Ask any experienced citrus grower, and they'll tell you: the last decade hasn't been easy. Between the relentless march of citrus greening (HLB), unpredictable weather swings, and the constant threat of pests, the old ways of growing orange trees outdoors don't provide the reliability or returns they once did. But walk into a modern nursery today, and you'll find a very different story unfolding—one where technology, not just tradition, is driving success.
A new kind of citrus nursery
Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is changing how we think about citrus propagation. Inside these purpose-built nurseries, growers can fine-tune every aspect of a young tree's environment. Forget about hoping for the right weather or battling the latest pest outbreak. Here, programmable LED lights provide exactly the right blend of red and blue wavelengths, encouraging roots and shoots to grow faster and stronger.
In fact, some trials have shown that with the right light recipe, young citrus trees can grow more than three times as fast as those left to the whims of the sun.
But lighting is just the beginning. The air itself is filtered to keep out the Asian citrus psyllid, the tiny insect responsible for spreading HLB. Water is sterilized, and humidity and temperature are maintained within the perfect range for citrus, no matter what's happening outside. One nursery manager in Florida told me, "We had zero fruit loss during a Category 3 hurricane, thanks to our protective screen structures." That kind of peace of mind is hard to put a price on.
Real world results: More fruit, faster
The numbers coming out of these nurseries are catching the attention of even the most skeptical growers. In protected environments, grapefruit yields have reached more than 8,000 boxes per acre over a decade, several times what's possible in HLB-affected groves. And because the fruit is shielded from wind and rain, it's less blemished, which means it fetches a higher price at market.
But perhaps the most striking change is how quickly these trees reach maturity. Where it once took four or five years to get a young tree into production, some CEA systems are cutting that time in half. Steven Callaham, CEO of Dundee Citrus Growers Association, put it plainly: "Our four-year-old CUPS (Citrus Under Protective Screen) groves produced 800% more fruit per acre than mature traditional groves. We're using 90% less land, water, and fertilizer per piece of fruit."
For small growers, the shift can be even more dramatic. Maria Gonzalez, who runs a family grove in Central Florida, shared, "After losing 80% of my trees to HLB, I shifted to a CUPS system. Now I sell directly to high-end restaurants—they pay top dollar for perfect, seedless fruit."
Root health and resource smarts
If you've ever dug up a nursery-grown citrus tree, you know the difference. The root systems are dense, fibrous, and ready to take off once transplanted. That's thanks to carefully managed irrigation and fertigation systems that deliver water and nutrients exactly when and where they're needed. In sandy soils, where water can be a limiting factor, this precision makes all the difference. CEA nurseries use less water overall, and because they can avoid overwatering, they also sidestep problems like Phytophthora root rot.
Crunching the numbers: Does CEA pay off?
Let's address the elephant in the room: CEA isn't cheap. Setting up a nursery with all the bells and whistles can cost three times as much as planting a traditional acre. But when you look at the returns, the math starts to make sense. By year three, a CEA acre can yield four times as much fruit as a conventional grove. The payback period? Just over two years for many operations. Over a decade, the net profit per acre can be more than triple what you'd expect from outdoor production.
What's driving these numbers? Faster cycles from planting to harvest, less water and chemical use, and a product that commands a premium price. As Dr. Arnold Schumann from UF/IFAS told me, "The economics of CEA are changing the conversation for growers who want to stay competitive."
Looking forward: Advice from the field
So, is CEA right for every grower? Maybe not yet. But for those willing to start small—perhaps with a few acres or a pilot block—the potential is hard to ignore. Grants and cost-share programs can help with the initial investment, and there's a growing community of growers eager to share what they've learned. As one Florida nursery manager put it, "We're not just surviving the challenges of HLB and hurricanes—we're thriving."
If you're ready to future-proof your citrus operation, there's never been a better time to take a closer look at controlled environment agriculture. The next chapter of citrus might just be written under glass.
Written by Henry B. Berman
For more information:
Scynce LED
4641 East Ivy Street, Mesa, AZ 85205
(480) 256-0017
[email protected]
scynceled.com
References:
1. Kadyampakeni, D. et al., Citrus Industry Magazine, 2018
2. Schumann, A. et al., Citrus Industry Magazine, 2018
3. USDA Final Report: Elimination of HLB as an Economic Threat, 2017
4. MaxaPress, Tropical Plants, 2023
5. CEAC, University of Arizona
6. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2025
7. Fundecitrus, Citrus Annual, 2024
8. ScienceDirect, Citrus Production – An Overview
9. Citrus Industry Magazine, 2022