J.Valenzuela,Novato

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Some highlights from the California Department of Food and Agriculture press release today:

The Citrus Greening Disease bacteria (Huanglongbing) has been detected in both an Asian citrus psyllid sample and plant material from a lemon/pumello tree in a residential neighborhood in Hacienda Heights area of Los Angeles County. This is the first time the virus has been confirmed in California.

The citrus psyllid was discovered in 2008 in California, with citrus quarantines in effect in Ventura, San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Residents of quarantine areas are urged not to remove or share citrus fruit, trees, clippings/grafts or related plant material. Citrus fruit may be harvested and consumed on-site.

There is no cure for the virus which causes decline, and eventually kills infected trees within a few years. This psyllid vector and the virus have devastated the Florida citrus industry, and now both are found in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina, with only the psyllid found in Arizona, Mississippi and Alabama.

Officials are making arrangements to remove and dispose of the infected tree and conduct treatment of citrus trees within 800 meters of the find site. By taking these steps, a critical reservoir of disease and its vectors will be removed, which is essential. More information about the program will be provided at an informational open house scheduled for Thursday, April 5, at the Industry Hills Expo Center, The Avalon Room, 16200 Temple Avenue, City of Industry, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.

Full Press release here:
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=12-012

Laaz

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Hopefully CA does a better job with it than FL did.

DavidLJ48

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I was listening to Sacramento TV Channel a few nights ago, they had a small blurp on this topic. Commented that it was in the LA area, as as well in Tulare County. I hope the last bit of info was a mistake. That it would of read, concern that it would spread to the Tulare county prime citrus area. Have not heard anyone else saying the disease is in Tulare County, so hope it was a mistake, it would be a bit scary to think it is in the Central Valley already.

I just ran a search, no telling what is there, not normally in the news. I found it, they spotted 1 psyllid
I guess and applied counter measures, no more found so far. Found a few farm/packer info sites like this one with data about it.

http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-news/Asian-citrus-psyllid-found-in-Californias-Tulare-County-140166363.html

David

Axel

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Oh, this sucks! Apparently, this pest may be migrating via other means besides just citrus, so there is probably no way of stopping it at this point.

DavidLJ48

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Lincove said long term research for natural ways to deal with it ,is on going.

They said the biggest problem are people who are ignorant to what problem they will potentially cause. They are more everyday common people, not really business professionals, trying to transport fruits and plants, to make a living or a few extra dollars. They said in Florida, this was the main problem too. They said there are many somewhat related plants, not like like oranges and etc at all, that the bugs love and these are often over looked.

I was hoping maybe never in NorCal, but realistically thinking or hoping a few decades away, but let us hope, they can keep it out of NorCal.

David

J.Valenzuela,Novato

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Latest on this:

California braces for a deadly stalker of citrus
A graft of pomelo — a symbol of good fortune in many Asian cultures — was the likely source of the state's first documented case of huanglongbing, a citrus disease with no known cure that is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid.
California braces for a citrus stalker
(Photo)
A worker moves a quarantined fruit tree inside Temple Garden Center in El Monte. California's first documented case of huanglongbing, a citrus disease with no known cure that is spread by the tiny Asian citrus psyllid, has state agricultural officials worried. (Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times / April 12, 2012)

By Rosanna Xia and Diana Marcum, Los Angeles Times

April 14, 2012
The worst disease known to the citrus industry may have arrived in California on a bud of friendship.

A graft of pomelo — a symbol of good fortune and prosperity in many Asian cultures — was the likely source of the state's first documented case of huanglongbing, a citrus disease with no known cure, say researchers involved in the investigation. The suspected plant shoot, or budwood, was passed freely among San Gabriel Valley church friends who loved to garden and experiment with hybridization, according to residents.
-----------------
end excerpt,

full article here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-citrus-disease-20120414,0,2096027.story

DavidLJ48

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THANKS JOHN,

DAVID

J.Valenzuela,Novato

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwpsJqUA3vk

A huanglongbing, HLB, presentation given by Dr. Allan Dodds to the North County San Diego CRFG chapter on April 20, 2012.

For more info about their chapter and CRFG visit: http://nc.crfgsandiego.org/

DavidLJ48

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Noticed in the Modesto Bee today or yesterday, a 3rd Asian Citrus Psyllid has been found in Tualare County again, not far from where it was found not long ago, in another commerical growers land. This time their was talk of setting up a quarintine area with restrictions like they setup previously in SoCal.

David