New Quarantine for HLB in San Diego County

DETECTION OF CITRUS DISEASE, HUANGLONGBING, IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY ESTABLISHES NEW QUARANTINE AREA

Detection Marks First Time Plant Disease Has Been Found in San Diego County

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has declared a quarantine in north San Diego County following the detection of the citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in two citrus trees on one residential property in the city of Oceanside. This is the first time the plant disease, which does not harm people but is deadly to citrus, has been detected in San Diego County. CDFA is working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the San Diego County Agricultural Commissioner on this cooperative project.

The detection will require a mandatory 60-square-mile quarantine area around the find site to restrict the movement of citrus fruit, trees, and related plant material. The quarantine area is bordered on the north by Vandergrift Boulevard at Camp Pendleton; on the south by Carlsbad Village Drive in unincorporated San Diego County; on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east by Melrose Drive in Oceanside. HLB quarantine maps for San Diego County are available online at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/hlb/regulation.html. Please check this link for future quarantine expansions, should they occur. An HLB quarantine area currently exists in parts of Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, where more than 2,400 trees have tested positive for the disease and have been removed.

The quarantine prohibits the movement of all citrus nursery stock or plant parts out of the quarantine area. Provisions exist to allow the movement of commercially cleaned and packed citrus fruit. Fruit that is not commercially cleaned and packed must not be moved from the property on which it is grown, although it may be processed and/or consumed on the premises. This includes residential citrus, such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and kumquats.

Residents are urged to take several steps to help protect citrus trees:

– Do not move citrus plants, leaves, or foliage into or out of the quarantine area or across state or international borders. Keep it local.
– Cooperate with agricultural officials placing traps, inspecting trees, and treating for the pest.
– If you no longer wish to care for your citrus tree, consider removing it so it does not become a host to the pest and disease.

HLB is a bacterial disease that affects the vascular system of citrus trees and plants. It does not pose a threat to humans or animals. The Asian citrus psyllid can spread the bacteria as the pest feeds on citrus trees and plants. Once a tree is infected, there is no cure; the tree will produce bitter and misshaped fruit and die within a few years.

CDFA staff are scheduling the removal of the infected trees and are in the midst of surveying citrus trees in a 250-meter radius around the detection site to determine if any other trees are infected with HLB. A treatment program for citrus trees to reduce Asian citrus psyllid infestations will also be conducted within a 250-meter radius of the find site. By taking this action, a critical reservoir of the disease and its vectors will be removed, which is essential to protect surrounding citrus from this deadly disease.

CDFA, in partnership with the USDA, local County Agricultural Commissioners, and the citrus industry, continues to pursue a strategy of controlling the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid while researchers work to find a cure for the disease.

California Ag Today2021-08-09T22:31:14-07:00August 9th, 2021|

New Computer App To Help Fight HLB Disease

Computer App Available To Aid In HLB Fight in Southern California

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

A computer app is now available to anyone curious about how close a HLB infected tree was found near his or her home.

The fight to reduce the incidence of Southern California trees infected with the fatal Huanglongbing disease takes many different strategies, in Southern California, particularly in Orange and LA Counties, where the disease continues to spread in trees in the yards of residents.

UC Scientist and others in the citrus industry are suggesting that homeowners remove citrus trees in their yards and replace them with non-citrus trees.

Beth Grafton-Cardwell

“One of the things we’re suggesting that homeowners do is if they’re near where a tree has been removed because it’s been declared positive, that, the homeowner consider removing their citrus trees proactively implanting non citrus,” said Beth Grafton-Cardwell a UCANR Entomologist based at the Lindcove Research and Extension Center.

And if homeowners want to know how close a positive has been found to their home, they can now find out. The information can be found by going to ucanr.edu/hlbapp. By zooming in, the site gives recommendations as to whether a homeowner should replace a tree or not.

It’s not a downloadable app for a smart phone but the web address can be access on the phone and be bookmarked.

“The point of this is because we can’t tell in an early infection which trees are infected,” said Grafton-Cardwell. “If a homeowner is near a known infected tree, there is a good chance that your trees are already infected and we just can’t tell yet.”

“So you help your neighbors and the industry by just taking those trees out and then you don’t have to have CDFA knocking on your door to spray pesticides or to ask to test your tree, if you just get the tree out,” she said.

Already more then 1,600 citrus trees in Southern California have been tested positive for HLB disease, and those trees have been removed.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:46-07:00October 21st, 2019|

CA Citrus Growers Work Hard to Prevent HLB Devastation

Learning From the Florida Industry as to How Bad it Can Be

By Mikenzi Meyers, Associate Editor

The severe effects of the Huanglongbing (HLB) disease on Florida citrus is cause for California growers to take important preventative measures to ensure the safety of their trees. Keith Watkins, vice president of outside operations for Bee Sweet Citrus, has seen the damage firsthand and has been hard at work to protect his trees.

“I’ve been to Florida, and I’ve seen how devastating the disease can be,” he said. “We have to spend money now to basically prevent that from happening to us.”

There are currently around 1100 trees that have tested positive for HLB in the Orange County and Anaheim-Garden Grove areas, but they are mainly backyard citrus trees. Luckily, Watkins said that the disease has not yet been traced in commercial operations.

Keeping HLB out of commercial growth is the biggest challenge growers face. There is not yet a cure for the disease, but according to Watkins, growers can help prevent it from reaching their crops by staying on top of killing psyllids when spotted. “We have to stay diligent. Our future really is maintaining a psyllid free population,” he said.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:47-07:00June 4th, 2019|

Reducing ACP Spread In California

Beth Grafton-Cardwell: Spread of Disease Must Be Prevented

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

Collaborative changes are being made to combat the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP). Beth Grafton-Cardwell is the director of Lindcove Research and Extension Center near Exeter, as well as a research entomologist with UC Riverside. She recently spoke at the 2019 Citrus Showcase in Visalia as a key speaker on the state of Huanglongbing (HLB) in California, with an overview of how to prevent ACP,—which vectors HLB, a fatal disease to citrus—from moving around the state.

“We were trying to communicate why we’ve made the changes we’ve made for the industry that has been a collaborative effort between CDFA, growers, and the university,” Grafton-Cardwell said. “We need better ways to prevent psyllids from moving around the state because they might have HLB in their bodies, and we’ve got to prevent the spread of the disease.”

Beth Grafton-Cardwell

The Florida citrus industry did not do a great job in containing the Psyllid, and now HLB is rampant in the state’s citrus industry, which has devastated the citrus economy there.

“Florida found that they did not do much to control psyllid movement, and they found that psyllids were moving in bulk citrus bins and retail nursery plants around the state, and within a concise amount of time, they spread the Psyllid and the disease everywhere,” Grafton-Cardwell said. “We’re trying to avoid that. We have 100% tarping of citrus truckloads. We have treatments that have to be done if growers want to move citrus between major zones in California, so that we can prevent that kind of movement.”

Conversations continue about quarantine areas in California to reduce spread.

“There’s been a lot of discussion regarding quarantines because it’s painful for some growers who have low Psyllid numbers to have to treat and to move their fruit to other zones.”

“There’s been a lot of questions. We did a lot of scientific analysis to look at impacts as well as numbers. It’s not just about psyllid numbers; it’s about their impact if growers were to move the disease into a high citrus growing region,” Grafton-Cardwell explained.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:48-07:00May 8th, 2019|

Fighting for Citrus Industry

Continuing to Fight For Citrus Industry’s Longevity Requires Teamwork

By Jim Gorden, Committee Chair, Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention

For more than two centuries, citrus has grown strong in California’s yards and groves—serving as a source of nourishment, income, and tradition for many different individuals—but the citrus industry is at risk due to Huanglongbing’s (HLB) growing presence in California.

Jim Gorden

In 2018, HLB was found in more than 600 residential citrus trees in Southern California, and despite the program’s thorough surveying efforts, HLB has not been found in a commercial grove, but we must continue to hold strong. It has never been more important for all of us— including the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP), regulatory authorities, the citrus industry, the scientific community, and others—to work together to prevent the spread of the disease and save California’s citrus industry.

While much has changed since the citrus industry came together ten years ago to support the creation of the CPDPP, one constant remains: the program’s dedication to fighting HLB. This year, the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC) created a strategic plan for combatting HLB now and in the future. The plan identified five prioritized strategies to achieve CPDPP’s goals of keeping HLB out of commercial groves, limiting Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) movement in the state and fine-tuning the program. In addition, the program agreed to align its annual budget in support of the strategies, which can be viewed in this report.

With this plan comes additional responsibilities for all individuals involved. The CPDPC understands HLB isn’t the only issue posing a threat to your business and our industry – but it’s one we can’t ignore. This report highlights the many activities the program and our partners are doing across the state to protect commercial groves from HLB, but we are only as strong as our weakest link.

Looking forward, much is at stake for California citrus growers, packers and workers as the industry faces its biggest threat yet in HLB. I encourage you to connect with the program, your local pest control district, or task force, and follow best practices for managing the ACP and HLB. If we sit idle, hoping others will take action for our benefit, we are welcoming this devastating disease into our groves.

But, by working together, we can protect California’s commercial citrus industry from devastation—sustaining our livelihood and the legacy of California citrus.

For more information on the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program Click here.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:49-07:00April 25th, 2019|

ACP Control Protocols At World Ag Expo Feb. 13

World Ag Expo Seminar: Asian Citrus Psyllid and Huanglongbing – Regulatory Compliance Update and Treatment Protocol

News Release

If you’re attending the World Ag Expo, the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program encourages you to attend a seminar on Feb. 13 to learn about regulatory protocols relating to Asian citrus psyllid and Huanglongbing quarantines, the proper mitigation requirements for transportation of bulk citrus, and recommended treatment options for ACP in commercial citrus groves and residential citrus trees from industry experts.

During the seminar, Keith Okasaki of the California Department of Food and Agriculture will discuss the regulatory protocols for moving bulk citrus fruit in the state of California. Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell will discuss the University of California’s recommended treatment options for suppressing and controlling the Asian citrus psyllid in commercial citrus groves and residential citrus trees.

This seminar is free to attend with a World Ag Expo attendee ticket or exhibitor pass.

Asian Citrus Psyllid and Huanglongbing – Regulatory Compliance Update and Treatment Protocols Seminar

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Noon – 1 p.m.

Location

Seminar Trailer 1 in the Seminar Center

The Seminar Center is near South Gate 15, at the corner of U Street and Expo Lane.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:50-07:00February 12th, 2019|

Farm Bill Deal a Big Win for U.S. Citrus Growers

Agreement Provides $25 Million for ACP and HLB

News Release

Recently, leading farm bill negotiators in the House and Senate announced that they have reached an “agreement in principle” signaling that a final deal will be made before the end of the year.

Included in the initial agreement is language providing $25 million per year for 5 years for research specific to the invasive insect Asian citrus psyllid and deadly plant disease Huanglongbing (HLB).

The Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Development Trust Fund will build upon the program created in the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) title in the 2014 Farm Bill, which dedicated research funding for citrus.

“The trust fund language is a significant win for U.S. citrus growers,” California Citrus Mutual President Joel Nelsen said. “It’s critical for the future of our industry and the domestic citrus market that we continue to invest in research aimed to find a solution for HLB.”

The Farm Bill funding specific to HLB research complements the $40 million per year program funded by California citrus growers to stop the spread of HLB, which has been detected in over 900 backyard citrus trees in Southern California. In recent years, the state of California has dedicated funds to augment ACP and HLB control efforts in urban areas, including the rearing and release of millions of beneficial insects in backyard citrus trees.

Negotiators have also agreed to maintain funding for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program and the National Clean Plant Network (NCPN). Additionally, funding will continue for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program, which helps growers overcome artificial trade barriers.

“On behalf of the California citrus industry, I want to thank the lead farm bill negotiators in both houses for their commitment to passing a Farm Bill that includes this vital funding for the U.S. citrus industry and specialty crops,” Nelsen said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2021-05-12T11:05:07-07:00November 29th, 2018|

IR-4 Program Trying to Help Florida Citrus Industry Due to HLB

IR-4 Researchers Control Material to Help Citrus Industy

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

Jerry Barron, executive director of the IR-4 Project at Rutgers University in New Jersey spoke to California Ag Today recently about his program.

A major priority with the IR-4 Project is the prioritization of projects that need to be done to find crop protection products for crops such as citrus. Among the urgent challenges for citrus is the control of the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) which vectors Huanglongbing (HLB)—a fatal disease to citrus. Barron spoke about the disease, which has devastated Florida citrus growers and all parts of the citrus economy in the state.

“HLB is devastating Florida citrus growers and the economy in Florida. It’s about a billion dollars of lost production, which is affecting local communities, food processors, and the people who are harvesting the fruit,” Barron said. “It is totally disrupting the whole economic base of certain areas.”

Asian Citrus Psyllid Yellow Trap (Source: Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program)

“So what we’re trying to do is work with the people in Florida, to provide them some tools, not only to control the Psyllid which transmits the disease but also provide them some tools to help control the disease once it’s infected the plant.

“At this point, it’s very difficult because certain crop protection products are just not available, but we’re trying to find these magic bullets to truly give them a solution for this devastating problem,” he said.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:05:08-07:00November 12th, 2018|

Governor Brown Includes $12.5 Million In Budget for HLB Control

HLB Funds To Be Used by the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program

News Release

Recognizing the importance of protecting California’s commercial citrus industry and backyard citrus trees, Governor Jerry Brown’s 2018-19 California state budget includes $12.5 million from the general fund dedicated to fighting an incurable citrus disease called Huanglongbing (HLB).

Signed last week, the funds will be used by the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP), a program primarily funded by California citrus growers and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The CPDPP helps detect and eradicate Huanglongbing in residential areas, suppress Asian citrus psyllid populations, control the movement of the Asian citrus psyllid, enforce regulations, and fund outreach programs to homeowners, industry members and local governments.

While Governor Brown’s commitment to helping fight HLB is a step in the right direction, California citrus is at a crossroads. More than 685 cases of Huanglongbing have been detected in California, with more than 350 detections in 2018 alone, all in urban areas of Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:54-07:00July 10th, 2018|

Relentless Search for ACP and HLB Trees

Intense Inspections of Urban Citrus Trees Continue

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

Joel Nelsen is president and CEO of California Citrus Mutual, based in Exeter. He told California Ag Today recently that there is an “active plan to look for trees harboring Asian Citrus Psyllids (ACP) infected Huanglongbing (HLB) trees in urban areas because we’re looking for nobody else across this country, let alone in the southern hemisphere, to look for infected trees in the urban area. Mexico and Brazil didn’t do it. We’re doing it.”

Joel Nelsen

The hope is that they find HLB and stop it there.

“Commercial growers are under tight testing programs to combat the Asian Citrus Psyllid. As far as it relates to commercial growers, we’re doing enough trapping that we’re not finding what we call hot spots of Asian Citrus Psyllids,” Nelsen said. “Secondarily and most importantly, we have a very strict clonal protection program, so growers are only allowed to access trees after they’ve gone through a rigorous testing program at both the nursery and the rootstock from the university.”

Nelsen said that the chances of a grower introducing the insect into an area is rather slim; it’s more often likely that the disease will be introduced to a grove.

Testing is random and more lab space is needed.

“Most of it’s been random because it is an intensive program. We’re analyzing roughly 20,000 leaves and twigs every month,” Nelsen explained. “We’re analyzing several thousand ACP every month. In fact, our lab capacity is capped, and one of the discussions that we’re having is to identify what labs can do what and whether or not we need to expand the number of labs doing business.”

“So we are looking at additional lab space, and in fact, we have already contracted with the University of Arizona Lab in Tucson and maybe we’ll consider using private labs to do the initial work,” Nelsen said. “Now, they’re not going to be able to confirm whether or not an ACP is there, but they go in and evaluate that twig or green waste waste and if in fact there is a suspicion, then you send in the California Department of Food and Agriculture folks.”

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:55-07:00March 19th, 2018|