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25 Mar 2021
Vanity Citrus
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Bayer to launch Vanity Citrus, its new biological product to control citrus farm pests

Bayer will introduce Vanity Citrus®, its latest biological and pheromone-based crop protection product to control pests on citrus farms during the International Symposium on Horticulture in Europe – SHE2021, March 8-11. Bayer is a main sponsor of the event, which invites scientists and industry leaders to discuss the latest achievements and developments in horticulture. Bob Reiter, Head of Research and Development for Bayer Crop Science is a SHE2021 featured speaker. He will discuss the company’s R&D strategy for fruits and vegetables.

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25 Mar 2021
Record breaking export season
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South African citrus celebrates record breaking export season with 146 million cartons of fruit

Ten months ago, in March 2020, we predicted a bumper export season, estimating that export volumes would reach 143 million cartons of fruit. Now that the final export figures are in, we can announce a record-breaking 2020 export season that delivered 146 million cartons of South African citrus to the rest of the world,” said Just Chadwick CEO of the Citrus Grower’s Association in South Africa.

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23 Feb 2021
Citrus
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Rootstocks and Plant Water Relations affect Sugar Accumulation of Citrus Fruit via Osmotic Adjustment

The aim of the study is to determine how rootstock types affects sugar accumulation in Citrus fruit. This was tested by using controlled water-deficit stress during phase II of fruit growth, that causes active osmotic adjustment by increasing the solute concentration in fruit due to sucrose being hydrolyzed to fructose and glucose.

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25 Jan 2021
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Fruit load restricts the flowering promotion effect of paclobutrazol in alternate bearing Citrus spp.

The floral bud inductive period, PBZ promotes flowering in Citrus; however, our results indicate that this effect is fruit-load dependent. In ‘Salustiana’ and ‘Navelina’ sweet oranges, ‘Hernandina’ Clementine mandarin, and ‘Afourer’ and ‘Moncada’ hybrids, flowering intensity significantly increased the following spring for medium-to-low fruit-load trees treated with either 1–10 g PBZ tree−1 applied to the soil or 15 g tree−1 sprayed on the canopy. PBZ significantly increased the percentage of sprouted buds and leafless floral shoots (both single-flowered shoots and inflorescences) and reduced the number of vegetative shoots.

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05 Dec 2020
Orange Fields
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Understanding disease-induced microbial shifts may reveal new crop management strategies.

Researchers at the University of California studied the role of the tree’s microbiome in the progression of citrus greening disease. They used amplicon technology to study the microbiome during the progression of HLB, and found that harmful microbes increased, while beneficial microbes decreased during the disease progression.

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05 Dec 2020
Citrus Industry
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SA’s citrus beats the world’s Covid blues

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and all the uncertainties it caused, the 2020 citrus season turned out to be one of the best that South Africa has ever had. On estimate, South Africa exported 21.3 million cartons more than the previous season. Better access to US markets due to additional ports of entry, and access to Philippine markets, have contributed to an increase in demand for South African citrus.

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05 Dec 2020
Cover Crops
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Cover crops for citrus

Cover crops are specific crops not intended for sale but for soil improvement and sustainability. They are increasingly common in the agricultural fields of the Midwest and other grain-producing regions because of the wide range of benefits not just for the soil, but also the cash crop. In those systems, cover crops improve water and nutrient retention, promote microbial activity, reduce weed growth and insect pests, and improve plant growth. Similar impacts have been found in tree crops like apples and peaches, where cover crops are planted in row middles.

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