovery Process

Dan CooperFreeze

Florida citrus growers eager to expedite the recovery process for trees impacted by last weekend’s frigid temperatures need to wait. That is the message that Flavia Zambon, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant professor at the Indian River Research and Education Center, emphasized to the state’s citrus growers. Zambon was part of a virtual question-and-answer …

Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo

Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo to Offer an Enhanced Experience

Dan CooperCitrus, Citrus and Specialty Crop Expo

Mark your calendar for the 2026 Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo, set for Aug. 12–13. The event is returning with several upgrades designed to improve the experience for citrus and specialty crop growers, exhibitors and industry partners. EXCEPTIONAL LOCATION The 2026 Expo is relocating back to Fort Myers, Florida, but at a new location. The event will be held at …

New Syngenta Varieties Offer Grower Solutions

Web AdminSponsored Content

Syngenta has been a leader in the sugar baby watermelon category and will strengthen that position with the launch of a new variety in 2026. The new watermelon, Bahama, comes in just a bit smaller than other sugar baby offerings, which is right in line with consumer preferences. “We are excited to add Bahama to our sugar baby portfolio,” says …

UGA Extension Agent Discusses Row Covers Ahead of Frigid Weekend

Clint ThompsonGeorgia

By Clint Thompson Looming frigid temperatures this weekend across the Southeast means strawberry growers need to consider implementing row covers to protect this year’s crop. Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties, is recommending his growers put row covers on ahead of temperatures that are expected to drop into the …

USMCA Prep: USTR Ambassador Greer Meets With Mexican Secretary of Economy

Clint ThompsonLegislative

The U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) office issued a statement on Wednesday, verifying that USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer met with Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard and agreed to discuss bilateral trade relations amid the upcoming USMCA Joint Review. According to the press release, both sides recognized substantial progress in recent months and agreed to continue intensive engagement to address non-tariff …