2010 Florida Citrus Show Recap
March 1, 2010 
Given all the unique dynamics surrounding today’s Florida citrus market, not to mention just coming off the heels of a record-breaking freeze event, there was plenty to talk about at the 2010 Florida Citrus Show in late January. Formerly known as the Indian River Citrus Seminar, the two-day event presented by Florida Grower, the Indian River Citrus League, UF/IFAS, and title sponsorship by KeyPlex, drew more than 600 industry professionals to the Havert L. Fenn Center in Ft. Pierce.
The registration and attendance figures show a marked increase over last year’s show, which parallels the growing level of interest to get a handle on the major challenges facing today and tomorrow’s citrus industry.
“The issue to the Florida citrus grower, no doubt, is our fight against invasive pests and diseases,” said Mike Sparks, executive vice president of Florida Citrus Mutual, during the show. “What’s it going to take to survive and thrive in the future? We believe it’s research and the adequate funding for that research. And, the Florida citrus grower is absolutely committed to research.”
Backing up Sparks’ comment, the educational program — especially the sessions covering canker and the white-hot topic of psyllid and greening control — were heavily attended. During his presentation on promising HLB research, 2009 Citrus Achievement Award winner Peter McClure of Evans Properties said there is much work that needs to be done and is being done in this field. “There are more than 130 projects and studies going on.”
Some of the new research he discussed included strategies such as phloem penetrants, technology to use CTV to transform existing citrus trees so they can produce antibacterial compounds to protect themselves, and computational approaches for protein analysis, to name just a few. While some of these methods show promise and potential, McClure said patience is a must. “Growers are pragmatists by nature,” he said. “We’re interested in results, and we’ll see what happens going forward.”
The concern over greening certainly goes beyond borders. Renato Bassanezzi of FUNDECITRUS was flown in, courtesy of Syngenta, to present much-reputed Brazilian HLB research findings to a packed room. He noted that growers must do their best to control the psyllid population and eliminate HLB-infected trees. However, certain site conditions make that hard to accomplish. “Local HLB management will not be enough if external inoculum are close,” he said. “Efficacy of HLB is based on regional control.”
While disease control and management are vital for the citrus industry to survive and advance, another subject that sparked interest was the work going on to come up with new varieties that not only taste good, look good, and are easy to peel, but also are more resistant to canker and greening. Peter Chaires, executive director of the New Varieties Development & Management Corp., spoke about new citrus varieties and their role in the future marketplace. “Varieties, whether they be fresh or processed, are needed that have the characteristics and traits you need to be competitive in the marketplace,” he said. “Whatever those ultimate combinations of short-, mid-, and long-term solutions for these diseases are, it is entirely likely they will be incorporated with varieties that are readily available or in the bullpen — so to speak — in the variety timeline. It’s important we continue to support these development efforts.”
Some of the noteworthy varieties mentioned included the U.S. Early Pride (tangerine) and the U.S. Seedless Surprise (grapefruit/tangelo hybrid), which are both available for early evaluation. USDA’s recently released Seedless Pineapple Orange and IFAS’ first commercial release, the Sugar Belle, also piqued the interest of attendees. According to Chaires, the next IFAS variety in the invitation to negotiate (ITN) process is the Valquarius Sweet Orange, which is an early maturing Valencia boasting similar yield potential. “It’s creating a lot of attention and is one of the varieties a lot of folks have been waiting on,” he said.
The importance of communication and grower involvement in the variety development equation was stressed by Chaires. “Get involved in our variety evaluation opportunity programs,” he said. “But also, spread the word. There are things out there that can have commercial value that we need information on.”
When not taking part in the educational portion of the show, attendees also had a chance to peruse the tradeshow aisles filled with the latest and greatest from industry suppliers. There were more than 70 vendors on hand displaying inside and outside the venue. Gerry Bogdon, Florida Grower associate publisher, says the show, overall, was a success. “There is a lot of value to the clients and growers,” he says. “There are many challenges in the industry, but there are a lot of opportunities connected to those challenges.”
Looking ahead to next year, Bogdon says he sees room for growth. “With the HLB Conference scheduled to come to Orlando the week before next year’s show, there are logical tie-ins and a possibility of bringing down a group of elite speakers to address the local market,” he says. “With the show’s continued growth and success, I think we can expand booth and revenue sales, too.”
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