The following is compiled from the January newsletter of the Ventura County ACP-HLB Task Force
Results of November scouting trip are available for the Canine Detection Team
A team of six dogs and three handlers from F1K9 scouted 20 citrus ranches in Ventura County between Nov. 18 and Nov. 22, 2019. The visit included returns to several ranches scouted during F1K9's July deployment, as well as numerous ranches in new areas. A total of 4,650 trees were inspected, and dogs alerted on 353 (8%). Alerts occurred at every location. The percentage of scouted trees that triggered alerts at each ranch or block ranged from 3% to 22%. Download the full report here.
The canine detection team is returning next week to scout more orchards. However, their time is fully allocated. Planning is under way for their more permanent return by February or March 2020. If you wish to have your grove(s) scouted in the future, please send an email indicating your interest to Farm Bureau CEO John Krist at john@farmbureauvc.com.
HLB update
A total of 1,760 residential citrus trees have been confirmed PCR-positive for HLB in San Bernardino, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange counties. Information about the expanded HLB quarantine, and a tally of the HLB confirmations (updated weekly) can be found at CitrusInsider.org. Regulatory actions required by the state in response to an HLB detection are detailed in CDFA's Action Plan (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citruscommittee/docs/ActionPlan.pdf). To see the proximity of your citrus to the nearest confirmed HLB, you can enter an address in this Google maps-style website: www.ucanr.edu/hlbgrowerapp. The site also provides a direct link to the HLB Voluntary Best Practices most relevant to your location.
AWM update
The winter ACP area-wide management treatments have begun, and treatment reminders have been distributed. If you did not receive a reminder, please contact grower liaison Sandra Zwaal (szwaal2@gmail.com) or Cressida Silvers (cressidasb@gmail.com) to be added to the distribution list.
Twenty-four of Ventura County's 50 psyllid management areas (PMAs) qualified for the winter buffer treatments, in which the California Department of Food and Agriculture will apply pesticides to residential citrus within 400 meters of commercial groves. The requirements to qualify for residential buffer treatments are expected to change slightly in the future. Stay tuned for the UC recommendations and a vote from the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC) on the new requirements.
Report neglected and abandoned citrus
Help prevent neglected and abandoned citrus from serving as a breeding ground for ACP and the spread of HLB by reporting its location to the County Agricultural Commissioner's office at (805) 388-4222. If your citrus is not worth the resources required to protect it from ACP and HLB, it may be a good time to consider removing the trees.
Calendar
The next CPDPC meeting will be on Jan. 15. Click here to download the agenda.The CPDPC makes decisions on behalf of the citrus industry, and attendance by all citrus growers and affiliates is encouraged. The Coastal Region committee representative is Kevin Ball; contact him at kevin.ball@aglandca.com. Meetings are free and open to the public, and can be attended in person, via webinar, or by phone. The agenda and prior meeting minutes can also be found at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/citruscommittee/.
The 9th Annual UC Riverside Citrus Field Day for citrus growers and citrus industry representatives is Jan. 29. Click here to download the agenda and registration information.
The University of California has developed a series of one-hour webinars, designed for growers and pest control advisors, that will highlight various pest management and horticultural topics for citrus and avocados. During each session, a UC expert on the subject will make a presentation and entertain write-in questions via chat during and/or after the presentation. To learn more, go to https://ucanr.edu/sites/ucexpertstalk/.
Resources
University of California ACP area-wide materials list and ACP monitoring protocols
Movement of bulk citrus materials list
Ventura County AWM maps and schedule
Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program
Ventura County ACP-HLB Task Force mailing list signup
Contact your grower liaisons if you have additional questions:
Sandra Zwaal
(949) 636-7089
Cressida Silvers
(805) 284-3310
