Citrus is sprayed in a trailer inside of an enclosed tent.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved an emergency authorization requested by California Citrus Mutual (CCM) to use Evergreen Pro 60-6 (EPA Reg. No. 1021-1770). It was temporarily approved as a post-harvest treatment option for all citrus in California to prevent the spread of Asian citrus psyllids, the vector for huanglongbing.
CCM had requested that citrus growers be allowed to use Evergreen Pro under Section 18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. This section authorizes the EPA to allow emergency exemptions for unregistered uses of pesticides to address emergency conditions. Under such an exemption, EPA allows limited use of the pesticide in defined geographic areas for a finite period of time once EPA confirms that the situation meets that statutory definition of “emergency condition.”
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) issued its Section 18 Quarantine Exemption No. 18-07 to the appropriate county ag commissioners. The emergency exemption will expire Feb. 9, 2021.
This post-harvest treatment option for citrus allows for spraying a trailer full of oranges or mandarins in an enclosed tent while still in the field. Prior to conducting the treatment, CCM requests that growers read the advisory from DPR and the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the research paper documenting the treatment that was conducted by Beth Grafton-Cardwell (University of California) and Spencer Walse (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Growers should refer to both documents when conducting the treatment.
This is an optional method of treatment. Current treatment methods are completely acceptable. This is not a mandated method of treatment.
For more information, contact Lori Apodaca, CCM director of regulatory affairs, at 559-592-3790.
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