LOS ANGELES – The Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP), a statewide collaboration of agriculture officials and citrus industry representatives, held a press briefing on June 6 at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to call for the support of Angelenos and LAX travelers in the fight against a disease that threatens to wipe out California’s iconic citrus trees.
Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease, is a fatal infection that can kill the citrus trees that California is known for. According to CPDPP, the disease has no cure and that it has already killed one backyard citrus tree in the Los Angeles Region.
According to the agency, CPDPP said in a statement that the LA region is highly vulnerable to HLB because of its positioning as an international travel and commerce hub, attracting thousands of travelers and transient entities – along with the invasive pests and diseases that they carry. As thousands of individuals travel through LA, specifically LAX, they sometimes carry with them fruits, vegetables, plant materials, leaves and herbs that can carry the HLB strain or the Asian citrus psyllid – an insect pest that can carry and transmit HLB.
“Travelers may have innocent intentions when they bring back a piece of fruit or any other agricultural product, but each time they do, they risk releasing an invasive species that could harm the California landscape,” CPDPP representative Victoria Hornbaker said in a statement.
According to Hornbaker, HLB is only one of the many deadly plant diseases in modern history, and that it has the capacity to effectively wipe out the oranges, lemons, limes, mandarins, and other citrus fruit grown in California.
As summer approaches and a busy travel season is expected, Hornbaker said that CPDPP is urging Californians and those traveling in and out of the LA region to help in this fight by resisting the urge to bring back fruit or any agricultural products.
The CPDPP, in a press statement, offered the following tips in helping in the fight against HLB in California:
-Don’t move citrus. Do not bring any plant material into the region from other states or countries, and do not remove citrus fruit or plant material from your property because it might be carrying psyllids or be infected with HLB.
-Cooperate with agriculture officials who may be placing traps in your neighborhood, treating citrus trees for the psyllid or surveying for signs of HLB.
-Inspect your citrus trees for signs of the pest and disease each month or whenever watering, spraying, pruning or tending trees. Learn what to look for at CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org
-Only buy citrus trees from reputable, licensed California nurseries.
-Use only registered budwood with source documentation.
-Dry or double bag plant clippings prior to disposal to avoid moving psyllids and HLB-infected plant materials.
HLB is a bacterial plant disease that destroys the production, appearance, and economic value of citrus trees. Fruits produced by infected trees are bitter, hard, and missshapen. Within a few years of being infected by HLB, diseased trees die, the CPDPP said.
First symptoms of this plant infection includes asymmetrical yellowing of the leaves and excessive fruit dropping. CPDPP said that HLB symptoms are difficult to spot, and that residents are advised to call 1(800)491-1899 to report suspicious symptoms.
While the HLB strain is new to California, it is found throughout the world, including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand.
In the US, the disease was found in Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and California.
For more information and to see photos that can help you identify symptoms of Huanglongbing, also known as HLB or citrus greening disease, visit www.CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org. If you think your tree may be infected with the disease, call the California Department of Food and Agriculture at 1(800)491-1899.
(AJPress)
