Photo by Don Ferrin, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Bugwood.org
Agriculture officials announced the expansion of the sweet orange scab (SOS) quarantine and establishment of a new HLB quarantine area, both in California.
SWEET ORANGE SCAB
On March 11, the quarantine area for SOS in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles County was expanded by 80 square miles. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, enacted the expansion.
This action was taken because of SOS detections in plant tissue samples collected from residential properties in Los Angeles County. The quarantine expansion does not impact commercial citrus.
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures outlined pertaining to the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas in California. The measures parallel the intrastate quarantine that CDFA established on March 2. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of SOS to non-infested areas of the United States.
The APHIS Sweet Orange Scab website has information on this disease, federal orders, packinghouse procedures and a description of current quarantined areas.
HLB
California’s Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) announced that a new HLB quarantine area was established on March 2 in the city of Ramona, San Diego County. The action was taken following the detection of HLB in two citrus trees on a residential property. This is the first time the disease has been confirmed in the city of Ramona, marking the fifth area in San Diego County where HLB is known to be present.
The property had a confirmed Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas)-positive Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) detection in late January. CLas is the bacteria carried by ACP that causes HLB. A quarantine area has been established with a 5-mile radius from the detection site. Infected trees have been treated and removed.
The latest quarantine adds to the existing HLB quarantines in San Diego County in Oceanside, Rancho Bernardo, Valley Center and Fallbrook.
Sources: APHIS and CPDPP
Share this Post