** HLB Update **
for San Diego County Citrus Growers and Affiliates
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have confirmed the first detection of Huanglongbing (HLB) in San Diego County. The disease was detected in a lemon and orange tree in a residential Oceanside neighborhood. This detection triggers a 5-mile HLB quarantine to restrict the movement of citrus, a mandatory survey, and treatment of all citrus trees within 250-meters of the site. Owners of commercial properties (25 or more citrus) in the HLB quarantine can expect to be contacted by state officials and your grower liaison, Sandra Zwaal szwaal2@gmail.com for next steps. The full CDFA press release can be found in the CDFA website.
Now more than ever, citrus growers need to inspect their trees for signs of HLB, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), and keep up with ACP area wide treatments! To determine if your location is in the HLB quarantine, visit the interactive HLB quarantine map. To see if you require mitigation to move your citrus, please review this Information for Citrus Growers/Grove Managers in an HLB Quarantine document. A detailed CDFA response to an HLB detection can be found in the CDFA Action Plan for ACP and HLB. A summary can also be found in this flyer.
A hybrid San Diego ACP Grower Workshop will be held in-person and on Zoom on August 26, 2021 (9-11am) at the Fallbrook Public Utilities District. The workshop will cover the impact of the HLB quarantine and to provide ACP and HLB information. The workshop is free to attend. Register here for this workshop.
ACP TREATMENTS
The San Diego County ACP Fall area wide treatments begin August 30 through September 13. If you have not already done so, please schedule your fall ACP treatment with your pest control company. To reduce risk of HLB, keep ACP populations low. Research has shown that ACP area wide treatments are designed to keep ACP populations low. Additional best practices per the University of California include monitoring your citrus for ACP populations. They are an excellent resources on how to monitor ACP and provides a list of ACP-effective materials specifically recommended for ACP area wide or coordinated treatments.
NEGLECTED/ABANDONED & REMOVED CITRUS
Unattended or abandoned trees can harbor breeding populations of the ACP and infect neighboring citrus with HLB. If you are unable or unwilling to care for your citrus, please consider removing them to help protect neighboring citrus. Removed, neglected, and abandoned citrus should be reported to the San Diego County Dept. of Agriculture, Weights & Measures CQP.AWM@sdcounty.ca.gov or by calling them at either (858) 614-7770 or (858) 694-2739. For tree/orchard removal or pest control referrals, please contact Sandra Zwaal szwaal2@gmail.com or (949) 636-7089.
UPCOMING EVENTS San Diego Citrus Grower Workshop
The workshop will cover the impact of the HLB quarantine and to provide ACP and HLB information. Held in-person and on Zoom at the Fallbrook Public Utilities District. The workshop is free to attend.
Aug 26 (9-11am) - In-person & Zoom registration
Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) Meetings
The Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) meetings are free and open to the public. The virtual meeting agendas and minutes are posted in www.cdfa.ca.gov/citruscommittee/. Click on the links below to register for meetings:
Aug 11 (9am) – CPDPC Full Committee Meeting
USEFUL RESOURCES
Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) Committee Members
Information for Citrus Growers/Grove Managers in an HLB Quarantine
HLB Voluntary Best Practices
San Diego Ag Commissioner's Office
UC Scientific Research Summaries for ACP/HLB
UC Science-based analyses to guide policy decisions, logistics, and operations:
UC recommendations for ACP management and treatment options
Citrus Insider
Please feel free to contact me with questions.
Sandra Zwaal
ACP/HLB Grower Liaison for San Diego County
Szwaal2@gmail.com
(949) 636-7089
