The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) recently modified the policies and requirements for the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. Modifications address the movement of regulated articles and provide a protocol to remove areas from the CBS quarantine. This federal order updates the APHIS-Approved Packinghouse Procedures for Phyllosticta citricarpa, Causal Agent …
Rapid Detection of Citrus Black Spot
Citrus black spot (CBS) is a constant concern for producers in northern Argentina, causing premature fall of affected fruit and aesthetic damage that reduces commercial value. Researchers at the National Agricultural Technology Institute in Yuto, Argentina (INTA Yuto) are working on rapid detection of the disease. Their work is based on a protocol that focuses on the location of the …
Florida Citrus Black Spot Quarantines Expanded
Agriculture officials have increased the existing citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida and established a new quarantine area. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry (FDACS DPI) took these actions. CBS is a fungal disease that leaves fruit speckled …
Citrus Black Spot Spreads in Polk County
Citrus black spot (CBS) disease was confirmed at a second location in Florida’s Polk County in March. The new find was in a grove near State Road 60 and Indian Lake Estates, east of Lake Wales. The only prior CBS infestation in Polk County was near U.S. 27 on the Highlands County border. But that location was turned into an …
Considerations for Managing Citrus Black Spot
In Florida, citrus black spot (CBS) is present primarily in commercial groves in five southwest counties (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee). The disease can cause up to 60% yield loss in severe situations with little management, researcher Megan Dewdney reported in January. More commonly though, growers with infestations experience fruit drop levels of 10% to 20% in a minimally …
Don’t Forget Citrus Black Spot in Florida
While HLB tops the agenda, Megan Dewdney, an associate professor of plant pathology and an Extension specialist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), reminded growers that citrus black spot (CBS) remains a concern. This was the topic of a presentation she made during the Florida Citrus Growers’ Institute held in Avon Park in April. …
‘Irma Will Haunt Us’ Regarding Citrus Black Spot
Citrus black spot (CBS) disease has only been found in five Southwest Florida counties, but that could change as a result of 2017’s Hurricane Irma, a researcher reiterated recently. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences plant pathologist Megan Dewdney, in a Feb. 24 presentation, said “Irma will haunt us for a while.” She explained that Irma likely …
What to Do About Citrus Black Spot
By Megan Dewdney Citrus black spot is one of the newer diseases to worry Florida citrus growers. The fungal disease was first detected in Southwest Florida in 2010. The vast majority of finds have been in the southwestern citrus-producing counties of Collier, Hardee, Lee, Charlotte and Glades, but the disease has slowly moved northward. Black spot is still considered a …
Spotting the Symptoms of Citrus Black Spot
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension recently provided the following information about identification of citrus black spot (CBS): Fruit symptoms can be observed around this time of year with the onset of color break and fruit maturity. Growers and agricultural workers should learn to identify the symptoms of CBS even if they are not located …
Citrus Black Spot Quarantine Area Updated in Florida
Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is adding eight sections in Charlotte County, nine sections in Lee County, 28 sections in Hendry County, and five sections in Collier County to the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. This action is in response to the confirmation of CBS during annual surveys conducted by APHIS and …
Citrus Black Spot Update
Callie Walker with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) recently gave an update on the citrus black spot quarantine in Southwest Florida. Walker is bureau chief of pest eradication and control for FDACS’ Division of Plant Industry and serves as statewide director for the Citrus Health Response Program. She summarizes the presentation she made at the Florida …
What to Do if Citrus Black Spot Isn’t Near
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher Megan Dewdney addresses what growers should do if citrus black spot isn’t near their groves. She summarizes a presentation she made at a recent growers’ workshop in Sebring. “My few pieces of wisdom have been to tell people to just be conscious of their area and know whether they are …
Citrus Black Spot Location and Management
The citrus black spot (CBS) that emerged in Florida in 2010 apparently remains confined to Collier and Hendry counties, except for a single find in Polk County in 2013. “There’s a quarantine within those two counties (Collier and Hendry),” University of Florida researcher Jeff Rollins said in a Citrus Expo presentation. “The quarantine extends a little bit into Lee County, …
New Knowledge on Citrus Black Spot
By Megan Dewdney, Jeff Rollins, Nan-Yi Wang and Ke Zhang Citrus black spot (CBS) has become established in the groves of Collier and Hendry counties. In other citrus-growing regions of the world where CBS is present, the sexual fruiting bodies of the fungus, known as pseudothecia, form in decomposing leaf litter. Approximately 50 to 180 days following leaf drop, the …
Essential Oil Could Help Prevent Citrus Black Spot
By: Robin Koestoyo FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Dipping fruit after harvest with hot water and essential oil dips may reduce postharvest development of citrus black spot (CBS) lesions per fruit by up to 50 percent, according to new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research. The new management techniques are the result of Jiaqi Yan’s recently …
Citrus Black Spot Control
University of Florida researcher Katherine Hendricks offered citrus black spot control suggestions to about 60 growers attending a fungal diseases seminar last week in Immokalee. She discussed cultural and chemical controls. The seminar was hosted by multi-county citrus Extension agent Mongi Zekri. Download Audio Sponsored ContentA Simpler, Safer and More Effective Way to Fight HLBOctober 25, 20245 Facts About Fire …
Citrus Canker and Black Spot Management After Hurricane Ian
By Megan Dewdney The story of citrus canker in Florida is unfortunately linked to hurricanes. Canker spreads far and wide with the aid of the storms. Not only can the heavy rains and high winds move the bacterium among locations, but the winds cause wounds in the canopy. Ragged leaves, scoring of leaf surfaces, thorn scratches on branches and more …
Hurricane Milton: Spotty Citrus Damage, Some Severe
A few themes are unfolding as Florida’s citrus industry begins to assess Hurricane Milton’s damage. First, it could have been worse. The overall citrus losses do not appear to be as bad as those incurred from Hurricane Ian in 2022. Second, the hurricane affected nearly the entire Florida Citrus Belt, but damage varies greatly depending on the specific area. Reports …
Symptoms and Management of Brown Rot and Greasy Spot
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) presenters on Aug. 30 discussed symptoms and management of the fungal citrus diseases brown rot and greasy spot. Plant pathologist and associate professor Megan Dewdney, the featured speaker, focused on management. Multi-county citrus Extension agent Mongi Zekri, who hosted Dewdney’s talk, described disease symptoms. BROWN ROT Brown rot is usually …
Algal Spot an Increasing Problem in Florida Groves
Algal spot, not frequently seen in Florida citrus groves before 2015, has become more severe in recent years, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences speakers reported Aug. 30. And the disease is likely to intensify as a problem with average temperatures increasing, said Megan Dewdney, associate professor of plant pathology at the Citrus Research and Education Center …