USDA photo by David Bartels
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) have expanded the area quarantined for citrus greening in California.
APHIS established a new quarantined area in the Ramona area of San Diego County of 93 square miles. The agency also expanded the quarantined area in the Loma Linda area of San Bernardino and Riverside counties by 26 square miles. These measures parallel the intrastate quarantines that CDFA established on March 2 and March 6, respectively.
There are 25.16 acres of commercial citrus impacted by the new Ramona quarantine and 411.47 acres of commercial citrus impacted by the Loma Linda area expansion.
APHIS is taking this action because of citrus greening detections in plant tissue samples collected from residential properties.
APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and federal orders pertaining to the interstate movement of regulated articles from the quarantined areas in California. This action is necessary to prevent the spread of citrus greening to non-infested areas of the United States.
The APHIS Citrus Greening web page contains specific changes to the quarantined areas in California. The page provides the following facts on citrus greening:
- Once infected, a tree can remain asymptomatic, serving as a source of bacteria that infects other trees.
- Over time, an infected tree will start producing fewer fruit that are partially green, smaller, shaped irregularly and taste bitter.
- Leaves may show asymmetrical, blotchy mottling.
- Trees may show twig dieback and premature fruit drop.
Source: USDA APHIS
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