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You may have already guessed that Florida produces more than half the citrus supply in the U.S. (We are the Sunshine State for a reason.) But you may have not known that Polk County leads the state in total citrus production. Talk about juicy.

To imagine a Florida without lines of iconic orange groves is nearly inconceivable. And yet, due to a bacterial blight nicknamed the Citrus Greening Disease, our beloved + tasty export has dwindled.

In fact, according to the Florida Department of Citrus, half of the states’ orange groves have now been wiped out.

Though the disease has no cure, local growers, citrus leaders, and researchers are addressing this issue by developing new technologies and strategies to revitalize the $9 billion industry. ⬇️

🍊 Florida Polytechnic University researchers have created a new cutting-edge technology that aims to simplify + make more affordable the detection of citrus greening in groves.

🍊 Citrus leaders with the Dundee Citrus Growers Association are helping control citrus greening + producing more higher-quality fruit (while using less water, fertilizer, and pesticides) with their Citrus Under Protective Screen experiment in Bartow.

🍊 Local growers are using a new blend of liquid fertilizer with micronutrients that help make the trees more resilient.

Despite the catastrophic greening disease, growers are optimistic and have already harvested nearly 73 million boxes of oranges this season, alone. Orange you glad for local innovation?

– LALtoday team (Jessica + Kaylee)