Some highlights from the California Department of Food and Agriculture press release today:

The Citrus Greening Disease virus (Huanglongbing) has been detected in both an Asian citrus psyllid sample and plant material from a lemon'pumello tree in a residential neighborhood in Hacienda Heights area of Los Angeles County. This is the first time the virus has been confirmed in California.

The citrus psyllid was discovered in 2008 in California, with citrus quarantines in effect in Ventura, San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Residents of quarantine areas are urged not to remove or share citrus fruit, trees, clippings/grafts or related plant material. Citrus fruit may be harvested and consumed on-site.

There is no cure for the virus which causes decline, and eventually kills infected trees within a few years. This psyllid vector and the virus have devastated the Florida citrus industry, and now both are found in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina, with only the psyllid found in Arizona, Mississippi and Alabama.

Officials are making arrangements to remove and dispose of the infected tree and conduct treatment of citrus trees within 800 meters of the find site. By taking these steps, a critical reservoir of disease and its vectors will be removed, which is essential. More information about the program will be provided at an informational open house scheduled for Thursday, April 5, at the Industry Hills Expo Center, The Avalon Room, 16200 Temple Avenue, City of Industry, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.

Full Press release here:
http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=12-012


Thanks to Bruce Goren who quickly posted this to our goldengatecrfg yahoo group.

JV

John Valenzuela, Chairperson
Golden Gate Chapter, California Rare Fruit Growers
http://www.crfg.org/chapters/golden_gate/index.htm

Cornucopia Food Forest Gardens
John Valenzuela Permaculture Services
Horticulturist, Consultant, Educator
California, Hawai'i phone: (415) 246-8834
e-mail: johnvalenzuela at hotmail dot com
http://cornucopiafoodforest.com/