- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
A Sacramento County Superior Court judge has ordered California agricultural officials to stop spraying pesticides in parks, schools and residents' backyards to control pests that threaten the ag industry, reported Gregory Mohan in the Los Angeles Times.
CDFA issued a statement saying it will consider appealing the case, and will continue to conduct spraying "in compliance with" state environmental laws.
Julia Mitric of Capital Public Radio spoke to UC Cooperative Extension entomology specialist Beth Grafton-Cardwell about...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Backyard citrus trees in Highland, Calif., were sprayed with a pesticide to kill Asian citrus psyllids, reported Jim Steinberg in the San Bernardino Sun. The invasive pests pose a threat because they can carry huanglongbing disease, which is incurable. The California Department of Food and Agriculture is treating trees that have ACP to keep the pest number in California low.
“What they are really doing is buying time until disease resistant trees become available, or there is some treatment for the (huanglongbing) disease,” said Matt...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The Asian citrus psyllid is public enemy No. 1 at the UC Lindcove Research and Extension Center in Exeter, reported Dale Yurong on ABC30 Action News in Fresno. Yurong visited Lindcove to interview UC Cooperative Extension citrus entomology specialist Beth Grafton-Cardwell, who along with other UC ANR experts is calling on Californians to join the fight against the pest.
"Basically, you just look really closely (at new growth) with any kind of magnifying device you have to see if you can find...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists based at UC Riverside are honing in on odors that might lure Asian citrus psyllids into traps, and other odors that will keep them away from citrus trees, reported Mark Muckenfuss in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Anandasankar Ray, professor in the Department of Entomology at UCR, along with two other researchers, published results recently that Ray believes are promising enough they may soon be adapted for grower use.
Ray and his team tested three attractant odors in El Monte backyards using yellow sticky traps. More than twice the number of psyllids...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Releases of tiny wasps to search out and destroy Asian citrus psyllid in residential areas of Southern California are ramping up significantly, reported Ricardo Lopez in the Los Angeles Times.
Yesterday, the Farm Bureau of Ventura County hosted a meeting where the California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee updated the community on efforts to control the devastating citrus pest. In addition to the residential releases of the imported natural enemy of ACP – known as Tamarixia radiata – the state is also preparing to invite organic commercial producers to request releases in their groves.
“We have...