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UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
and


STATE OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF CITRUS


*Complimentary to members of the
Florida Fresh Citrus Shippers Association.
Others wishing to receive this newsletter
may send a dozen stamped, preaddressed
envelopes to the above address.


(*-*)
Citrus Station Mimeo Report CES 70-19
February 5, 1970
750-WFW-Lake Alfred, Florida 33850




Editor: W. F. Wardowski
Harvesting and Handling Section*
University of Florida
Citrus Experiment Station
P. O. Box 1088
Lake Alfred, Florida 33850





(* -*)
Newsletter No. 28 Citrus Station Mimeo Report CES 70-19
February 5, 1970
750-WFW-Lake Alfred, Florida 33850


Harvesting and Handling Section

PACKINGHOUSE NEWSLETTER


FIRST (EVER) ABSCISSION AGENT FOR CITRUS FRUITS RELEASED UNDER EXPERIMENTAL
LABEL BY USDA


"3-[2-(3,5-DIMETHYL-2-OXOCYCLOHEXYL)-2-HYDROXYETHYL] GLUTARIMIDE

Notice of Establishment of Temporary Tolerance

At the request of the Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, Mich. 49001,
a temporary tolerance is established for residues of the plant
abscission agent 3-[2-(3,5-dimethyl-2-oxocyclohexyl)-2-hydrcxy-
ethyl] glutarimide in or on the raw agricultural commodity
oranges at 0.05 part per million. The Commissioner of Food and
Drugs has determined that this temporary tolerance is safe and
will protect the public health.

A condition under which this temporary tolerance is est-
ablished is that the plant abscission agent will be used in
accordance with the temporary permit issued by the U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture. Distribution will be under the Upjohn
Co. name.

This temporary tolerance expires January 23, 1971.

This action is taken pursuant to provisions of the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (sec. 408(j), 68 Stat. 516; 21
U.S.C. 346a(j)'and under authority delegated to the Commissioner
(21 CFR 2.120).

Dated: January 23, 1970.

Sam D. Fine,
Acting Associate Commissioner
for Compliance."

Federal Register, Vol. 35, No. 21--Friday, January 30, 1970




With the release by the USDA of Temporary Permit No. 1023-EXP-27G, limited
spraying of citrus fruits is allowed for the purpose of causing abscission
(chemical loosening) of mature citrus fruits.

The product under test is cycloheximide, a plant antibiotic,which has on
the whole, given rather exceptional loosening of oranges with practically no
leaf drop. The chemical is a product of the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo, Mich.,







Newsletter No. 28


and if final clearance is obtained, it will be marketed under the trade name of
Acti-Aid. A similar formulation, Acti-Dione, has been on the market for a
number of years for use as a fungicide on a non-food basis for grasses, orna-
mentals, etc.

The Upjohn Company, with the cooperation of the USDA at Orlando and the
Citrus Experiment Station and Department of Citrus at Lake Alfred, is conduct-
ing a large number of tests throughout the citrus--growing areas of the State
of Florida. Restrictions limit the tests to small acreages (usually one or two
acres) and the compound is currently not for sale to the general public.

There are other chemicals which will also loosen fruit but which do not
require labels as they are "generally recognized as safe." Ascorbic and
erythorbic acids are the most effective weak acids. When mixed with other
safe, but inexpensive, weak acids, they have also successfully loosened citrus
fruits, but on the whole have not been as successful as cycloheximide when
compared throughout the entire season. However, the use of these weak acid
mixtures appear to be justified during certain parts of the season, particularly
if a very inexpensive mixture can be obtained.

Because all of the chemicals mentioned cause some peel injury, they can-
not be used on fruit destined for fresh channels, but the superficial injury
to the peel does not prevent their use in processing.
W. C. Wilson
Florida Department of Citrus
Citrus Experiment Station

AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION

In November 1969, George Newton, State of Florida, Department of Citrus
fieldman for the Cleveland, Ohio area, reported a retail marketing problem in
that the closure tapes often slipped off Vexar bags. Dr. W. B. Lester, Research
Economist at Gainesville, and Mr. Frank Arn, Director of Merchandising, both
of the Florida Department of Citrus, informed other individuals of the report
from George Newton. Don Monigle, Vexar representative for DuPont, when in-
formed of the situation by Dr. Grierson, Citrus Experiment Station, had the
company change the resin in Vexar. The result was a less slippery Vexar which
should not slip from the closure tape.

The point of this story is that accurate information in enough hands will
often result in quite unlikely solutions. We are very pleased indeed when we
can thus help serve as a "clearing house" for information that can help the
citrus industry.

Editor

"Know of a Packinghouse for Sale?? The Plaquemines Parish (Louisiana) Commis-
sion Council is looking for good used packing machinery. They plan to establish
a co-op since most of the facilities in that area were destroyed by Hurricane
Camille. If you know of anyone who has machinery which could handle around
2,000 to 2,500 bushels per day and wants to sell, let us hear from you or if
you wish, you could contact Murphy W. McEachern, County Agent, Pointe A La Hache,
Louisiana, 70082, directly."
Citrus News Notes
Fruit Crops Department
University of Florida


February 5, 1970







Newsletter No. 28


PACKINGHOUSE NEWSLETTER INDEX

An index for Packinghouse Newsletters No. 1, September 1965 through No. 28,
February 1970 is inclosed with this issue. For those of you who have faithfully
kept back issues of the Newsletter, this may help to locate an article that you
remember reading. For others, individual copies of back issues are available on
request if you spot an item of interest.

Editor


DO YOU KNOW A YOUNG MAN WHO IS WILLING TO WORK?

We have never carried "Help wanted" notices, but it seems a reasonable
service to offer. If anyone knows an intelligent hard working young man
interested in learning the packinghouse business, tell him to contact Brantley
Schirard, DiGiorgio Fruit Corp., Fort Pierce, Florida, Phone No. 461-1921.
They are looking for someone capable of starting as Head Grade Foreman and
Assistant Packinghouse Foreman.

Bill Grierson
Citrus Experiment Station


AVAILABLE PUBLICATIONS

Available from USDA, ARS, TFRD, 2607 North Orange Avenue, Orlando, Florida, 32804.

"Development of Stacking Patterns for Handling and Transporting Unitized
Shipments of Florida Citrus" December 1969, Joseph P. Anthony, Jr., TFRD, ARS,
USDA. ARS 52-42 16 pages


February 5, 1970