Citrus production systems to survive greening: economic thresholds

Abstract

Advanced production systems (APS) and open hydroponic systems (OHS) are proposed strategies for citrus production that could increase early production and sustain production at higher levels through at least the fi rst 15 years of grove life. Higher tree densities, automated irrigation, and intensive nutrient management will increase costs per acre for establishment and annual cultural care. Estimated cost increases are based on the APS/OHS specifi cations outlined in a companion paper (Morgan et al., 2009). This paper utilizes net present value (NPV) as a framework to evaluate the costs and benefi ts of AP/OH systems. Per acre yields must increase suffi ciently to cover establishment costs. Sufficiently increasing yields within the fi rst 5 to 7 years of a new grove could make it more likely that an AP/OH system will return positive profits over a wider range of fruit prices.