Florida's citrus sector continues to face challenges from freeze events, with researchers examining how photoperiod may help crops withstand cold weather.
Nazneen Qureshi, a graduate research assistant in horticultural sciences at the University of Florida (UF), is leading work with Professor Muhummad Adnan Shahid to determine if light exposure influences cold tolerance in citrus crops. The team will conduct trials in Quincy, Florida, over the next two years.
According to UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, citrus plants are generally unable to survive extended periods below -2°C. January weather in Pensacola reached -10.5°C, the coldest and snowiest since 1895, highlighting the risk to production.
Qureshi said that "farmers are having very major losses because of freeze events, which are not very common. We had seven inches of snow recently in January. So in order to develop freeze-tolerant varieties, we need this fundamental research."
The work will inform UF/IFAS breeding programs aimed at developing varieties with improved cold resistance.
Grower perspectives
Kevin Folta, professor of horticultural sciences at UF and co-founder of Eggsotics, farms citrus on 7.3 hectares in Archer with additional production in greenhouses. He said their oranges, lemons, and finger limes suffered damage in recent cold events, with several trees lost after temperatures fell to -6 to -4°C.
"The first -4°C night was the night my son was born, and I couldn't be there to protect the trees, so we lost quite a few young trees because of the freeze," Folta said. He estimated losses of about US$2,000 in trees. Older trees lost early fruit, and he noted that sudden cold snaps provide little time for plants to acclimate.
"You can't possibly protect massive acreage," he said, adding that a few days of extreme cold can reduce production for several years.
Industry concerns
Martha Burke, owner of Camellia Groves in Winter Haven, said her family has been producing citrus for 100 years, currently focusing on lemons. She noted that her location in Central Florida benefits from relatively warm winters but expressed concern about climate change and its impact on citrus.
"I believe that citrus research is the only thing that's going to save the citrus industry," Burke said. The citrus sector in Florida has declined since the 1980s, when freezes heavily affected production, but researchers and growers continue efforts to adapt orchards to changing climatic conditions.
Source: Independent Florida Alligator