Shannon Ross Shepp

By Frank Giles|December 25, 2021 A team of researchers from the University of Florida, Florida Department of Citrus, and the USDA-ARS discovered that watermelon vine decline was caused by a whitefly-transmitted virus, which they called squash vein yellowing virus. Photo by Dr. Scott Adkins Since it was first observed in 2003, watermelon vine decline has caused severe monetary losses to growers in Florida.

By Mike Sparks|December 24, 2021 Legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson could not have been more on point when he said, “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” In the team that is the Florida citrus industry, we all have our positions to fill and roles to play. The growers continue to adapt and adopt new practices and strategies to continue providing top quality, healthy, and delicious Florida citrus to consumers.

By Florida Department of Citrus|October 19, 2021 Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed three new members to the Florida Citrus Commission and reappointed four others. The appointments of John Smoak and Daniel Sutton fill two vacant seats and the appointment of Christopher Groom fills a seat held by a commissioner serving a previously expired term. Commissioners Carlos Martinez, Martin “Marty” McKenna, Steve Johnson, and William “Bill” Poulton were reappointed.