A quarantine for Elsinoë australis, the fungal causal agent of sweet orange scab (SOS), was established in all of Baldwin and Mobile counties in Alabama to prevent the spread of the disease. The quarantine was established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI). In Baldwin …
BMPs Addressed in Bill
Florida Sen. Ben Albritton filed a bill (SB 1000) to address issues related to best management practices (BMPs), the Nov. 19 Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter reported. According to the Triangle, the bill addresses several issues stemming from outdated science supporting University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) nutrient recommendation rates pertaining to BMPs. The bill also …
Australia to Test UF’s HLB-Tolerant Rootstocks
HLB-tolerant rootstock seeds from the University of Florida (UF) have arrived in Dareton and Bundaberg to be evaluated under Australian conditions. Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock said it’s important that the rootstocks have arrived in Australia well before the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and the HLB it spreads. “We need to know if these rootstocks from Florida are going to be good …
Protecting People From Pesticide Exposure
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. The proper selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) can greatly reduce potential pesticide exposure. While proper selection and use of PPE …
Consumers Prefer Citrus Juice Blended With Sugar Belle®
Citrus fruit produced from HLB-affected trees are green and taste bitter. They are usually not suitable for either the fresh market or juice market because they have a lower Brix/acid ratio. Mitigation strategies can cause less fruit drop and help citrus trees survive. However, they triple production costs, which increases the pressure for citrus growers to have a competitive enough …
Citrus Industry Seeks to Maintain Funding, Eyes Research
Despite a predicted drop in citrus production across Florida, orange juice sales are tracking up. And according to the News Service of Florida, the industry wants lawmakers to maintain current amounts of state marketing and research funding next fiscal year. Meanwhile, efforts to combat citrus greening disease could soon lead to a new University of Florida-backed variety of citrus on …
OJ May Fight Inflammation, Oxidative Stress
A new study suggests 100% orange juice (OJ) has the potential to help fight inflammation and oxidative stress in adults, paving the way for further research on the topic. Though limited in scope, the study indicates drinking 100% OJ significantly reduces interleukin 6, a well-established marker of inflammation, in both healthy and high-risk adults. Two additional inflammatory and oxidative stress markers were …
Panel Discusses OJ and Health Research
The Florida Citrus Commission’s (FCC) Scientific Research Advisory Council (SRAC) on Oct. 13 discussed recent studies and projects addressing the linkage between orange juice (OJ) and health. The FCC governs the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), which spends much effort promoting the health benefits of OJ. PUBLISHED STUDIES Rosa Walsh, director of scientific research at the FDOC, shared three recently published studies. …
Fungus Suppresses Asian Citrus Psyllids
The citrus disease HLB, also known as citrus greening, has a formidable enemy in a fungal pathogen, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers reported. The fungus is Cordyceps javanica, strain Apopka, discovered by research scientist Lance Osborne in the mid-1980s. The fungus was isolated from dead insects on plants in a greenhouse at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research …
Cover Crops Promising, But …
Scientist Sarah Strauss has learned some interesting and promising things about the use of cover crops in Southwest Florida citrus over the past 2.5 years. But the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher has not yet found that cover crops provide what growers seek most — increased yields. Use of the crops has also not yet …