July 2019

While one part of the citrus research industry is looking for ways to develop HLB-resistant trees in order to maximizing yield, another part is focused on the configuration of the groves themselves. With start-up and maintenance costs rising for growers, it may be time to look at the bigger picture — and make things a […]

Mineral nutrition is an essential part of a citrus grower’s management plan, but citrus greening has made it more important than ever. Citrus greening attacks a citrus tree’s ability to uptake and transport water and nutrients, causing poor harvests, fruit of lower quality, and the eventual death of the tree. Scientists and researchers all over

The key to finding the right boot is balancing the three C’s: construction, comfort and cost. When we’re evaluating the three C’s, I like to rank the features in three simple levels: good, better and best. Construction Here are the non-negotiables: 1. Make sure you are buying genuine cowhide. Bonded leather and man-made materials will

There are a lot of real estate transactions that are a part of being a farmer or rancher, and having an experienced real estate lawyer on your side is a good idea in every single one of those transactions. Having a lawyer look out for your best interests helps give you peace of mind and

by WILLIAM “BILL” DOTY July and the Florida Summer is upon us, which means it’s time to arm yourself with the knowledge that will keep your lawn and garden looking victorious for the remainder of the summer.  Now is the time for summer fertilization of your lawn. Repairing, renovating, or planting are also good ideas.

Cold chain vulnerabilities obviously receive more attention and scrutiny in the hot summer months, beginning with the trucks and carriers that transport the products from manufacturers to warehouses such as ACS or the end users. As every safe operator knows, summertime is never the time to cut corners in an effort to cut costs when

As you’re planning for retirement, one important step you must take is to determine how much potential income you’ll receive each month. You invest money to grow your portfolio so that one day, it will be there to generate income for you during retirement. There are many other sources of income you can take advantage

With the summer months in full swing, now is the best time to collect leaves for leaf tissue sampling in order to gauge how healthy your trees are, and potentially, how large the fruit will be. This will give you time to make adjustments accordingly. Considerable research by UF/IFAS and others has established leaf testing

In the previous column, I discussed Florida’s super status as a “specialty crop state,” so named because it produces a wide range of about 300 agricultural commodities each year. From an ag perspective, Florida has a lot going for it, including a climate mix from the northwestern Panhandle south to the Everglades region that allows