Experts are concerned about the potential damage the Polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) could have in California, and industry leaders teamed up to bring Israeli researchers to the United States so they could share knowledge.
The California Avocado Commission Research Program Director Tim Spann says Israel has seen the pest in avocado groves longer than we have in California. The Avocado Commission teamed up with industry leaders to bring that knowledge stateside.
Overseas Knowledge Helping Research
Spann says the pest shows a wide variety of potential plant hosts and has infested a lot of non-agricultural plants throughout the Southern California region.
Experts say it has the potential to infest many other agricultural crops other than just avocados, and Spann says if the bug were to expand north over the grapevine, it could be a major concern for several of those industries.