Recent Posts
-
Information from Dr. Alejandra Jimenez Madrid (Director of the UGA Plant Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory in Tifton): I am happy to announce that the Plant Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory is currently a USDA-certified lab to perform Huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening) testing. We are excited to provide this advanced testing to commercial growers, homeowners, nurseries, Extension and research personnel,…
-
The Christmas freeze of 2022 provided an opportunity to see how Tangos, Sugar Belle, and Owari satsumas were influenced by rootstocks. This is a report of the impacts on Tangos. Since January of 2023, I have conducted ratings on how much foliage was retained after the freeze, which trees developed freeze cracks, diameter of limbs…
-
By Jake Price: Each year, I estimate the number of citrus trees planted in Georgia. Calculating 2023 numbers has been a little different because of tree losses due to the December 2022 freeze. Of the 567 new acres of trees planted in 2022, I estimate Georgia lost 230 acres. Approximately 80% of trees planted in…
Posted in: Citrus Production -
Now that the dust has somewhat settled and the Sugar Belles have put on the first flush of foliage (Fig. 1), after being mostly defoliated it is apparent that there are freeze damage differences between the trees on 4 different rootstocks. The trees are snuggly located between windbreaks to the west and north and are…
-
The Georgia Department of Agriculture has recently announced a “Notice of Intent to Amend Citrus Rules“. Regarding the proposed rules, the Department will be accepting written comments from March 23, 2023, until the close of business (4:30 p.m. EST) on April 21, 2023. Comments will be considered on April 24, 2023. Please see the link…
Posted in: Rules and Regulations -
Citrus growers in Georgia have been grappling with damage to their trees from the freeze event that came through before Christmas last year. We are still evaluating the impact of that freeze event on citrus varieties grown in Georgia and north Florida. The good news is that the majority of the citrus grown in Georgia…
-
Jake Price, the Citrus Area Agent for UGA Extension, has recently come out with an extension publication on evaluating fruit quality of citrus. A permanent link has been added to the header of the citrus blog, and this publication can also be found at the following link: Evaluating Fruit Quality of Citrus Varieties in Georgia
-
After 5 nights between 16 and 22 degrees from Dec. 24-28, everything suffered from cold damage at the Citrus Variety and Rootstock Trials at JL Lomax Elementary School. This freeze event has by far been the biggest challenge that the northern Florida and southern Georgia citrus industry has faced in the last 10 years. I…
-
December 24-28 was one of those freeze events that we do not often see in Valdosta. To some extent, every citrus variety has suffered from cold-damage due to this recent 5-night freeze event. The site of our citrus research plots at J.L. Lomax Elementary School in Valdosta reached a low of 16 degrees. I recorded…
-
Jake Price, Area Citrus Agent at the University of Georgia recently shared the following information: “The upcoming freeze event will be one of the biggest challenges faced so far by Georgia and North Florida citrus growers. In past years, we have experienced one or two nights of temperatures in the lower 20’s or possibly upper teens…
Posted in: Freeze/Frost Protection