Citrus growers in central Florida are preparing protective measures as freezing temperatures are forecast to move into the region.
Third-generation citrus grower Katie Bevilacqua operates Golden Ridge Groves and Market with her husband in Bartow. She said preparations are underway to protect oranges, grapefruits, and strawberries ahead of an expected cold event that could affect crop performance.
"A prolonged freeze can damage the fruit, it can damage the buds, and it can damage young trees in general, so it can be pretty catastrophic," Bevilacqua said.
Polk County is under a freeze watch from late Thursday night into Friday morning, with temperatures forecast to drop to around 24 degrees Fahrenheit. To protect crops and other sensitive vegetation, Bevilacqua said irrigation is being used to coat trees with water, forming an insulating ice layer around the fruit.
"As the water hits the tree, it emits heat, keeping the tree at 32 degrees while it is colder than that in the air," Bevilacqua said.
She noted that grapefruit blocks are less exposed to freezing risk because they are grown within Citrus Under Protective Screen structures, also referred to as CUPS. These enclosures are designed to exclude the insect responsible for spreading citrus greening.
"In the CUPS structures, it's about 10 to 15 degrees warmer on average, and then it also really cuts down on the windchill, so there's not a lot of whatever is going on outside. It's very minimal in the CUPS structure," Bevilacqua said.
Growers are closely monitoring weather conditions as the cold period approaches. Bevilacqua said on-farm teams are prepared to manage irrigation systems continuously as temperatures fluctuate.
"We'll be out all day and all night Thursday and Friday to make sure that we're running the water when we need to and turn it off when we need to, and it's really an hour by our situation," Bevilacqua said.
The coming days will determine how effectively these measures limit cold-related impacts on fruit development and tree health as the Florida citrus sector moves through the winter period.
Source: Tampa Bay 28
