Citrus Intelligence: Lemon Pitting and Mites, Hidden Grapefruit Gummosis and Early Navel Prices

Citrus Intelligence from MyAgLife arrives every Thursday with field intelligence for California citrus growers and their crop consultants. Subscribe free to get it by email.

It was a quiet week for new California citrus news, so this issue leans on fresh research in the Citrus Research Board’s fall Citrograph. A study of Central Valley lemons links peel pitting to spring spider mite pressure and exposed rows,¹ a new DNA test finds the grapefruit gummosis fungus already inside healthy-looking shoots,² and UC Davis tower measurements show satellite ET running well above what citrus trees actually use.⁶ On the market side, the early start has navel prices below historical levels,⁴ and CDFA posted no new HLB or psyllid notices this week.³

This week in numbers

• 91%: Symptom-free shoots carrying the gummosis fungus in a severe Kern County Star Ruby block²
• 30%+: How far OpenET satellite models overestimated citrus water use in Tulare, Kern and Riverside orchards⁶
• 42.0M: Boxes in the 2026-27 California navel forecast, up 2% from last season⁸

For PCAs: Mites, Pitting and Gummosis

1. Lemons, Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties: Peel pitting tracks spring spider mite pressure and exposed rows

Research to apply · Citrograph, Fall 2026 (CRB-funded UC study, 2025–26 seasons); San Joaquin Valley

A University of California and Citrus Research Board team following 12 commercial Lisbon lemon orchards in Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties scored more than 15,000 fruit at the 2025 harvest. Fruit on the outermost rows and on the east side of blocks had the worst pitting, while upper versus lower canopy made no difference across 3,000 fruit. Two-spotted spider mite counts taken from March into the summer tracked pitting severity at harvest closely (R² of 0.82); thrips showed no link.¹

The researchers call pitting a key problem for Central Valley Lisbon production, and the mite finding is a correlation the team is still testing, not a proven cause. This season the study added pruning intensity, after harder-pruned ranches seemed to show less pitting in 2025, and fruit damage climbed sharply from April 23, during the fruit’s fastest growth. Pitting can only be confirmed after color break, so the 2026 harvest is the next test.¹

Next step: As Lisbon fruit colors this fall and winter, note where pitting shows up by row and block side, and set it beside your spring mite monitoring records for the same blocks. Discuss any pattern with the PCA on the ranch before next spring.

Source: Citrograph, Fall 2026, pp. 30–33

2. Grapefruit and lemons, Kern, Tulare and Fresno counties: The gummosis fungus hides in healthy-looking shoots

Research to apply · Citrograph, Fall 2026 (CRB-funded final report, 2025 trials); San Joaquin Valley

Branch gummosis of Star Ruby grapefruit, caused by the fungus Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, has become severe and widespread in California over the last two years, the research team reports. Using a new DNA (qPCR) test, the team found the fungus in 25% to more than 90% of symptom-free shoots sampled from seven grapefruit and two Lisbon lemon orchards in Kern, Tulare and Fresno counties, reaching 91% in a severe Kern Star Ruby block.²

In 2025 field trials at UC Lindcove near Exeter, every wound type tested let the fungus in, and by October sunburned shoots carried significantly more infection than unwounded ones. For consultants, that means branch dieback can come from infections already in the wood before symptoms show, with sun-exposed and damaged limbs the likeliest entry points. The report also screened fungicides; any use decision belongs to a licensed PCA under current labels.²

Next step: This winter, map grapefruit and lemon blocks with branch dieback and gumming, and note limbs with sunburn or breakage, so the report’s wound findings can be weighed against what your blocks show.

Source: Citrograph, Fall 2026, pp. 50–52

Pesticide-use note: Current California labels, permit conditions and county requirements govern pesticide use. Verify them before making or changing a recommendation.

HLB and psyllid tracker

New CDFA detection notices, Nov 4–11.³

No new CDFA HLB or psyllid detection notices this week (checked Nov 11). The latest notices, dated Nov 2 and 3, covered Bakersfield (Kern County), Hollister (San Benito County) and Pismo Beach (San Luis Obispo County).

Quarantine boundary changes are in Tuesday’s Reg Watch

For CCAs: Harvest Timing and Water Use

3. Navels and mandarins, statewide: An early season puts navel prices below historical levels

New this week · FreshPlaza, Nov 9, 2026; USDA AMS, Nov 10; statewide

California citrus picking is running about one to two weeks early after a March heat wave brought an early bloom, Fowler Packing citrus sales director Adam Bravinder told FreshPlaza. Clementines began shipping Oct. 26, about a week ahead of last year, with more balanced sizing and volume up meaningfully. Early navels have good color but smaller sizes, and Cara Cara picking was expected to be fully underway this week.⁴

Bravinder said the navel market is running below historical levels and should stay favorable for buyers through the holidays, with mandarin pricing steady. USDA’s Nov. 9 shipping-point quotes agree: first-grade navel 72s and 88s were lower than a week earlier. Those are a shipper’s view and shipping-point prices, not grower returns.^4,5

Next step: Before the next picks, compare size and color in early navel blocks with your packer’s size and pick plan, and record this season’s pick dates so the early start can be compared with last year.

Source: FreshPlaza, Nov 9, 2026

4. All citrus, Tulare, Kern and Riverside counties: Satellite ET overstates how much water citrus uses

Research to apply · Citrograph, Fall 2026 (CRB-funded UC Davis final report, 2023–25); San Joaquin Valley and desert

UC Davis researchers measured actual citrus water use (ET) with eddy covariance towers in seven commercial orchards from 2023 to 2025 and compared it with the OpenET satellite models that several water agencies now use. OpenET overestimated citrus ET by 30% or more; across models the error ran 12% to 80%, highest for oranges and mandarins and lowest for lemons.⁶

Measured April–October ET was 28 to 47 inches for 20-year-old Tulare mandarins, 17 to 21 inches for 6-year-old Kern mandarins, 24 to 30 inches for 25-year-old oranges, and 36 to 42 inches for mature Coachella Valley lemons. The reason for the gap: satellites pass around 10 a.m., before citrus closes its stomata in the drier afternoon air. Irrigation budgets and water accounting built on those satellite numbers can overstate what a block used.⁶

Next step: This winter, compare OpenET estimates for your blocks with flowmeter or irrigation records and soil-moisture data, and keep those records together for any water-use discussion with your district.

Source: Citrograph, Fall 2026, pp. 26–28

Variety spotlight

Cara Cara navel orange

Type	Navel orange (Citrus sinensis) with deep pink flesh
Origin	Bud mutation on a Washington navel tree, found in 1976 at Hacienda Cara Cara, Venezuela; reached California by way of Florida
Harvest	November to January at Riverside

Tree and fruit mostly follow the Washington navel, but the flesh is colored by lycopene to a pink like the darkest red grapefruit, and the variety is well adapted to California. Trees occasionally throw variegated-leaf twigs that can bear striped-rind fruit. Budwood is available through the Citrus Clonal Protection Program.⁷ This season Fowler Packing expected its Cara Cara picking to be fully underway the week of Nov. 9.⁴

Market snapshot: Navels Ease, Lemons Hold

USDA AMS shipping-point trends, Nov 10; NASS forecast, Oct 9 · Navels, lemons, grapefruit

Navel quotes slipped for first-grade 72s and 88s on Nov. 9 as the early crop builds, while lemons and Rio Red grapefruit held mostly steady. These are Central and Southern California and Arizona shipping-point prices for 7/10-bushel cartons, not grower returns; the report carries no California mandarin quote yet.⁵

Navels Shippers First Grade	40–56s $25.30–28.55; 72s $21.50–23.50; 88s $18.75–20.50. 72s and 88s lower than a week earlier.5
Lemons Shippers First Grade	95s $26.55–29.60; 115–200s $28.50–31.60. Mostly unchanged; Choice 115–165s lower.5
Grapefruit Rio Red · First Grade	32s $25.50–27.60; 40s $23.50–25.60. Unchanged.5
2026–27 forecast NASS · boxes, carried forward	Navels 42.0M (+2%); Valencias 8.5M; mandarins 32.0M; lemons 28.0M; grapefruit 4.8M.8

Coming week watchlist

This week Cara Caras and grapefruit, statewide: Cara Cara picking ramps up, and California grapefruit supply is expected to rise significantly by mid-November.⁴

Nov 12 All citrus, statewide: NOAA’s monthly El Niño update. October’s put the chance of a strong-to-very strong El Niño through January–March at more than 83%, worth watching for frost and rain planning.⁹

Nov 30 All citrus, California and Arizona: applications close for USDA’s Citrus Disease Subcommittee, which advises on citrus disease research funding; five of its 11 seats go to Arizona or California members.¹⁰

Your next moves

Scout Lisbon lemon blocks for pitting by row and block side as fruit colors, starting this week, and line it up with your spring mite counts, from item 01. Citrograph, pp. 30–33

Watch for branch dieback and gumming on sunburned or broken grapefruit and lemon limbs, and map affected blocks by Dec 15, from item 02. Citrograph, pp. 50–52

Read the UC Davis report on citrus ET this week before you lean on satellite water-use numbers for next season’s irrigation budget, from item 04. Citrograph, pp. 26–28

Editorial suggestions for field review, never a pesticide or product recommendation. In California only a licensed PCA can make a written pesticide recommendation.

What are you seeing?

Email info@jcsmarketinginc.com and tell us your crop, county and biggest field question.

We may take it up in a future edition.

Editorial note: Source findings are summarized above. The “Next step” passages are MyAgLife editorial suggestions for field review, not source-issued prescriptions. This report does not award CE credit.

Sources

1. Ashraf El-kereamy et al., “Update on Lemon Peel Pitting in the Central Valley,” Citrograph (Citrus Research Board), Fall 2026; pp. 30–33.
2. Yong Luo et al., “Citrus Gummosis of ‘Star Ruby’ Grapefruit Caused by Neoscytalidium dimidiatum,” Citrograph, Fall 2026; pp. 50–52.
3. CDFA, “Asian Citrus Psyllid / Huanglongbing: Notice of Treatment and Proclamation of an Emergency Program,” checked Nov 11, 2026.
4. FreshPlaza, “Early California citrus season brings strong supplies and promotional opportunities,” Nov 9, 2026.
5. USDA AMS Specialty Crops Market News, “National Shipping Point Trends,” Nov 10, 2026 (prices for Nov 9); Citrus, Central and Southern California and Arizona.
6. Daniele Zaccaria and Pasquale Steduto, “How Much Water Are Your Citrus Trees Really Using?,” Citrograph, Fall 2026; pp. 26–28.
7. Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection at UC Riverside, “Cara Cara navel orange (CRC 3994),” checked Nov 11, 2026.
8. USDA NASS, “Crop Production,” Oct 9, 2026; citrus forecast as of Oct 1.
9. NOAA Climate Prediction Center, “ENSO Diagnostic Discussion,” Oct 8, 2026.
10. Citrus Industry, “USDA Seeks Citrus Disease Subcommittee Applicants,” Nov 10, 2026.