Attend our training to become an invasive shothole borer monitor!

*Results from March 2023 ISHB Monitors Training*

Invasive shothole borers (ISHB) are wood boring beetles that attack many native and non-native trees in Southern California. These beetles bore tunnels into trunks and branches where they grow a fungus they use as food. The fungus causes a disease called Fusarium Dieback. Trees infected with Fusarium Dieback show branch dieback, canopy loss, and may eventually die. Infested trees become sources of beetles that can spread to surrounding hosts. This pest can also spread long distances through infested green waste and firewood, affecting new areas.

How you can help: Get trained, become an ISHB Monitor, and help us gather infestation data! In previous editions of the program, we learned that trained volunteers can identify ISHB-infested trees with 96% accuracy. This high accuracy of volunteer observations allows us to include the data collected through this program directly into the ISHB statewide distribution map. Knowing where beetles have spread will assist scientists, municipalities, and many other conservation agencies plan for management. Also, detecting infestations in their early stages allow for better chances of successful management. Your participation is needed to detect infestations throughout southern California.

Training for Monitors: You can become an ISHB monitor trained by scientists from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. California Naturalists, Project Learning Tree Educators, and Master Gardeners are especially encouraged to attend, but curious minds of all ages are welcome.

Dates: Online training 7/7/2023. In person dates Ventura County 7/8/2023, Santa Barbara County 7/9/2023, San Diego County 7/14/2023, and Inland Empire (Riverside County or San Bernardino County) 7/15/2023 (specific locations to be determined).

Cost: Free.

Training Requirements:

• Registration is required.
• Attendance to online session is required.
• Attendance to one in-person session is required.
• Completion of the 1-hour free online eXtension Invasive Shothole Borer training is required.
• Monitors must create or already have a free account on iNaturalist.
• After the training, monitors must upload at least 5 observations to the UC ANR ISHB Monitoring Project on iNaturalist using the correct protocols ( UC ANR Invasive Shothole Borer Monitoring Project iNaturalist Guide ).

Note: Past participants of this program may choose not to attend the online session, but in-person session is required. Please make sure you contact us and let us know beforehand if you will not attend the online training.

AGENDA:

UCCE & UCR Argentine Ant & Citrus Pest Management Field Day

Get Down with Argentine Ants

November 1 – Redlands, CA

November 2 – Saticoy, CA

Mornings: 8-12

Choose your preferred site

Overview of Biocontrol Methods for ACP in Southern California, Mark Hoddle, Entomology and Extension Specialist at UC Riverside, Director of Applied Biological Control Research,

Overview of ACP/HLB Area-wide Spray Programs in Southern California, Sandra Zwaal, Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program, ACP/HLB Grower Liaison San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties,

Then out to the field to see:

Argentine Ants in Citrus at designated stations in small groups

1. Discussions and demonstrations of use of hydrogel beads for Argentine ant control and we would cover aspects of ant biology/ecology/behavior/other control options at this station, Ivan Milosavljevic, UC Riverside
2. Discussion and demonstration of monitoring programs for Argentine ants with a focus on using infra-red sensors, visual sampling, sugar-water saturated cotton wool balls, and liquid monitoring vials, Mark Hoddle & Michael Lewis, UC Riverside
3. Enhancing natural enemies in citrus orchards with the use of cover crops. This station will cover possible species that could be used, aspects of flowering plants that make them good candidates for use in conservation biological control, the types of generalist natural enemies that will respond to these floral resources, and benefits and drawbacks of using cover crops. Nicola Irvin, UC
4. The potential for hydrogels across regions, ant species, crops, and active ingredients. Discussion about major ant groups, resources to identify ants, a little about ant biology in the context of making hydrogels work, and then give an update on the results of trials funded by DPR to evaluate hydrogels against different ant species in different crops across California using five different active ingredients. This station will include the Ant ID mini station. David Haviland, UC Cooperative Extension, Kern County

REGISTRATION Acknowledgment Reply will include agenda and directions for the different sites

Contact: Ben Faber, bafaber@ucanr.edu, 805-645-1462

November 1 Location: Carriage House Prospect Park, 1399 Prospect Dr, Redlands CA 92373

November 2 Location: 2641 SP Milling Rd, Saticoy, CA, follow the signs to Rancho Santa Clara del Norte, which is at the end of the road. Watch at turn to SP Milling Rd for traffic on Hwy 118/Los Angeles Ave.

USDA Report on Mexican Citrus Industry

This is a recent USDA report on the state of the Mexican citrus industry.  It's interesting to hear how this industry is doing faced with HLB.  And Drought.

Significant and ongoing drought conditions in many citrus-producing states have resulted in a reduction in all citrus production, compared to the previous report, with orange production forecast to fall forty-five percent. As a result of low orange supplies for processing, fresh concentrated orange juice exports to the United States are expected to fall to nearly half of the MY 2018/19 export level. COVID-19 sanitary measures are affecting domestic consumption of citrus fruit and juice, as many hotels and restaurants have been closed since mid-March. Full consumption effects will depend on the length of ‘stay at home' orders and the long term effect on the hotel and restaurant industries.

Drought and high temperatures
Orange production is estimated at 2,53 million tons for 2019/2020. That is 45% less than previous estimates. It is also the lowest expected harvest since the early 90s. This estimate is based on grower data and discussions with sector representatives.

The persistent drought and high temperatures have had a more drastic effect on orange production that other citrus. That is because many of the orange groves are older and need more energy to produce fruit. Many small farmers also lack irrigation technology. They practice bad pest control too, which compounds cultivation issues. Large-scale growers mostly have several irrigation mechanisms. They use fertilizers and apply other mitigating measures too. These include leaving weeds growing around the tree trunks. This retains moisture. 

There have been intense temperatures and lack of rain throughout the growing season. That has resulted in a widespread decline in the orange's quality. Most fruit in the orange-growing region are smaller and of lower quality. In the state of Veracruz, October and November 2019 were the hottest months.

It usually rains throughout the growing season. However, this season, it was concentrated in two months. That resulted in a shorter growing season. The last flowering cycle indicates the harvest's end. This was between December and March. In Veracruz, oranges can usually be harvested until June.

Mexico is typically the world's second-largest producer of limes, and the fruit is the second-largest planted citrus crop in Mexico after oranges. While drought has affected lemon and lime production throughout the country, they have not been as affected as oranges. This can be attributed to newer plants and more widely available irrigation infrastructure. Persian lime trees in Veracruz are newer and more efficient, with 12 blooms, or harvests per year.The Post planted area for all limes and lemons in MY 2019/20 is forecast at 208,000 hectares, similar to previous MY; however, harvested area is expected to decrease eight percent due drought and high temperatures that caused some producers to abandon harvest or replant trees.

Italian lemons (Eureka) are grown in the states of Tamaulipas, Yucatan, San Luis Potosi, Colima, and Nuevo Leon. According to producers, there are currently attempts to grow the Italian lemon in the state of Veracruz with very good results. According to official sources, for MY 2018/19, production of Italian lemons was 131,469 MT on about 9,264 hectares. Sources indicate that lemon supplies for MY 209/20 are tight, and prices are high.

HLB
As with other citrus-producing countries, Mexico is facing issues with citrus greening, or Huanglongbing (HLB). The disease, caused by bacteria introduced by psyllids, makes citrus trees produce misshapen, partially green fruit (taste is typically not affected, but has no marketability for fresh consumption). Mexico's first detection was in 2009, and since then, the National Service of Agricultural Food Safety and Quality (SENASICA) has implemented a monitoring program for the disease. HLB has been detected throughout Mexico in citrus production areas. Producing states, including Veracruz, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, and Nuevo Leon, have had HLB detections. In 2019, Baja California had HLB positive detections along the California/Mexico border region

On the map, dark outlined areas are where citrus is grown and yellow shaded is drought area.

From Fox Weather by way of CA Avocado Commission, hot weather is forecast for mid- to late- June

This is a time to make sure that trees are adequately hydrated prior to the heat spell. Once trees start losing water through transpiration, it's hard for them to absorb water and heat stress and sunburn damage can result. The trees need to be fully water, so that they can continue to transpire to cool themselves during the heat spells.

READ MORE:

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=29992

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=29933

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=27914

And don't forget people in the field:

• Be sure shade is available on demand when the temperature is below 80 degrees F, shade must be provided at all times when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees F, as close as practicable to where employees are working;
• Shade must be provided to all employees on a rest or meal break,except those who choose to take a meal break elsewhere (editor's note: provision of shade as usual may not be consistent with social distancing recommended by various COVID-19 guidance; ag employers implementing heat illness shade requirements can ensure adequate shade consistent with social distancing requirements by staggering meal and rest breaks, but additional shade may be necessary);
• Fresh, pure, and suitably cool water must be made available in sufficient quantities (replenishment is permissible) to allow each employee to drink one quart per hour;
• Water is to be provided as close as practicable to location of work;
• Employees must be trained about heat illness and the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention (HIP) Standard before they work in conditions where they might be exposed to heat;
• Supervisors must be additionally trained in HIP compliance procedures, emergency responses, and ensuring effective communication to facilitate emergency response.
• A written copy of your HIP program in English and the language understood by the majority of the employees and be available to employees and Cal/OSHA inspectors on request — this is the most frequently-cited part of the HIP standard — and probably the most easily-avoided HIP citation!
• Remember: When temperatures exceed 95 degrees, employers must implement “high heat” procedures, including a mandatory 10 minute break every two hours (meal and rest periods can serve as these breaks, but if employees work beyond eight hours or waive meal or rest periods, you must still ensure the mandatory rest break occurs).

Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Guidelines

30-Day Weather Outlook for May 31, 2020, to June 22, 2020

Summary- The prevailing pattern is a high pressure ridge from N California westsouthwest or southwestward. Cold fronts coming S through California will tend to extend southwestward from southcentral-S California to the area SW – W of S California.

A long-lived pattern of troughing or low pressure will continue from southwest of Central California to about 25N then extend west toward Hawaii.

The MJO is showing a slow increase in activity over the next two weeks.

CFSDailyAI and CFSv2 suggest some rains primarily in northern California and the Sierras, and into Siskiyou Mountains and southern Oregon at times.

It is early for monsoonal showers and thunderstorms (TSTMS). However, the presence of upper lows may begin to bring tropical moisture northward into SOCAL and the Sierras, despite the lack of a usual summer monsoonal pattern.

Potential Dates of Precipitation (from Fox Weather's CFSDAILYAI system):

Salinas Valley-San Luis Obispo Co- S SierraNV:

Salinas Valley Showers: 6/2-3. Hot spells 6/4, 6/8-9, 6/11-12, 6/14-17, 6/22-27.

San Luis Ob/Edna: Hot spells 6/6, 6/9, 6/12, 6/15-17, 6/20-27th, 7/1.

Southern California Citrus/Avocado Area, San Luis Obispo Co to San Diego Co:

Southern California Citrus/Avocado Area: May 31-June 15.

Santa Barbara, Ventura to San Diego Co: No rainfall of consequence.

Hot spells:

Santa Barbara Co: 6/6, 6/12. 6/16-17th, 6/22-26th.  

Ventura Co: Hot 6/16-17th, 6/22-26th. 

San Diego/Orange: Hot 6/16-17, 6/22-26.

Summary – June 15 – July 15… In Northern and Central California, Hottest: 6/14-17, 6/22,27, 7/1-2.

San Luis Obispo Co... Hottest periods 6/15-17, 6/22-27.

Southern California… Shallow marine layer and hot inland. Hottest: 6/16-17, 6/22-26, 7/1-3.

Seasonal Outlook July 15 – August 31... Northern and Central California overall pattern…. Near normal rainfall (minimal). Above normal temperatures occur during all of July and all of August. Usual thunderstorms (TSTMS) in the central and N Sierra and Plateau. 

Southern California: San Luis Obispo Co, Santa Barbara Co, and Ventura to San Diego Counties east through Los Angeles to San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial Counties…. Our latest guidance is suggesting a hot period in N and Northcentral California during mid-July, but near normal behavior of the marine layer at the SOCAL coast and valley areas. Although cloud amounts should be about normal, temperatures will drift above normal due to warmer sea surface off SOCAL and Baja. Weak troughs and upper lows will intermittently develop and deepen the marine layer as is normal for summer.

Looking further ahead into Sept – Nov, Dry and persistently warmer than normal conditions develop during the late Sept through Nov Santa Ana season.

Alan Fox...Fox Weather, LLC
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