Federal and California officials have expanded a Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) quarantine in Los Angeles County and an Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantine in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The expansion of both …
Emergency Funding Approved for Exotic Fruit Flies
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) is using $103.5 million in emergency funding to respond to the threats associated with growing outbreaks of exotic fruit flies. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack approved the transfer of the funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation to APHIS to directly support emergency response efforts domestically and …
Alabama Designated as Commercial Citrus Producer
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) announced it has designated Alabama as a commercial citrus-producing area. This action provides Alabama with protections that are afforded under the citrus canker regulations applying to commercial citrus-producing states. USDA APHIS regulates the interstate movement of certain plants, plant parts and other articles from areas of the …
California Fruit Fly Quarantines Continue to Expand
Federal and state officials have expanded Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata; Medfly), Zeugodacus tau fruit fly and Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni; QFF) quarantines in California. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The Medfly and tau fruit fly quarantines …
Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine Expanded in California
The Oriental fruit fly (OFFor Bactrocera dorsalis) quarantine in San Bernardino and Riverside counties in California was expanded in October and November by federal and state agriculture authorities. The actions were taken on Oct. 12, Nov. 3, Nov. 9 and Nov. 17 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of …
Medfly Quarantine Expanded
Federal and state authorities in early November expanded the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata or Medfly) quarantine in the Leimert Park area of Los Angeles County, California. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) on Nov. 1 and again on Nov. …
Updates on Medfly and Psyllid Quarantines in California
Agriculture officials recently established a Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata or Medfly) quarantine and expanded an Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) quarantine, both in California. MEDFLYFederal and state agriculture officials on Oct. 18 established the Medfly quarantine in California’s Los Angeles County. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and …
California Fruit Fly Quarantines Expanded
Federal and California agriculture officials have expanded the Tau fruit fly quarantine in Los Angeles County and the Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantine in San Bernadino and Riverside counties. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). TAU FRUIT FLYThe agencies expanded …
More Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantines in California
Federal and state agriculture officials in late September established Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantines in Sacramento, San Bernardino and Riverside counties in California. The actions were taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) following OFF detections in those areas. The new quarantines come …
Imports From Japan Would Pose Pest Risk
A federal pest risk assessment for the importation of fresh citrus from Japan has identified the Japanese orange fly (Bactrocera tsuneonis) as posing a high risk of introduction into the United States. The 120-page assessment was prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS). The agency assessed the risk of scores of insects, …
Egyptian Citrus Imports Would Be ‘Calamity’ for California Growers
Egyptian citrus could be on the way to the U.S. market after a request was made to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A pest risk assessment has been drafted by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Jim Cranney, president of the California Citrus Quality Council (CCQC), said the assessment is for fresh oranges and tangerines, which would …
Fruit Fly Quarantine Actions in California
Portions of Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties in California have been placed under quarantine for the Oriental fruit fly (OFF), and a quarantine in Orange County has been removed. See the updated quarantine map here. CONTRA COSTA COUNTYIn Contra Costa County, detections near the cities of Brentwood and Oakley have resulted in a quarantine zone covering 99 square miles. …
Tau Fruit Fly Quarantine Expanded
Federal and state agriculture agencies on Aug. 15 expanded the Zeugodacus tau fruit fly quarantine in the Stevenson Ranch area of Los Angeles County, California. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The expansion was in response to the confirmed …
Yellow-Legged Hornet Poses Threat to Pollinators
A yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina), which poses a threat to honeybees and other pollinators, was recently detected near Savannah, Georgia. This is the first time a live specimen of this species has been detected in the United States. Its presence was confirmed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant …
Citrus Root Weevil Intercepted
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists intercepted a species of citrus root weevil for the first time in Wilmington, Delaware, on May 22. They found the Cleistolophus viridimargo (Champion, 1911) weevil, a significant actionable pest, while inspecting a shipment of pineapples from Honduras. CBP said citrus root weevils pose a serious threat to the $3.4 billion U.S. citrus …
Bill to Prohibit Chinese Citrus Imports Reintroduced
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube of Florida on April 6 reintroduced the U.S. Citrus Protection Act to prohibit the importation of commercially produced fresh citrus fruit originating from China. “Floridians annually produce millions of cartons of citrus fruits, millions of gallons of citrus juices and hundreds of thousands of citrus byproducts, right here in the USA,” Steube said. “It’s unacceptable that we allow our adversary to import …
Peach Fruit Fly Found in Florida Can Harm Citrus
The city of Weston in Florida reported in early April that one male peach fruit fly was found in a trap near Davie, Florida. This pest attacks at least 50 different hosts, including citrus, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The city reported that a perimeter has been established that includes a number of municipalities as …
Lessons Learned From HLB as an Immune-Mediated Plant Disease
By Nian Wang How the huanglongbing (HLB) pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) causes damage to infected citrus trees has been widely debated. A recent study demonstrates that HLB is an immune-mediated plant disease (Ma et al., 2022). It was discovered that CLas infection of citrus stimulates systemic and chronic immune response in phloem tissues, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, …
Pest Risk Assessment of Citrus Imports From Egypt
Editor’s note: The comment period has been extended to give stakeholders additional time to submit comments. The draft pest risk assessment will be available for review and comment until March 14, 2023. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has drafted a pest risk assessment for the importation of fresh oranges and tangerines from Egypt into …
Brownsville Mexfly Quarantine Removed in Texas
Federal and state agriculture officials on Nov. 14 removed the Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. The quarantine was removed after three generations elapsed with no additional detections in the area. The action was taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). …