California’s Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) has developed a guide, Response for a Confirmed Huanglongbing Positive Detection in a Commercial Grove, to prepare growers for a finding of the disease. The guide is intended to educate growers about the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) huanglongbing action plan. The devastating citrus disease spread by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) is also commonly called HLB or citrus greening.
The guide details the steps taken by CDFA and actions required of the property or grove owner, as outlined in CDFA’s Action Plan. Those steps include:
- Upon confirmation of an HLB-infected citrus tree, the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division notifies the grower.
- The grower will be required to treat the tree with a foliar insecticide from the University of California-recommended list of insecticides for bulk citrus treatment within 72 hours of notification.
- After the restricted-entry interval listed on the insecticide label, the grower must remove and destroy the diseased citrus tree, including tree stump and roots, per the abatement procedures. Removal may include cutting the tree down and removing the stump or pushing the infected tree completely out of the ground and allowing the tree to completely dry. Growers should monitor for suckers or resprouts, as they are very attractive to ACP. If suckers or resprouts are found, the grower is directed to remove them.
The actions in the response guide represent the most effective tools known to the citrus industry at this time and are meant to protect California’s citrus groves and support CDFA’s current required regulatory response. While there have been no positive detections of HLB in a commercial citrus grove, the CPDPP recognizes the importance of proper preparation.
In addition to the requirements outlined in the guide, growers are encouraged to use as many methods as feasible for their operation in order to limit the spread of the ACP and HLB.
Source: CPDPP
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