Here's how one insect changed Florida's orange crops. #Agriculture #CitrusGreening #Oranges

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[Gothfield]

An effect of mono cropping a singular varietal

[shenzhong]

these industrial farmers planting monocultures are the reason a single insect can wipe out a whole state like this in the first place

[earlinejackson]

They had a tsetse fly problem when I was a kid. The way they got rid of it was capturing all the eggs of the fly that they could and raising them, rendering them sterile, and releasing them to ‘breed’ with the others. After a couple of years of that, the tsetse flies were gone. I remember as a kid having a tsetse trap in our yard that a person would come around at regular intervals to check. At first, there were tsetse flies in the trap but at the end, the traps were always empty. I have not heard of any tsetse fly outbreaks since, so it worked pretty well.

[BooBooKeyshehe]

We just grow subdivisions now, it's horrible for us beekeepers too because Orange Blossom is a huge crop people actually buy.

[lizardmilk]

Awesome job not mentioning what the insect is.

[ButFirstHeLitItOnFire]

If the greening fruits are still edible, can they at least be marketed as something else?
Is there a major difference between normal and greened fruits as far as taste and nutrition go?

[Pathasher]

Floridas naturals orange juice is made with oranges from central and South America.

[thestrangegreenman]

This is heartbreaking. The reason we need "burdensome" government regulation is because these insects (and the Asian Longhorned Beetle, and the Emerald Ash Borer, and the Spotted Lanternfly) only showed up when shipping lobbies convinced the government to roll back regulations that all wooden crates and logs (in which the insects live) needed to be kilned to high enought temperature to kill off insects. They saved pennies, we all lost billions of dollars, and our way of life.

[jfrazz]

Wait, if they’re still edible, why did 78% get chucked? Is the flavor awful but it won’t kill you? Or was it aesthetics?

[TheMilkMan]

It also kills the tree eventually. That is the big problem.

[christinawelsh]

In my opinion get in touch with Bill Hates to see why he released bugs into southern Florida....

[jul.escobar]

It's been loosing this battle since 08. I remember when my old neighbor had to cut his tree down . We lost ours. Farms were suffering then. Hate to see the loss keep spreading.

[JrueMango]

The way we treat it is by "saying goodbye" to naval oranges, cara cara, or any other over cultivated species of oranges.

In all of these videos I see farmers going to great lengths just to grow fruits of the same species and quality. They would have an easier and more economic time planting WHATEVER grows. (Wild citrus)

If consumers could accept less quality control on the size/color/taste of their fruits we would be able to start buying the fruits that resist these insects.

[tdiamondsice]

Can i ask a few questions:

1, what insect is it?

2, is there a solution?

3, how long has the insect been in florida?

[AhJodie]

Like everyone growing potatoes... In Ireland 😮😢. Now I understand why oranges are smaller.

[SnailHatan]

That’s what happens you plant a single, not just _species_ but, *_variety_* of a crop plant.

[andrewsalazar]

Wow I remember back in 70 there were Good crops back then

[cosmealcantar]

Do they still taste like orange or do they takes more acidic or are they becoming limes.

[lauranewbie]

What are these insects, and where do they originate from?

[innovagreenbuilders]

Oooh, now I get the ending to Trading Places.