Citrus Growing Amidst a Fateful Disease

Citrus Growing Amidst a Fateful Disease

How One Florida Citrus Grower Sees Real Progress Being Made in ARS Research

ARS scientists continue to collaborate with citrus growers and producers to develop effective solutions that guard against citrus greening, known as Huanglongbing disease or HLB. Initially detected in Florida citrus groves in 2005, HLB has become a widespread problem, causing millions in damage to nearly 90% of orange production throughout the state. The disease is also affecting citrus trees in other states, as well as other citrus fruits such as grapefruit and lemons. To gain a real-time perspective of the disease’s devastation and the progress of research to manage HLB, we spoke with W. Cody Estes Sr., a longtime citrus grower and owner of Estes Citrus, Inc., in Vero Beach FL.

Welcome Mr. Estes to Under the Microscope: 

UM: Your business is located in Vero Beach, FL, in Indian River County, which is known for citrus growing and production. How long have you been in business there?

CE: Our family has deep roots in Florida citrus. We started planting groves in Polk County in the late 1920s, but after freezes in the early 1960s, we sought warmer locations and began planting in western Indian River County in the mid-1960s. Personally, I moved to Indian River County in 1974 and expanded our operations to include harvesting, hauling, packing, and marketing fresh citrus worldwide.

Our main focus is several premium citrus varieties, including Ruby Red Grapefruit, Hamlin oranges, Navel oranges (including Cara Cara Navels), Bingo & Tango mandarins, and Minneola tangelos. These are well-suited to the Indian River region's unique climate and soil.

UM: How has citrus greening disease affected your citrus groves and produce?

CE: HLB (citrus greening) has dramatically impacted our citrus groves, and the entire Florida industry. Over time, it reduces both fruit quantity and quality—making much of it unmarketable due to smaller size, poor flavor, and premature drop (the early falling of developing fruit from the tree). The supporting infrastructure (packing houses, processors, etc.) has shrunk to a small fraction of what it once was; the overall industry is much smaller than in its peak years.

 
Grove First test block of Minneola tangelos. (Photo courtesy of W. Cody Estes, Sr., owner of Estes Citrus, Inc., Vero Beach, FL.)

UM: Is there a particular period where you have seen a greater loss of the fruit you can produce?

CE: On top of the ongoing challenges from HLB, hurricanes have caused the most acute losses in recent years. HLB already weakens trees with poor root systems, and the added stress from high winds, flooding, and salt damage compounds the problem significantly. Recent storms like Ian and others have hit particularly hard.

UM: As a family-owned business, have you incurred any financial strains resulting specifically from citrus greening disease?

CE: Absolutely. HLB has created significant financial uncertainty, which makes it harder to attract the next generation of our family into the business. While state and federal support programs have helped with replanting diseased trees, that's only part of the solution; ongoing management costs remain high.

Minneola Tangelo showing big effect. (Photo courtesy of W. Cody Estes, Sr., owner of Estes Citrus, Inc., Vero Beach, FL.)

UM: What type of citrus greening research is being conducted on your farm?

CE: We are focused on therapies that show big effects and that are safe, available and affordable for the grower. Trunk injection with these molecules is the main effort. Because we focus on identifying treatments that produce large effects, only a few trees (about 3 to 6) are needed to see results. This small sample size makes it possible to efficiently test hundreds of different molecules, and by focusing on the Brix (sugar) levels in the fruit, which is the single most important measure, it’s easier to evaluate which treatments work best.

UM: How has partnering with ARS helped your business?

CE: Collaborating with USDA-ARS researchers Michelle Heck and Randall Niedz has been transformative. Their guidance led to the creation of the Grove-First Research Initiative, which shifts testing from lab benches directly into commercial field conditions. This framework allows rapid evaluation of large numbers of potential therapies in real-world commercial conditions. Our guiding principles are solutions that are safe, available, and affordable. We're focused on short-term options that deliver ‘big impacts’ in the field—not just in controlled lab settings. This has been the most exciting and refreshing development in HLB research in the past 20 years.

 
Grapefruit tree in recovery. (Photo courtesy of W. Cody Estes, Sr., owner of Estes Citrus, Inc., Vero Beach, FL.)

UM: What are the benefits of working directly with ARS researchers?

CE: This has been the highlight of my 50 plus years of growing citrus. The researchers immediately understood the benefits of working under commercial conditions (an idea not easily accepted by many).  The sense of urgency, limited resources, and using small sample sizes to focus only treatments showing big effects helped set the framework.

UM: Are you seeing benefits from this research partnership?

CE: Yes, we have trials around the state and are harvesting/testing these sites now. We will have a conversation with the industry soon. We are willing to share information early in the process whether it’s good or bad. When we see a big effect, we can then scale it from a few trees to rows and then to blocks. We listen carefully to what growers around the state have to say and adjust.

 
25 year old grapefruit grove. (Photo courtesy of W. Cody Estes, Sr., owner of Estes Citrus, Inc., Vero Beach, FL.)

UM: What are citrus growers saying about the future of citrus in Florida?

CE: There's growing optimism among fellow growers about the industry's future viability. Programs like Grove First Research Initiative, CRAFT (Citrus Research and Field Trial), and improved cultivars (public and private) are driving this—with millions of new trees expected to be planted across Florida in the next couple of years through replanting incentives.

UM: What is your outlook for the future of citrus farming and production?

CE: My biggest hope is that citrus farming remains a viable and rewarding career path for future generations—both in our family and across Florida. With ongoing research breakthroughs, supportive programs, and resilient growers, I believe we can rebuild a strong, sustainable industry.