Uncle Matt’s Organic® has made its juices and functional beverages accessible to more consumers with the launch of a new e-commerce site. Currently, shipping is available to most of the East Coast, with plans to expand nationwide. The online store brings organic orange juice, lemonade and functional beverage bundles directly to consumers’ doors in one to two days via FedEx. Because …
Time to Cut the Dead Wood from the Citrus Trees
Dead wood has long been challenging for fresh citrus fruit production. Spores in twigs can form which causes blemishing diseases that downgrade fruit for lower profits. More recently, it has come to light that there are horticultural and entomological reasons to remove this wood as well. Many growers are familiar with melanose, the disease most widely associated with dead wood. …
The Goals of Pest Management
Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. Integrated pest management (IPM) uses a combination of methods to keep pest populations at an acceptable level, which are economical and have little …
CRDF Selects Rootstocks for Trials
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) directors recently ratified the rootstock selections for the planned rootstock field trials and discussed the organization’s involvement in future research, CRDF Chief Operating Officer Rick Dantzler reported. The board ratified 10 rootstock selections for the new field trials, overseen by CRDF’s Select Committee on Plant Improvement. According to Dantzler, the field trials will evaluate the newest …
Copper Fungicides: The Essential Tool for Citrus Growers
One of the main issues for citrus crop growers is the quick spread of fungal and bacterial diseases due to warm, wet growing conditions. Without proper methods to prevent and control diseases, crop yield can be greatly reduced, and groves can become ruined. How do you produce a healthy citrus crop while keeping diseases under control? For generations, growers have …
Research Projects on OJ Recommended for Approval
The Scientific Research Advisory Committee met on Jan. 21 to review recent updates from the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) and to review and recommend to the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) for approval of two new research proposals. The FCC serves as the FDOC’s governing board. Rosa Walsh, director of the FDOC Scientific Research Department, gave an update on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines …
Are Consumers Willing to Pay More for Florida OJ?
Multiple studies point to the value consumers place on Florida citrus and their willingness to pay for the “Florida” brand. Lisa House, director of the Florida Agricultural Market Research Center and a professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida, recently spoke on this subject in a Florida Department of Citrus webinar. She provided an overview of …
Control Methods for Major Pests of Cold-Hardy Citrus
Cold-hardy citrus, that is, citrus is grown above the 30th parallel north, is a blooming industry. In less than 10 years, the acreage in North Florida has gone from almost nonexistent to approximately 1,000 acres. Growers in the region plan to plant more in the coming years. In Georgia, there are approximately 2,000 acres across 42 counties, involving over 100 …
Georgia Trials Offer Rootstock Choices
Ongoing citrus rootstock trials being conducted by the University of Georgia (UGA) Cooperative Extension in Lowndes County hold promise for increased yields, improved fruit quality, and greater disease resistance. Jake Price, UGA Extension agent and Lowndes County Extension coordinator, has six local citrus rootstock/variety trials with varying objectives. The trees are custom-produced by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified citrus nurseries …
Citrus Diseases to Pay Attention to
Phytophthora and leprosis diseases can each substantially reduce the productivity of a citrus tree, but when they attack trees already weakened by HLB, the result can be fatal. Ozgur Batuman, assistant professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), explained how co-infection impacts HLB-infected trees during a recent UF/IFAS webinar. PHYTOPHTHORA DISEASESPhytophthora species are soil-borne fungal …