MoreCitrusGreeningGeoengineering

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP; Diaphorina citri) was first found in California in 2008, on backyard citrus in San Diego County. Since then thousands of traps have been deployed and are checked regularly for the presence of ACP throughout Southern California and in citrus growing regions further north. Following the initial finds 5 years ago, the insect was found in Imperial and Los Angeles counties, after which it spread to parts of Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Ventura counties. The total number of psyllids found in the state has increased dramatically from less than 300 in 2008  to over 30000 in 2012. The vast majority of these have occurred in urban and suburban areas, but starting in 2010 (and increasingly since then) ACP has been trapped in commercial citrus groves. Most recently the psyllid was found at two sites in the Southern Central Valley. Thus, ACP appears to be acting like other recent invasive insects in California where they establish in urban areas, build up their populations there, then spill out into surrounding commercial agriculture. The great extent of urban-agriculture interface, especially in the southern part of the state, most likely contributes to that spillover. One implication is that effective management of this insect, and the pathogenic bacterium that it transmits, will require coordinated and large-scale efforts by homeowners, nurseries, landscapers, and commercial citrus growers.

03/12/2014. Citrus Greening Quarantined Area 2.  On the basis of new data, the department expanded the citrus greening quarantine.  The new quarantined area encompassed an approximate 5-mile radius area near Harlingen, Texas.  The boundaries of the newly quarantined area were delineated by roads, identifiable boundaries, or landmarks to aid in the understanding and identification of the areas subject to quarantine regulations.

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