Citrus greening disease has broken out in California, according to the US state’s Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and authorities are moving quickly to quarantine the area around the detection site.
The disease is also known as huanglongbing (HLB), and was detected in a sample of plant material and Asian citrus psyllid, the insect vector for the disease, in a residential lemon/pomelo tree in Los Angeles County.
“CDFA is moving swiftly to protect the state’s citrus growers as well as our residential trees and the many prized citrus plantings in our parks and other public lands,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.
“We have been planning and preparing for this scenario with our growers and our colleagues at the federal and local levels since before the Asian citrus psyllid was first detected here in 2008.”
Authorities will treat all citrus trees within 800m of the detection site, and are developing plans for a quarantine zone.
Citrus greening has wreaked havoc on the citrus industry in Florida, where the disease was first detected in 2005. The University of Florida estimates it has cost the state US$1.3bn in lost revenue.
The CDFA and the USDA said they would pursue a strategy of controlling the spread of the Asian citrus psyllid, which spreads the disease, while they try to develop a cure for citrus greening.
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