Why Florida’s Orange Industry Is In Free Fall

Florida's Orange Industry in Crisis [00:02]

• The state's orange industry is facing its worst season in approximately a century.
• The crisis is a result of back-to-back hurricanes in 2024 and a decades-long battle with an insect pest spreading citrus greening disease.
• This disease causes small, misshapen fruit and can kill citrus trees.
• Citrus greening has infected nearly every citrus grove in Florida, leading to a staggering over 90% slash in production.
• The economic impact has been tens of billions of dollars, forcing many growers out of the industry.

"If you can see me through the canopy of this tree, that means this tree is really, really sick."

The Devastation of Citrus Greening [00:29]

• The insect spreads a disease called HLB, or citrus greening, which has infected nearly every citrus grove in the state.
• Infected trees produce small, misshapen, and unripe fruit that is not as sweet as normal oranges.
• The bacteria responsible for greening replicate and block the vascular tissue, hindering nutrient transport to the roots, causing them to thin and die out.
• This leads to a significant reduction in fruit quality and quantity, with about 40% of infected oranges falling off the tree prematurely.
• Researchers estimate that 90% of all orange trees in Florida are now infected with the bacteria.

"You see it small in size, it remains green. And when I cut this fruit, you see an odd shape."

Historical Impact and Farmer's Perspective [01:33]

• Larry, a fifth-generation farmer, has been growing citrus in his family since the 1850s.
• Fifteen years ago, citrus occupied over 900,000 acres in Florida, with his family packing a million orange cartons annually.
• Citrus greening has been the most challenging issue faced by farmers in recent times, more so than freezes or hurricanes.
• The first case of citrus greening was reported in China in 1918 and spread globally.
• It appeared in Florida in 1998, and by 2005, Larry found his first infected tree, realizing the significant threat it posed.

"We've been growing citrus in my family since the 1850s."

Scientific Innovations in Pest Control [04:17]

• Scientists are researching ways to keep infected trees producing usable fruit.
• One method involves using an aspirator to collect Asian citrus psyllids, the insect that spreads the disease.
• Pink clay is sprayed on trees to hide leaves from the insect, which uses light wavelengths to see; this has shown to be more effective than some insecticides.
• Research also includes using eight-foot wide sheets of reflective mulch to deter psyllids, potentially by blinding or visually deterring them.
• Individual Protective Covers (IPCs), essentially plastic bags around young trees, are being studied for their effectiveness in protecting them from infection for the first two years.

"Using the aspirator is actually a really efficient way to collect psyllids."

Soil Health and Nutrient Management [06:14]

• Scientist Trippy Vashish is focusing on soil health, discovering that trees need specific nutrients to fight infection.
• Due to the disease, citrus trees have reduced root systems, making them inefficient at absorbing nutrients.
• The strategy involves providing smaller doses of fertilizer and water more frequently to aid absorption.
• This approach is likened to humans benefiting more from six small meals than three large ones.

"The citrus trees because of this disease have very small roots or fewer roots. So they are not very efficient in picking up the nutrients."

Farming Adaptations and Economic Realities [07:01]

• Larry is planting more young trees at higher densities (300 trees per acre compared to 140-150 previously) as a strategy to combat greening.
• Growers have also tried releasing predator wasps and spraying insecticides, which can slow the decline but add approximately $600 per acre to production costs.
• Revenues are down by more than half for individual growers, leading many to leave the industry, with half of Florida's orange growers gone by early 2022.
• Despite the challenges, Larry continues to harvest in the traditional way, packing half the boxes he did 17 years ago.

"Our revenues are down by more than half on an individual growth basis."

The Juicing Process and Future Hopes [08:53]

• Oranges that are too green for the fresh market are sent to juicing plants, like Florida's Natural, which Larry co-owns.
• Approximately 90% of Florida's oranges are used for juice production.
• The juicing plant has experienced reduced efficiency and had to shut down one of its three processing lines due to lower fruit volume.
• Florida's Natural must blend infected oranges with sweeter ones from other regions or seasons to maintain consistent taste, resulting in about a third less juice production.
• Scientists believe the long-term solution lies in re-engineering nature, either genetically modifying the insect or breeding HLB-resistant citrus trees.

"We need a home for their fruit where they can get maximum value that hopefully can sustain their operations until a solution to greening is found."

Developing Resistant Varieties [10:19]

• Fred Gitter and his team at the University of Florida are working to breed HLB-resistant orange varieties, aiming for trees that won't get sick even if infected.
• This involves cross-breeding trees with desirable fruit qualities and those with disease resistance, a process that is extremely difficult and time-consuming.
• Finding a resistant orange is like searching for a genetic needle in a haystack, and it could take more than a decade to develop a viable variety.
• The development of these resistant trees is considered the "holy grail" of citrus greening research.
• While new challenges and diseases are inevitable in a globalized world, science is expected to continue providing tools to make growing citrus easier over time.

"Ultimately, a tree that's resistant or tolerant to the disease will be key."