On April 10th, proud members of the National Citrus Nursery Association (NCNA)- Deborah Pagliaccia (UCR), Nate Jameson (Briteleaf), and...

For years, one of the biggest challenges facing the citrus nursery industry has been a simple question: how big is our sector? With the release of the USDA’s 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties, we now have a clearer, data-backed answer—particularly through Table 26 , which tracks fruit and nut tree production, including citrus and subtropical trees. 📊 Key Numbers from the Census According to Table 26: 294 operations   reported producing citrus and subtropical fruit tre

The citrus industry continues to search for durable solutions to Huanglongbing (HLB), and a recent development at the federal level is worth close attention from nursery operators. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is currently reviewing a petition to deregulate a genetically engineered Carrizo citrange rootstock (CarriCea) developed for HLB resistance. Public comments are open through April 13, 2026. This is not yet an ap

As citrus production increasingly shifts toward controlled and protected environments, one of the most practical questions for nurseries is: how much light do citrus trees actually need to grow efficiently indoors? A recent study titled  “ LED lighting and exogenous cytokinin enhance budbreak and winter growth of ‘Washington’ navel orange in the nursery ,” conducted by researchers from the University of Florida and USDA, led by Deived Uilian de Carvalho, Rayane Barcelos Bisi,

The National Citrus Nursery Association (NCNA) continues to serve as a unified voice for citrus nurseries across the United States, working to ensure that regulatory frameworks are both scientifically sound and operationally practical. A key example of this effort took place in October 2025, when NCNA representatives participated in the National Plant Board (NPB) Safeguarding Meeting in Annapolis, Maryland . NCNA’s participation—led by industry representatives including Nate

Welcome, citrus growers and nursery friends!  There’s a new idea sprouting in our community – a proposed National Citrus Nursery Certification Scheme . This concept, introduced by Aaron Dillon of NCNA at the NCNA/USDA meeting in Columbus on July 15, 2025, is modeled after the successful SANC  program used in other nursery sectors. (SANC stands for “Systems Approach to Nursery Certification,” a voluntary program emphasizing best practices and proactive pest management.)  In th

Florida is a national powerhouse in specialty crops, with over 300 crop varieties grown statewide. According to the USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, Florida specialty crops accounted for $1.4 billion  in fruits, tree nuts, and berries; $1.9 billion  in vegetables and melons; and $3.4 billion  in nursery, greenhouse, and floriculture products. These sectors make up more than half of Florida’s farm income, underscoring how federal policies for specialty crops directly affect

Project:   Enhancing U.S. Citrus Nursery Sustainability: Collaborative Stakeholder Alignment & Engagement Lead:   UC Riverside’s Deborah Pagliaccia  (in collaboration with NCNA leaders and state partners) Project Overview USDA’s PPA 7721 program has renewed funding for Year 2 of “Enhancing U.S. Citrus Nursery Sustainability: Collaborative Stakeholder Alignment & Engagement,” led by UC Riverside’s Dr. Deborah Pagliaccia in partnership with the National Citrus Nursery Associati

When the National Citrus Nursery Association (NCNA) was established in 2020, stakeholders agreed on a central priority: modernize the...

Illegal online plant sales that undercut certified nurseries. State and federal rules that don’t line up. New pests knocking at the...