- Author: Ben Faber
The following is compiled from the January newsletter of the Ventura County ACP-HLB Task Force
Results of November scouting trip are available for the Canine Detection Team
A team of six dogs and three handlers from F1K9 scouted 20 citrus ranches in Ventura County between Nov. 18 and Nov. 22, 2019. The visit included returns to several ranches scouted during F1K9's July deployment, as well as numerous ranches in new areas. A total of 4,650 trees were inspected, and dogs alerted on 353 (8%). Alerts occurred at every location. The percentage of scouted trees that triggered alerts at each ranch or block ranged from 3% to 22%. Download the full report here.
The canine detection team is returning next week to scout more orchards. However, their time is fully allocated. Planning is under way for their more permanent return by February or March 2020. If you wish to have your grove(s) scouted in the future, please send an email indicating your interest to Farm Bureau CEO John Krist at john@farmbureauvc.com.
HLB update
A total of 1,760 residential citrus trees have been confirmed PCR-positive for HLB in San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange counties. Information about the expanded HLB quarantine, and a tally of the HLB confirmations (updated weekly) can be found at CitrusInsider.org. Regulatory actions required by the state in response to an HLB detection are detailed in CDFA's Action Plan (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citruscommittee/docs/ActionPlan.pdf). To see the proximity of your citrus to the nearest confirmed HLB, you can enter an address in this Google maps-style website: www.ucanr.edu/hlbgrowerapp. The site also provides a direct link to the HLB Voluntary Best Practices most relevant to your location.
AWM update
The winter ACP area-wide management treatments have begun, and treatment reminders have been distributed. If you did not receive a reminder, please contact grower liaison Sandra Zwaal (szwaal2@gmail.com) or Cressida Silvers (cressidasb@gmail.com) to be added to the distribution list.
Twenty-four of Ventura County's 50 psyllid management areas (PMAs) qualified for the winter buffer treatments, in which the California Department of Food and Agriculture will apply pesticides to residential citrus within 400 meters of commercial groves. The requirements to qualify for residential buffer treatments are expected to change slightly in the future. Stay tuned for the UC recommendations and a vote from the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC) on the new requirements.
Report neglected and abandoned citrus
Help prevent neglected and abandoned citrus from serving as a breeding ground for ACP and the spread of HLB by reporting its location to the County Agricultural Commissioner's office at (805) 388-4222. If your citrus is not worth the resources required to protect it from ACP and HLB, it may be a good time to consider removing the trees.
Calendar
The next CPDPC meeting will be on Jan. 15. Click here to download the agenda.The CPDPC makes decisions on behalf of the citrus industry, and attendance by all citrus growers and affiliates is encouraged. The Coastal Region committee representative is Kevin Ball; contact him at kevin.ball@aglandca.com. Meetings are free and open to the public, and can be attended in person, via webinar, or by phone. The agenda and prior meeting minutes can also be found at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citruscommittee/.
The 9th Annual UC Riverside Citrus Field Day for citrus growers and citrus industry representatives is Jan. 29. Click here to download the agenda and registration information.
The University of California has developed a series of one-hour webinars, designed for growers and pest control advisors, that will highlight various pest management and horticultural topics for citrus and avocados. During each session, a UC expert on the subject will make a presentation and entertain write-in questions via chat during and/or after the presentation. To learn more, go to https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucexpertstalk/.
Resources
University of California ACP area-wide materials list and ACP monitoring protocols
Movement of bulk citrus materials list
Ventura County AWM maps and schedule
Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program
Ventura County ACP-HLB Task Force mailing list signup
Contact your grower liaisons if you have additional questions:
Sandra Zwaal
(949) 636-7089
Cressida Silvers
(805) 284-3310
- Author: Ben Faber
ACP Management for Commercial Growers - UC Ag Expert Webinar, Dec 4 @3 p.m.
Take advantage of this opportunity for an interactive web-based presentation on ACP field management from UC researcher and ACP expert Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell. You don't have to travel for this one, it's free, and you can earn CEUs, too! Sign up here: https://ucanr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fEKM2ScPTk6WF5ilga6V7Q
HLB Update
In San Bernardino County a single residential tree tested positive for the bacterium that causes HLB. As a result, the HLB quarantine has been expanded in the Montclair area. Also of note is an adult ACP that recently tested positive for the bacterium that causes HLB near Corona, outside of the HLB quarantine. See the latest HLB map for details: maps.cdfa.ca.gov/WeeklyACPMaps/HLBWeb/HLB_Treatments.pdf. As before, all HLB detections to date have been on residential properties, the infected trees have been or are being removed, and ACP treatments are applied on a recurring basis to remaining citrus in those areas. No HLB has been found in commercial groves via PCR testing.
Regulatory responses required by the state in response to an HLB detection are described in CDFA's Action Plan for ACP and HLB.
How Close Is HLB To Your Citrus? There's a New UC App For That!
Visit ucanr.edu/hlbgrowerapp , zoom to or type in your location and it shows your proximity to HLB+ detections, recommends best practices to protect your citrus from HLB based on your current proximity to know detections, and provides a link to the Voluntary Grower Response Plan for more information. As HLB detections via PCR increase and spread, it's important to be aware of possible actions you could take to further protect your citrus should an HLB detection occur in your area.
CITRUS REMOVAL PROGRAM: Citrus trees that are neglected or abandoned may harbor ACP and HLB, increasing risk to other citrus in the area. Abandoned and neglected trees may be reported to me or the county Ag Commissioner's office. The Citrus Matters ACT NOW program may be able to assist in citrus removal. For more information contact Joel Reyes at jreyes@cacitrusmutual.com or (559) 592-3790.
Additional Useful Links:
Summaries of the latest scientific research on combating HLB: ucanr.edu/sites/scienceforcitrushealth/
Science-based analyses to guide policy decisions, logistics, and operations: www.datoc.us
General updates and information on the state ACP/HLB program and regional activities: citrusinsider.org
--------
Cressida Silvers
CA Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program
ACP/HLB Grower Liaison
Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties
805 284-3310 (phone or text)
- Author: Ben Faber
This is the most recent news about the status of Huanglongbing and Asian Citrus Psyllid in the San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura areas, as well as links to activities in the state. Cressida Silvers is the local Grower Liaison for the Ca Dept of Food and Ag's Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program.
HLB Update
The most recent map and totals for all HLB detections in the state are posted at the website maps.cdfa.ca.gov/WeeklyACPMaps/HLBWeb/HLB_Treatments.pdf. As of November 1, a total of 1,665 trees and 264 ACP have tested positive for the bacterium that causes HLB, on a total of 1,197 sites, all still in LA, Orange, and Riverside Counties. To date, all HLB detections have been on residential properties, the infected trees have been or are being removed, and ACP treatments applied on a recurring basis to remaining citrus in those areas. No HLB has been found in commercial groves via PCR testing.
How Close Is HLB To Your Citrus? There's a New UC App For That!
Visit ucanr.edu/hlbgrowerapp , zoom to or type in your location and it shows your proximity to HLB+ detections, recommends best practices to protect your citrus from HLB based on your current proximity to known detections, and provides a link to the Voluntary Grower Response Plan for more information. As HLB detections via PCR increase and spread, it's important to be aware of possible actions you could take to further protect your citrus should an HLB detection occur in your area.
Regulatory responses required by the state in response to an HLB detection are described in CDFA's Action Plan for ACP and HLB.
UPCOMING CPDPC MEETINGS -- All meeting agendas and eventually the minutes are posted at www.cdfa.ca.gov/citruscommittee/ . All meetings are free and open to the public, and accessible via phone/webinar.
- Operations Subcommittee meets Wednesday, November 6 at 9 a.m. in Visalia.
- Science and Technology Subcommittee meets Wednesday, November 6 at 2:00 p.m. in Visalia.
- The next CPDPC Full Committee meeting will be Tuesday, November 12 at 10 a.m. in Ventura.
CITRUS REMOVAL PROGRAM: Citrus trees that are neglected or abandoned may harbor ACP and HLB, increasing risk to other citrus in the area. Abandoned and neglected trees may be reported to me or the county Ag Commissioner's office. The Citrus Matters ACT NOW program may be able to assist in citrus removal. For more information contact Joel Reyes at jreyes@cacitrusmutual.com or (559) 592-3790.
Additional Useful Links:
Summaries of the latest scientific research on combating HLB: ucanr.edu/sites/scienceforcitrushealth/
Science-based analyses to guide policy decisions, logistics, and operations: www.datoc.us
General updates and information on the state ACP/HLB program and regional activities: citrusinsider.org
--------
Cressida Silvers
CA Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program
ACP/HLB Grower Liaison
Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties
805 284-3310 (phone or text)
- Author: Ben Faber
|
|
- Author: Ben Faber
A team of dogs trained to identify Huanglongbing-infected citrus trees by scent has detected evidence of early HLB infection in commercial groves in Ventura County.
The canine visit was arranged on behalf of the ACP-HLB Task Force by Farm Bureau of Ventura County, which signed a contract with the commercial company that trains and manages the dog teams. Four dogs and two handlers from F1K9, along with the company's operations manager, departed from Florida on July 24 and arrived in Ventura on July 26. Grove scouting began July 29 and ended Aug. 1.
During that time, the team inspected approximately 3,500 trees on 20 ranches in three major citrus production areas: the Las Posas Valley, the Santa Clara River valley, and the Ojai Valley. The dogs alerted on 211 trees, indicating early HLB infection is present in all three areas.
In preparation for the scouting visit, we prioritized potential locations on the basis of four criteria:(1) the presence of "hot spots" where plant and/or ACP samples yielded inconclusive DNA test results during the California Department of Food and Agriculture's periodic HLB surveys; (2) proximity to major transportation arteries; (3) a long history of established Asian citrus psyllid populations; and (4) a low level of participation in ACP suppression efforts by both growers and homeowners.
We also sought volunteers who would allow their ranches to be scouted, agree to pay for the cost (about $4.50 per tree), and agree to remove suspect trees. We agreed to keep the specific locations confidential unless granted permission to share that information by the owner.
The ranches the dogs scouted included one west of Fillmore along Highway 126, one west of Santa Paula without highway frontage, eight at the east end of the Ojai Valley, one outside of Moorpark along Highway 23, one north of Somis without highway frontage, and nine along a 4-mile stretch of Highway 118 west of Somis.
The dogs alerted on a single tree at one of the eight ranches they scouted in the Ojai Valley. Dogs indicated early HLB infection in multiple trees at every other location they scouted.
Although more than 1,600 HLB-infected trees have been confirmed and removed in urban yards in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, the recent dog alerts here are the first evidence of widespread HLB infection in commercial citrus in California. It is also the first time this early detection technique (EDT) has been deployed for non-experimental purposes, as a tool for commercial growers to make decisions about tree removal to potentially eliminate sources of infection and halt or delay the epidemic's spread. (Up-to-date summaries of the HLB epidemic can be found here: https://www.datoc.us/the-hlb-epidemic).
Because neither the U.S. Department of Agriculture nor the California Department of Food and Agriculture recognize dog alerts as direct proof of the presence of the causal agent of HLB, the canine alerts do not trigger regulatory action. This allows growers to remove suspect trees voluntarily without the complications and cost associated with quarantine requirements that would be triggered by confirmation through official DNA testing.
Despite their non-regulatory status, the dogs' ability to accurately identify early HLB infection in citrus trees has been scientifically demonstrated and validated. The four canines that traveled to Ventura County last month are part of a 19-dog group trained to detect HLB through a multi-year research and development program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and overseen by Dr. Tim Gottwald at the USDA research station in Fort Pierce, Fla. Dr. Gottwald has presented updates on the project at the last four International Research Conferences on HLB, including the most recent one this year in Riverside, as well as at many other scientific gatherings. One of his presentations on the project is available to view online.
The dog's indication of early HLB infection in local commercial groves is a watershed moment in the history of Ventura County's citrus industry. We've long known this day would come, but that doesn't prevent the news from landing as a gut punch. The knowledge we are gaining through strategic deployment of the canine team, however, gives growers here a fighting chance to stem the epidemic's spread while there is still time to do so
And so far, the distribution pattern of dog-alert trees - in general, widely scattered along grove perimeters - suggests we may be catching the epidemic in its very early stages. If this proves to be the case countywide, prompt tree removal and a zero-tolerance policy toward the Asian citrus psyllid - meaning total commitment to the ACP-suppression treatment program - may buy us years of continued viability and profitability even in the face of this threat.
To that point, it is more critical than ever for ACP to be well-controlled: No psyllids means no spread of disease. Growers should continue to treat when asked to for the area-wide treatments. But in addition, Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell of UC Riverside now recommends that perimeters be scouted every two weeks, and if psyllid eggs or nymphs are found, that the orchard be treated immediately. These additional treatments, above and beyond the area-wide treatments, must be applied whenever psyllids are found, to keep ACP suppressed below detectable levels.
We are planning to bring the dogs back out for additional scouting as soon as it is feasible. We need to visit other areas that meet the risk-factor prioritization test, so we can establish a baseline picture of how HLB is distributed throughout the county. This will help guide our ACP-suppression and HLB-eradication strategy going forward.
Potential participants are welcome to contact Farm Bureau CEO John Krist for inclusion on the list of properties prioritized for future scouting, so long as they are willing to pay for the cost (currently estimated at about $4.50 per tree), and agree to remove suspect trees. The dogs' time is too valuable and their availability too limited to deploy them where the information they provide won't be acted upon. Ultimately, our intent is to have a team based here permanently, but that will take time and money. We're exploring ways to make it happen.
For a full report on the Ventura County scouting visit, including documents describing the scientific basis of the canine program, go to http://bit.ly/HLB-K9