Topics in Subtropics

Vertebrate pests that have caused damage to citrus trees include rodents and small mammals, large mammals, and birds. Citrus orchards provide food and shelter for a number of these pests, and damage may be severe if the pest resides in the orchard.

The three things which seem to be unavoidable during life in the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley are death, taxes, and a considerable price premium in the marketplace for having the earliest of the early citrus for sale.

There are many changes going on in the citrus industry and one opportunity is the conversion of an orchard to another variety of citrus. If this is a consideration, then the question becomes one of whether the orchard should be topworked or replanted with new nursery trees.

Deficit irrigation research by Dr.David Goldhamer has yielded some interesting results in navel oranges.

The light 2011 olive crop may result in a heavy crop load in 2012. With the prospect of a heavy crop load, it may be wise to consider thinning to reduce fruit quantity and increase fruit size. Management of fruit size may be achieved by pruning and/or chemical thinning.