The newly released 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) continue to reinforce that nutrient-dense 100 percent fruit juices, such as orange juice (OJ), count as a fruit serving. They also continue to include 100 percent fruit juice as a part of a healthy dietary pattern. The guidelines support the incorporation of beverages such as 100 percent OJ into the daily …
Expectation of La Niña and Florida Citrus
A moderate La Niña climate phase is expected through spring 2021. This indicates that slightly above average temperatures and slightly less rainfall than normal can be expected in Florida’s citrus belt. Multi-county citrus Extension agent Ajia Paolillo made that announcement during a virtual Dec. 22 OJ Break presented by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). …
Dormant Sprays for Asian Citrus Psyllid Management
Several studies have documented the positive effects of controlling the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP, Figure 1) for citrus tree health and sustainability in Florida. The mature blocks established before and after the discovery of huanglongbing (HLB) in 2005 continue to benefit from psyllid control. One psyllid is enough to infect a tree with HLB for life, and repeated infestations negatively …
SFWMD Accepting Applications for Cost-Share Water Projects
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) announced it is accepting applications for cost-share projects to develop alternative water supply projects and water conservation projects. This is part of the state of Florida’s continuing efforts to identify and implement cost-effective strategies to protect its water resources while meeting Florida’s water needs. Partnering with local governments and other entities for implementation …
Time for ACP Dormant Season Sprays
Pest management is an ongoing effort in Florida citrus. Taking advantage of pest life cycles, whether they are tied to the season or plant phenology, can make management efforts have greater impacts on pest populations. For many citrus growers, managing the impacts of Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the vector of huanglongbing (HLB), is part of the annual management plan. As …
Growing a Tangerine Tree No Matter Where You Live
How to grow a Tangerine Tree no matter where you live. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Tangerine trees belong in the same citrus family as oranges, lemons, and limes. They’re a hybrid of mandarin oranges, and there are a ton of different varieties out there. Such as Clementine, Dancy, Honey, Kara, Pixie, and Yosemite. Whether growing tangerines …
Drought and Heat Harm Brazil’s Harvest
There is a saying among those who have been in the industry for a long time: “There is no citrus harvest like the other.” Growers are facing production challenges in the current harvest season in Brazil. Hot, Dry Conditions The first signs of a decrease in the season’s fruit crop were given by last year’s (August to September 2019) bloom. …
Florida May Buy More Alico Land
The state of Florida has entered into an option agreement to purchase approximately 5,804 acres of land from Alico, Inc.’s Alico Ranch for approximately $14.6 million under the Florida Forever program. “The 5,804-acre parcel is considered a primary and secondary zone for the federally endangered Florida panther and can contribute to increased protection of Florida’s biodiversity at the species, natural …
High-Tech Scouting in Citrus Production
Traditional sensing technologies in citrus production for pest and disease detection and field phenotyping rely on manual sampling, which is time consuming and labor intensive. Since availability of personnel trained for field scouting is a major problem, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with various sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) can simplify the surveying procedure, decrease data collection time and …
Recommendations for Managing Fruit Drop
This fall, many Florida citrus growers are experiencing heavy fruit drop, some even up to 50 percent. Tripti Vashisth, assistant professor of horticulture at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center, recently spoke on this topic. She discussed fruit drop during the first presentation of the new UF/IFAS OJ Break meeting webinar …