USDA/ARS Photo by David Hall
A slight change in California Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) quarantine rules should further help fight against the spread of the huanglongbing (HLB) disease.
In 2018, the California Department of Food and Agriculture implemented a bulk regional quarantine plan that included seven zones. Zones 2,3,4,5 and 7 were areas of the state that had Asian citrus psyllid detections but no confirmed cases of HLB disease. Zone 1 was the rest of California that hasn’t found ACP in their area. Zone 6 is the quarantine area in Southern California where all of the HLB detections were located and are under quarantine.
The regional plan has specific rules when moving bulk citrus from one zone to another. One rule is the mitigation of ACP on fruit before shipping. Because the psyllid is well established in southern California, zones 2,3,4,5 and 7 were able to move bulk citrus into zone 6 without having to adhere to ACP-free performance standards.
CDFA has officially revoked that authorization and will require the added mitigation of ACP on those shipments as well. Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program Operations Subcommittee Chairman Keith Watkins said in a release, “By potentially shipping psyllids into an area known to have HLB, we’re essentially throwing gasoline on the fire. These changes will not only create more uniform mitigation requirements but allow us to future proof these regulations for any future HLB detections in new areas of the state.” You can find more information on quarantine area rules at CitrusInsider.com
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