- Author: Chris M. Webb
Huanglongbing (HLB) the deadly disease carried by the Asian citrus psyllid has recently been detected in Los Angeles County.
UCCE Ventura County Farm Advisor Ben Faber, stresses that people are responsible for much of the movement of ACP. On their own, this insect roughly the size of a grain of rice, can travel about a mile over their lifetime.
The health of citrus trees, and the health of our local citrus industry, largely depends on the responsible handling and movement of plant materials and fruit. This is of particular importance when traveling out of the county, state or country.
Please see the message below from the CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture).
CITRUS DISEASE HUANGLONGBING DETECTED IN HACIENDA HEIGHTS AREA OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY
SACRAMENTO, March 30, 2012 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today confirmed the state’s first detection of the citrus disease known as huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening. The disease was detected in an Asian citrus psyllid sample and plant material taken from a lemon/pummelo tree in a residential neighborhood in the Hacienda Heights area of Los Angeles County.
HLB is a bacterial disease that attacks the vascular system of 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 other plants. Once a tree is infected, there is no cure; it typically declines and dies within a few years.
“Citrus is not just a part of California’s agricultural economy; it’s a cherished part of our landscape and our shared history,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “CDFA is moving swiftly to protect the state’s citrus growers as well as our residential trees and the many prized citrus plantings in our parks and other public lands. We have been planning and preparing for this scenario with our growers and our colleagues at the federal and local levels since before the Asian citrus psyllid was first detected here in 2008.”
Officials are making arrangements to remove and dispose of the infected tree and conduct treatment of citrus trees within 800 meters of the find site. By taking these steps, a critical reservoir of disease and its vectors will be removed, which is essential. More information about the program will be provided at an informational open house scheduled for Thursday, April 5, at the Industry Hills Expo Center, The Avalon Room, 16200 Temple Avenue, City of Industry, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.
Treatment for HLB will be conducted with the oversight of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal-EPA) and will be conducted safely, with advance and follow-up notices provided to residents in the treatment area.
An intensive survey of local citrus trees and psyllids is underway to determine the source and extent of the HLB infestation. Planning has begun for a quarantine of the infested area to limit the spread of the disease by restricting the movement of citrus trees, citrus plant parts, green waste, and all citrus fruit except what is commercially cleaned and packed. As part of the quarantine, citrus and closely related plants at nurseries in the area will be placed on hold.
Residents of quarantine areas are urged not to remove or share citrus fruit, trees, clippings/grafts or related plant material. Citrus fruit may be harvested and consumed on-site.
CDFA, in partnership with the USDA, local agricultural commissioners and the citrus industry, continues to pursue a strategy of controlling the spread of Asian citrus psyllids while researchers work to find a cure for the disease.
HLB is known to be present in Mexico and in parts of the southern U.S. Florida first detected the pest in 1998 and the disease in 2005, and the two have now been detected in all 30 citrus-producing counties in that state. The University of Florida estimates the disease has tallied more than 6,600 lost jobs, $1.3 billion in lost revenue to growers and $3.6 billion in lost economic activity. The pest and the disease are also present in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina. The states of Arizona, Mississippi and Alabama have detected the pest but not the disease.
The Asian citrus psyllid was first detected in California in 2008, and quarantines are now in place in Ventura, San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. If Californians believe they have seen evidence of HLB in local citrus trees, they are asked to please call CDFA’s toll-free pest hotline at 1-800-491-1899. For more information on the Asian citrus psyllid and HLB visit: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/acp/
- Author: Chris M. Webb
There are several different species of mealybugs, with a wide range of hosts. High populations of these insects can slow growth and cause plant damage.
UC IPM Online’s Pests in Gardens and Landscapes resource provides readers with photos and text to identify and manage mealybugs.
Topics include:
- Identification of species
- Life cycle
- Damage
- Solutions
Resources for commercial growers can be found here.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Biological control can be used to control pests and the damage they cause in gardens, landscapes, agricultural, range and wildlands.
What is biological control? Biological control is using natural enemies to reduce the numbers of pests. Natural enemies include: predators, parasites, pathogens and competitors. Pests include: pest insects, mites, weeds, pathogens, nematodes and vertebrate pests.
Using biological control methods can reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides and herbicides. Reducing pesticide and herbicide use is beneficial to improving water quality.
To learn more about biological control, please see UC’s Natural enemies gallery. Resources include:
- Biological control and natural enemies pest note
- Narrated presentation on biological control
- Meet the beneficials: Natural enemies of garden pests
- Descriptions and identification of many predators and parasitoids commonly found on California farms and landscapes
- And much more
Natural enemies resources in Spanish can be found towards the bottom of this page.
Most of these resources are available at no charge. However, some are priced publications. When ordering online, please use promo code PRVEN56 to receive 10% off your order, plus a portion of the purchase price will go towards supporting local programs.
Interested in learning, but not purchasing? Priced publications can be viewed in our office. Please contact us in advance to ensure publication will be available upon your arrival.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
UC Cooperative Extension Advisor, Julie Newman works to reduce potentially damaging environmental impacts while improving the profits of nursery and greenhouse producers. Luckily, these two goals often go hand in hand.
Greenhouse and nursery crops are big business in Ventura County and Julie’s work helps to provide the science-based research required to further strengthen this industry.
Local ongoing field research includes the development of pest management programs which reduce the use of pesticides and incorporate environmentally-friendly pest management strategies, and the development of crop management systems for growers which utilize less water while protecting the quality of our water for drinking and other beneficial purposes.
UC's Nursery and Floriculture Alliance (UCNFA) joins UC researchers throughout the state, providing a great way for information to be shared. Julie Newman and other UC scientists work together to produce the UCNFA newsletter. The new edition has recently been added to our website and includes the following topics:
- Ecological approaches used in nurseries to treat water
- Drainage channels and vegetated filter strips in nurseries
- Give your potting mix the gentle and clean smell of freshly laundered linens while it repels insects
- Two new pests and soil fumigant label changes
- Light brown apple moth management in nursery stock: Mating disruption control strategy proven useful but incomplete
- How Aussie growers are addressing water issues
- And more!
For those of us who are not growers, the newsletter provides a unique look into the industry that produces these products for us.
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