Photo by David Hall, USDA-ARS, Bugwood.org
Two adult Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) samples were confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) in two central California coastal counties on March 10, the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) reported. CLas is the bacterium that causes HLB.
One sample was collected during a routine commodity survey in a commercial citrus grove in the Fillmore area of Ventura County. The other was a sample collected from a residential property in the city of Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara County.
HLB quarantines will notbe established as a result of these detections since HLB quarantines are only established on a positive plant detection of HLB. Neither area is currently located inside an HLB quarantine zone.
While treatment in both areas is not mandatory, there are voluntary treatment options available and encouraged by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division (CPDPD) to help combat ACP populations.
In Fillmore, growers within 250 meters of the detection are encouraged to apply insecticides recommended by the University of California to all HLB host material within the designated area.
In Santa Barbara, a voluntary treatment of all host plants will be offered to properties within 50 meters of the detection site. Treatments will be at no cost to the homeowner and will be conducted by CPDPD agricultural officials following the homeowner’s approval.
Proactive treatments are the best way to control ACP populations, and ongoing sampling activities by CPDPD and county agricultural commissioners’ offices will help maintain a clear understanding of the status of ACP in both counties. Oftentimes, a CLas positive ACP may precede the detection of an HLB-positive tree.
Contact VenturaCountyAg.Commissioner@venturacounty.gov for questions about the Fillmore detection. For questions about the Santa Barbara detection, contact agcommissioner@countyofsb.org. All other inquiries can be made to the CDFA Pest Hotline at 800-491-1899.
Source: CPDPP
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