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23 Sep 2020
Citrus
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Citrus industry negotiates a new trade deal

Cape Town – After eleven years of negotiations, South Africa’s citrus industry has been given the go-ahead to export to the Philippines, with the signing of a work plan between the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, and the Philippines Bureau of Plant and Industry.

Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza made the announcement yesterday as the South African citrus industry estimates that close to 500 000 tons of additional citrus would be available for export by 2024.

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23 Sep 2020
Coldling Moth
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South Africa takes proactive FCM measures with its EU citrus exports

For the first time since 2018 when the South African citrus industry introduced its False Codling Moth Management System, the citrus industry has had to intervene in its normal functioning to manage false codling moth.

The decision to strengthen the shipping protocol for South Africa’s oranges for the rest of the season, on very short notice, is made possible by the agility of its systems approach, says Deon Joubert, Citrus Growers’ Association envoy to the EU. The system’s requirements for continuous, thorough orchard and fruit monitoring had made it clear to the industry that there was a lot of false codling moth activity this year.

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23 Sep 2020
Citrus rootstock evaluation
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Citrus rootstock evaluation utilizing UAV-based remote sensing and artificial intelligence

The implementation of breeding methods requires the creation of a large and genetically diverse training population. Large-scale experiments are needed for the rapid acquisition of phenotypic data to explore the correlation between genomic and phenotypic information. Traditional sensing technologies forfield surveys and field phenotyping rely on manual sampling and are time consuming and labor intensive. Since availability of personnel trained for phenotyping is a major problem, small UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) equipped with various sensors can simplify the surveying procedure, decrease data collection time, and reduce cost.

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26 Aug 2020
Citrus Orchard
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Protective Treatments against Soilborne Pathogens in Citrus Orchards

The efficacy of applying biocontrol agents, chemical fungicide and nematicide as protective treatments against the soilborne parasites, Fusarium spp. (Fusaria) and citrus nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans Cobb was evaluated. The experiment took place under field conditions in a citrus orchard cultivated with 16-year-old sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L.) osbech cv. Valencia trees grafted on sour orange (C. aurantium L.) rootstock during the growing season November 2006/ October 2007. This orchard is located at Bader district, Behera governorate, Egypt. The populations of soil fauna and flora under trees canopy were examined just before treatment, and 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the treatment application. A visual inspection for the appearance of symptoms related to Fusarium or nematode infection on treated and untreated citrus trees was carried out periodically every two weeks throughout the experimental period.

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26 Aug 2020
Lemons
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2019–2020 Florida Citrus Production Guide: Plant Growth Regulators

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are a tool used to manipulate vegetative and reproductive growth, flowering, and fruit growth and development. PGRs have been successfully used in agriculture for decades to amend plant growth characteristics and maximize yield and thus grower profit. Foliar-applied PGRs are routinely used in various fruit crops for flower and fruit thinning, improving fruit set, growth and development, controlling vegetative growth, and reducing fruit drop. Citrus is no exception to the use of PGRs, which can provide significant economic advantages to citrus growers when used appropriately.

According to the Florida state legislature, PGRs are defined “as any substance or mixture of substances intended, through physiological action, for accelerating or retarding the rate of growth or maturation or for otherwise altering the behavior of ornamental or crop plants or the produce thereof, but not including substances intended as plant nutrients, trace elements, nutritional chemicals, plant inoculants, or soil amendments.”

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26 Aug 2020
Organic blood oranges from Agrofair in Italy
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There is room for growth on the organic citrus market

The organic citrus market is in full swing. Besides the superpower in this market, Spain, importers are now finding their way only too well to countries such as Greece, Italy, and South Africa.

“We specifically chose Italy for the import of our organic citrus,” says Martin Pietersma from Agrofair. This company, based in Barendrecht, the Netherlands, imports, among other products, organic blood oranges from Sicily. “There are, naturally, other countries besides Italy where this product is available, such as Greece and, of course, Spain.”

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26 Aug 2020
A view of orange tree line/block.
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Effects of Legume Cover Crops on Orange (Citrus sinensis) Fruit Weight and Brix

Recent reports show that orange yield and fruit quality is on the decline in Kenya’s coastal lowlands hence need for an efficient and sustainable production system. A field study was conducted in Vitengeni, Ganda and Matuga locations within the coastal lowland of Kenya from May 2012 to April 2015 to evaluate the effect of three legume cover crops on orange fruit weight and brix. The treatments included mucuna (Mucuna pruriens), dolichos (Lablab purpureus), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) cover crops and fallow of natural vegetation as the control.

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29 Jul 2020
Citrus Green
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Solution found to Citrus Greening Disease

University of California finds substance capable of controlling devastating citrus disease

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) have found the first substance capable of controlling Citrus Greening Disease, which has devastated citrus farms in Florida and also threatens California.

The University of Florida has also been working towards a solution, as reported in March 2020.

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