Florida citrus growers can explore all of the key factors to improving brix in sweet oranges and juice quality in the HLB era.
A UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article shared that “Poor fruit quality has long been a significant hurdle for sweet orange growers in the HLB era.” It maintained that “With high fruit drop rates and challenges in harvest management, many growers find themselves picking fruit earlier than ideal, resulting in subpar Brix levels.” The article then shared all of the key factors to improving brix for Florida citrus growers looking to get the best quality and quantity in the HLB era. See the details below.
Key Factors to Improving Brix
The article shared these key factors to improving brix in sweet oranges:
One of the first factors is that “More Leaves Means Better Brix.”A 2025 UF/IFAS study found that, “Findings across all sites confirmed that the number of leaves on the fruiting branch is a strong predictor of juice quality. A greater number of leaves consistently leads to higher Brix levels.”
Another factor is the role nutrients play. The article shared that “A significant positive correlation was discovered between calcium and Brix. Higher calcium content in fruiting leaves was associated with increased Brix levels. This trend extended to potassium and magnesium as well. Conversely, manganese and zinc content were found to be lower in leaves adjacent to fruit with high Brix.
Artificial intelligence modeling indicated that leaf boron levels are the most critical predictor of Brix, followed by zinc and calcium. It’s vital to understand that while a strong predictor does not imply a linear relationship, maintaining these nutrients within an optimal range is essential, as any deviation from deficient or excess levels can adversely impact Brix.”
The article maintained that “leaf-nutrient data were collected from fruiting branches in February and March. In contrast, traditional leaf-nutrient analysis is typically conducted on non-fruiting leaves in July and August. Therefore, this data should not be compared to the usual leaf-nutrient analysis that growers do. Fruiting and non-fruiting branches have different nutritional profiles, which change over the years.”
Recommendations
The recommendations from UF/IFAS, from the article, included:
1. “Promote high leaf density.
2. Optimize nutrient management.
3. Utilize leaf-nutrient testing.
4. Avoid fertilizing past mid-October, as nutrient absorption will significantly decline.”
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