The Florida citrus industry has experienced countless challenges over the years; however, at IMG Citrus, we have always remained resilient. Regardless of citrus greening (HLB), pests, hurricanes, freezes, or any other unknown that makes an appearance, we are always working toward innovative solutions to make our practices better and stronger.

Citrus Greening (HLB) Research Update

Currently, there is still no cure for HLB; however, with three promising ongoing research projects, we remain optimistic a viable therapeutic will be coming in the near future. In particular, one of the HLB research communities is looking at a peptide isolated from the Australian finger lime. The peptide not only kills the bacteria which causes HLB, but it can also activate the tree’s own immune system, ultimately inhibiting new HLB infection. Further research is currently underway in the field trials, and hopefully, it will soon be commercialized.

A second research project involves the utilization of oak leaf extract to fight HLB. It is a well-known phenomenon that citrus trees situated under oak hammocks, or next to oak trees, are generally free from pests and diseases. Scientific journals cite that organic compounds from oak tree bark and leaves were previously used as antimicrobials during the American Civil War. IMG Citrus has several blocks being treated with oak leaf extract (OLE), and the preliminary results show better roots and tree color compared to check blocks.

The use of a zinc oxide compound is the third research project currently underway to oppose HLB in citrus plants. Zinc is frequently used in the medical field to help the body fight bacterial infections. When zinc is chelated properly to a plant, early studies show it can move systemically in citrus plants and inhibit the growth of bacteria within the vascular system. IMG Citrus is one of four growers testing a new zinc compound looking at ppm levels of zinc in the sap as it relates to improved tree health. These trials are still in their infancy stages, making it too early for any data points, but we are looking forward to learning the results.

2020-2021 Season Grove Recap

During the peak of the pandemic, IMG Citrus’ grove division had very little disruption with employee illness. However, direct costs have increased substantially. Diesel fuel has increased over 40% in the last 10 months, and agrochemicals and fertilizers have seen increases upwards of 10% to 40%. Thankfully despite the current competition for companies to hire grove staff, we have not experienced any labor turnover.

In FY2021, we made a number of new investments in our groves and new plantings. At our sister company, Cherrylake, located in Groveland, Florida, we started construction of our 13-acre CUPS (Citrus Under Protective Screen) structure. CUPS are designed to exclude the citrus psyllid, a pest that harbors the HLB bacteria. At this time, all poles and cables for the structure have been erected and spanned. The CUPS structure will be sixteen feet tall and closed on all four sides with a very tightly woven mesh screen for the roof. Screen installation is set for the fall of FY2021, and our anticipated planting date will be during the fall or winter of 2021/2022. We selected Cherrylake as the site for CUPS due to its central location within the state, which is generally the most protected from hurricanes. Moreover, a bamboo hedge was planted around the structure a year prior to construction. The hedge will act as a wind block, further protecting the structure from any potential hurricane damaging winds. We anticipate the bamboo hedge reaching a total of 25 feet tall within the next couple of years. It currently stands at eight feet tall.

Since purchasing the Happy Food Grove in early 2019, we have continued investing in infrastructure improvements to the grove’s irrigation and drainage systems, totaling approximately $640K. These investments in irrigation automation improvements include auto flushing filters, hydraulic zone valving, weather stations, controllers, and soil moisture sensors. These investments aid decision-making and ensure adequate distribution of water to the field, thus conserving water and money.

The grove team also finished planting C1B, 67-acres of Valencia oranges on three rootstocks (UFR4, US942, US812, Sour). C1B is enrolled in the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) program. CRAFT is a broadscale research project carried out under commercial citrus production practices. Growers enrolled in the program are required to work closely with the research community, collecting data for test criteria setup and approval by the USDA.

Food Safety Initiatives

With food safety a vital aspect of IMG Citrus’ core values and culture, it brings heightened awareness to all departments. Preventing and catching deviations to processes which can impact the safety and quality of our fruit is vital. This year, the packinghouse achieved 100% compliance with the new Global GAP Produce Handling Assurance audit. The C-TPAT Certification (Customers Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) achieved 100% compliance as well. Similarly, the grove division achieved 100% compliance with Global GAP Integrated Farm Assurance audit. State Worker Protection and Pesticide Use audits were also at 100% compliance.

FY2021/2022 Redevelopment, Reset, and Capital Projects

IMG Citrus has a number of redevelopment and reset projects planned for FY2022. The company is also continuing to invest in redeveloping non-profitable blocks and resetting all profitable blocks. At the Happy Food Grove, approximately 32K trees will be interset within mature groves, ensuring financial long-term stability in blocks. Planting will begin in the fall of FY2021 and continue into the spring of 2022. All trees will be further protected with psyllid-proof netting.

At the CUPS structure at Cherrylake in Groveland, we will be planting 13-acres of ruby red grapefruit, which is approximately 3K trees. Similarly but on a much larger scale, our first planting at the Imagine Grove will be approximately 21K trees and cover over 90-acres. The varieties planted are star grapefruit and pineapple orange. The grove division will also be expanding their sod operation. Currently, only 68-acres are planted at the Imagine Grove and with the expansion, the total acres of Floratam sod will be 162-acres. Targeted sales will be the western north/south corridor of Florida. Sod operation will net over $4K per acre back to the land. Also planned is to grow 45-acres of watermelons to target the spring harvest in 2022.

We are planting our first 45-acre planting of the Orri mandarin, an easy-peel, seedless mandarin with great flavor and color, at the Kanjuku Grove. The Orri mandarin has gained strong U.S. acceptance and the demand is strong. Fruit maturity begins in mid to late November, and we anticipate a planting date during the winter of FY2022.

With FY2021 a successful year due to the acquisition of the Imagine Grove, in addition to a number of grove investments, we are looking forward to IMG Citrus’ future growth in the industry during FY2022. It is due to our vision and innovative approach that we remain a leader in the Florida citrus industry. The future is looking bright for the Florida citrus industry, and we are happy to be a part of it.

This article was written with contributions from Brian Randolph, Director of Grove Production.