California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: ACP

  • CLas-positive Asian Citrus Psyllid Found in Riverside Commercial Grove

    An Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample – confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) the bacteria that causes Huanglongbing (HLB) – was collected from a commercial citrus grove in the Woodcrest area of Riverside County. Confirmed by Citrus Research Board’s Jerry Dimitman Laboratory, this single adult psyllid is the first CLas-positive ACP found in a commercial citrus grove in California.

    While a positive ACP detection in a commercial grove is cause for serious concern, as of today, HLB has not been detected in any California commercial groves. That said, it is more crucial than ever that we stop the disease from spreading by eradicating the Asian citrus psyllid in commercial groves. The cost to manage the Asian citrus psyllid is far less than any potential costs or loss to the industry should HLB take hold throughout our state.

    An expansion of the HLB quarantine zone will not be established as a result of the CLas-positive ACP detection and CDFA staff is swiftly conducting surveys and collecting samples per the ACP/HLB Action Plan  from the perimeter of all commercial groves and all residential HLB host plants that are located within a 250-meter radius around the find.

    While treatment is not mandatory as a result of the detection, all growers within 250-meters of the find site will be notified to apply insecticides to all HLB host material within the designated area with materials recommended by the University of California (UC).

    Currently, the best way to stop the disease from spreading is to stop the ACP. To stop the ACP, we must restrict its movement and suppress existing psyllid populations. It is critical to follow best practices and review recommendations from the UC on how to protect commercial citrus groves from HLB. Regulations are in place to help prevent the spread of the pest and disease. All growers, packers and haulers must comply with all California Department of Food and Agriculture, county and federal regulations, including quarantines.

    Growers in Riverside County may contact the County Agricultural Commissioner’s office or the CDFA Pest Hotline at 800-491-1899 for additional information. If you see or suspect ACP or HLB symptoms in your grove, please notify the CDFA hotline. – By the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program

  • Best Practices Video for Field Crew During Citrus Harvest for Pest/Disease Prevention

    To provide industry members, including field crews, with best practices to prevent the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) in California’s citrus groves, the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program has developed a mobile-friendly, Spanish-language field crew training video that can be used by field crew supervisors and farm labor contractors prior to harvest.
     
    This video, which stems directly from our in-person train-the-trainer workshops, provides an overview of best practices for field crews to prevent Huanglongbing (HLB) from threatening the California citrus industry’s livelihood and infecting commercial groves.
     

    A direct, downloadable version of this video is available here.

    We all must do our part if we’re going to protect California citrus from this disease – and field crews are at the forefront. For additional resources and videos, please visit CitrusInsider.org/Resources.

  • Updated Regs on Bulk Citrus Movement into HLB Quarantine Area

    Effective April 13, 2020, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will revoke Quarantine Commodity (QC) permit number 1486. QC 1486 originally authorized the intrastate movement of bulk citrus fruit from the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Bulk Citrus Regional Quarantine Zones 2, 3, 4, 5 or 7, into the Huanglongbing (HLB) quarantine area, without meeting the ACP-free performance standard.

    The motion to revoke QC 1486 was unanimously passed by the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC) at a committee meeting on March 11, 2020. CDFA subsequently approved the motion and will begin its implementation this month.

    “While the committee understands this revocation represents a change for a limited number of our industry partners, we have made this science-based decision because we believe the overall benefit these actions will have in protecting the industry against the spread of ACP and HLB will outweigh the added mitigation steps required of our growers and packers,” said Jim Gorden, chairman of the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program.

    Upon the effective date, all shipments of bulk citrus fruit into the HLB quarantine area, Bulk Citrus Regional Quarantine Zone 6, must meet the ACP-free performance standard, which includes field cleaning by machine or a preharvest treatment, and must be accompanied by the ACP-free declaration form. To download the ACP-free declaration form, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/pdfs/acp/ACPFreeDeclarationForm.pdf.

    Prior to shipment, growers must also notify the appropriate county agricultural commissioner’s office to which they will be shipping bulk citrus, as stated in the grower’s compliance agreement.

    “The committee based it’s response on the risk-based model, which indicated that movement of unmitigated fruit into the HLB quarantine presents a higher risk than we initially thought,” said Keith Watkins, chairman of the operations subcommittee of the CPDPP. “By potentially shipping psyllids into an area known to have HLB, we’re essentially throwing gasoline on the fire. These changes will not only create more uniform mitigation requirements, but allow us to future proof these regulations for any future HLB detections in new areas of the state.”

    Steps like this are critical in the fight to save California’s citrus industry from ACP and HLB, which has been found in residential areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties at an increasing rate. Now more than ever, it is important for the citrus industry to work together in preventing the spread of this harmful pest and disease.

    To review the full document for citrus growers and grove managers in an ACP bulk citrus regional quarantine zone or HLB quarantine area, please click here.

    For questions regarding this regulatory advisory, please contact Keith Okasaki at Keith.Okasaki@CDFA.ca.gov

  • CLas-Positive ACP Detection Near Tijuana

    An Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample – confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) – was collected approximately seven miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border on the eastern outskirts of Tijuana, Mexico earlier this month. This area does not have any commercial citrus production or nurseries nearby.

    This is the first time that a CLas-positive psyllid sample has been found in the area since the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began its cooperative program with Mexico. The USDA works cooperatively with Mexico to conduct area wide treatments, biocontrol and surveys in the border region to help prevent the spread of Huanglongbing (HLB). A 400-meter radius around the find site is being treated. Additional ACP samples in the same area are being collected for testing. This ACP detection does not result in a U.S. quarantine expansion.

    The best way prevent the spread of ACP into commercial citrus groves is to monitor for the pest and disease symptoms and follow the UC Integrated Pest Management treatment guidelines: ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r107304411.html. Do not move citrus plants, foliage or fruit into or out of your area, and especially across state or international borders. This could unknowingly contribute to spread of the pest and disease.

    If you see suspect ACP or HLB symptoms in your orchard, please notify the California Department of Food and Agriculture Pest Hotline immediately at 800-491-1899.