This story was originally published byGrist.
Oranges are synonymous with Florida.
The zesty fruit can be spotted adorning everything from license plates to kitschy memorabilia.
Florida orange trees© Karen Grigoryan via Shutterstock
Ask any Floridian and theyll tell you that the crop is a hallmark of the Sunshine State.
Jay Clark would be quick to agree.
Hes 80 and a third-generation grower working land his family has owned in Wauchula since the 1950s.
But hes not sure how much longer he can keep at it.
Two years ago, Hurricane Ian pummeled trees already weakened by a virulent and incurable disease called citrus greening.
Its a struggle, said Clark.
I guess were too hard-headed just to quit totally, but its not a profitable business right now.
His family once owned almost 500 acres in west central Florida, where they grew oranges and raised beef.
Theyve sold much of that land in recent years, and have scaled back their citrus groves.
Were concentrating more on the cattle, he said.
Everybodys looking for an alternative crop or solution.
All of this has pushed the cost of the beverage torecord highs.
Its citrus growers are nothing if not resilient.
Were still here, but its not a good situation.
Were here, but thats about it, said Clark.
Its bigger than just our family as citrus growers.
If a solution isnt found, there will be no citrus industry.
Although greening has appeared in other citrus powerhouses like California and Texas, it hasntwidely affected commercial grovesineither state.
The Sunshine States year-round subtropical climate allows the infestation to spread at a higher clip.
But as warming continues to increase global temperatures,the disease is expected to advance northward.
Most of those trees are just dead now.
And its just really making these citrus growers nervous.
[Everyone] is waiting for the new research results.
The greatest promise lies in antibiotics created to lessen the effects of greening.
We need more time, said Rezazadeh.
Growers in St. Lucie County started using the antibiotic last year.
There are some hopes that we keep them alive until we find a cure.
Torrential rain and flooding can inundate groves and deplete the soil of oxygen.
Diseased trees face particular risk because illness often impacts their roots, weakening them.
Ray Royce, executive director of Highlands County Citrus Growers Association, likens it to a pre-existing medical condition.
Im an old guy.
If I had some underlying health issues, its even harder, he said.
All of this can reduce yields and cause fruit to drop prematurely.
Of course, healthy trees have a higher chance of withstanding such threats.
We all of a sudden had a little bit of a run of bad luck.
We had a hurricane.
Then after the hurricane, we had a freeze, said Royce.
Now weve just gone through a drought which will no doubt negatively impact the crop for next year.
Human-induced climate changemeans that the respite Royce desperately hopes for is improbable.
In fact, forecastersexpectthis to be themost active hurricane season in recorded history.
Researchers have also found thatwarming will increase the pressures of plant diseases, likegreening, incrops worldwide.
We dont have the solution yet, he said.
But there are things that look very, very promising.
A windfall of funding has been devoted to the hunt for answers to a befuddling problem.
But theyve only just begun testing it in a 40-acre grove this spring.
Other solutions scientists are pursuing includebreeding new varieties of citrusthat could be more blight-tolerant.
Time is something many family-owned operations cant afford.
Ian was the breaking point for Sun Groves, a family business in Oldsmar that opened in 1933.
It was heartbreaking for my family to close Sun Groves, she said.
This article originally appeared inGristathttps://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/can-floridas-orange-growers-survive-another-hurricane-season/.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
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