IF THERE’S ONE THING local citrus growers are paying close attention to of late, it’s the concept of alternative crops. As citrus greening continues to threaten citrus crops and cause hardships for growers, researchers, business leaders, and farmers have devoted sharp attention to what other products they can grow besides citrus.
Not just a border tree — possibilities with eucalyptus crops Read More »
AUGUST is membership recruitment month! I hope that current members will encourage others to join, and if you are not a member — you should be! Everyone involved in and around agriculture should become a part of this local grassroots organization that protects and promotes the agriculture industry in Polk County. Florida Farm Bureau has
PCFB President’s Column: It’s membership recruitment time Read More »
Citrus greening promotes its own spread, according to researchers SOMETIMES, Mother Nature is just not very nice to the agriculture industry, as a recent study by University of Florida researchers stands to confirm. Citrus greening, according to the five researchers involved, has a built-in, bug-driven method of spreading itself far and wide — making it
New study shows how HLB bacterium changes bug behavior patterns Read More »
AS A BUSINESS, USA Quality Steel Barns & Garages has close ties with the agriculture industry through all of the barns and other ag outbuildings that we’ve installed over the years. As individuals, we work and play alongside the growers and producers who work so hard to provide produce like citrus, beef and other farm-made
Akin to one of our steel buildings Read More »
More than just a symbol of hope, growers keep up the fight against citrus greening THE ROUNDUP of news on the most recent harvesting season is in keeping with the citrus forecast’s unsteady tempo of up-and-down, down-and-up — but with the steady “can-do” attitude of growers. Things can get better, industry leaders say — but
Annual citrus report 2015 Read More »
FLORIDA GROWERS just harvested the smallest orange crop in nearly 50 years, and all because of a tiny insect that spreads an incurable disease. Citrus greening (a.k.a., Huanglongbing or HLB), a bacterial disease spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, is an existential threat to Florida’s signature crop. Trees infected with citrus greening produce fruit that
Scientists study genetically modified trees to potentially win the war on HLB RESEARCHERS have been trying for years to come up with a solution to the devastating disease that is killing citrus trees and destroying groves — HLB, or citrus greening. With more than 75 percent of Florida citrus trees infected with or dying because
A solution to citrus greening with a little help from spinach Read More »
As I write this column, we are well into preparations for the Polk Agriculture Economic Summit event, and I could not be more encouraged about the momentum that the event and the presentation of the Polk Agriculture Economic Impact Study will bring to both the agriculture community and the future direction of Polk County as
PCFB President’s Column: Ag sector will keep tabs on Florida Legislature Read More »
| Growers dig deep as greening takes its toll | Early fruit drop jarred the citrus industry this season as growers battle the bacterial disease citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB). “We were all caught off guard and quite honestly shocked at the devastation,” says Mike Sparks, executive vice president and chief executive officer
Combatting disease with faith, science, and determination Read More »
Leadership is everything. As the feckless 113th Congress failed to pass the 2013 Farm Bill, Florida’s legislature resolved to address the Florida citrus industry’s greatest challenge — the disease of citrus greening, or HLB. During the 2013 session, the Florida Legislature funded $9.5 million from the state budget for citrus greening research and other activities
The search for a cure Read More »
