Second Asian citrus psyllid found in Arroyo Grande
Asian citrus psyllid. Image from Wikipedia.
Pest is deadly to citrus crops
The recent detection of a single adult Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) in an insect trap in a residential neighborhood in Arroyo Grande has prompted a high density trapping delimitation survey of the surrounding area.
A quarantine restricting the movement of citrus nursery stock and citrus fruit will be established by the California Department of Food and Agriculture to prevent the spread of this serious plant pest. Control efforts will take place in the near future in the area immediately surrounding the detection.
This is the second detection of ACP in Arroyo Grande. The first detection occurred in March, 2014. Only a single ACP was detected. Intensive trapping and visual surveys are ongoing, but no additional insects have been detected. The existing quarantine established following the original ACP detection will be expanded to include a five-mile radius surrounding the recent Arroyo Grande detection site. The psyllid was also found in the city of San Luis Obispo and Cayucos in 2014. To date, no other psyllids have been detected at these sites.
The first detection of ACP in California occurred in San Diego County in 2008. Since then, it has been found throughout Southern California. “This insect pest is of serious concern to California’s commercial citrus because it is responsible for spreading Huanglongbing, a plant disease that is fatal to all types of citrus trees. This includes citrus trees in countless landscapes as well as commercial citrus orchards located throughout the county, with fruit valued at over $17 million in 2014,” according to Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer for San Luis Obispo County Martin Settevendemie.
Over the past ten years nearly 50 percent of the commercial citrus groves in Florida have been killed by Huanglongbing resulting in more than 6,600 lost jobs, $1.3 billion in lost revenue to growers and $3.6 billion in lost economic activity for the state.
The disease does not affect human health and citrus fruit is safe to consume.
A single citrus tree infected with Huanglongbing was found in a Los Angeles County backyard in 2012. To date no additional detections of the disease in California have occurred.
Staff from the San Luis Obispo County Agricultural Commissioner’s office and officials from the California Department of Food and Agriculture continue to search for this pest by monitoring hundreds of insect traps placed in urban neighborhoods and commercial orchards throughout the county.
Community members can do the following to protect backyard citrus trees and the local citrus industry:
• Buy Local. Purchase citrus trees from reputable local sources selling plants that have been routinely inspected by the Agricultural Commissioner’s staff. Citrus fruit is safe to eat. Support local growers by purchasing fruit from local supermarkets or Farmers’ markets.
• Do not transport citrus plants or plant parts into the county from quarantine areas. Call 805-781-5910 for information about quarantine areas.
• Check residential landscaping often for signs of unusual symptoms or strange insects. Contact the local University of California Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener Program at 805-781-5939 for help identifying unusual plant symptoms or pests.
• If asked, allow the Agricultural Commissioner’s staff to place an insect trap in your yard and cooperate with officials if it becomes necessary to exclude or eliminate Asian citrus psyllid from San Luis Obispo County.
For more information about the Asian citrus psyllid visit the California Department of Food and Agriculture website at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov.
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