With the arrival of fall, Louisianians are requesting citrus produce. Barton Joffrion, an LSU AgCenter county agent, said growers are beginning to harvest their crops.
“Over the past few weeks, growers in south Louisiana have begun picking and marketing their produce” Joffrion said in a news release.
Joffrion said the crop is looking good and coming in at the right time, though many parishes’ citrus fruits are coming under attack by citrus canker.
Citrus canker is a disease caused by the bacteria Xanthomonas axonopodis. The bacteria causes lesions on the leaves, stems and fruit of citrus trees. It can also cause defoliation and premature fruit drop.
Raghuwinder Singh, the LSU AgCenter “plant doctor”, said trees may stop producing fruit if severely infected. There is no treatment once the tree is infected.
Louisiana has a favorable climate for citrus canker because the state is hot and humid.
Orleans, St. Bernard, Jefferson, St. Charles, Lafourche and Plaquemines Parishes are all being affected by citrus canker.
The bacteria was discovered a month ago in Plaquemines Parish and a few locations in St. John the Baptist Parish.
Not only are growers concerned about citrus canker, but they also have to worry about the age of the trees and the age of the growers.
“We don’t have as many growers here in Terrebonne as some of the other parishes, but the growers that we have left seem to be in for a good citrus crop,” Joffrion said.
Areas that grew the citrus crop are being sold to developers to build subdivisions and other projects.
Ten years ago, Terrebonne Parish had as many as 12 commercial growers. Today, it has only seven.
Joffrion explained the reason behind the decline in growers.
“The problem is about the same as in other agricultural enterprises,” he said. “The children of the current growers don’t seem to have an interest in continuing the business.”
The citrus canker and the struggle to find labor to harvest the crop are the main contributors to the industry’s decline.
The citrus is sold through the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Before it is sold, the citrus is tested for its sweetness to determine its maturity level.
Joffrion explained part of the process when determining the fruit’s maturity.
“LDAF will come out and take a representative sample from a grove, do the test and let the grower know whether their citrus is ready to market,” he said.
Satsumas are one of the citrus fruits grown in Terrebonne Parish. People are often turned off by the green color, but color does not always determine if the fruit is ripe.
Unlike other citrus, Satsumas do not have to be orange to be harvested. Once the color starts to change from green to yellow, they can be picked.
Growers use a meter to measure the sweetness of the Satsumas by their sugar content. Some people like them more sweet than tart or vice versa.
“It is hard to pinpoint the harvest date on a calendar because every year is different, and the harvest date can be two weeks either way,” Joffrion said. “Just use the old taste test to determine when your satsumas fill your sweet tooth, and they are ready for harvest.”
Satsumas are more difficult to grow because they are prone to freezing, but many growers have been successful.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Mykeil Chambers

Satsuma Mandarin, also known as Unshu Mikan, is a seedless and easy-peeling citrus fruit that is grown in Terrebonne Parish.