SANTA BARBARA COUNTY CITRUS UPDATES

Save the Date! Santa Barbara County Citrus Meeting

Thursday, June 15, 9 am - 12 pm, at the County Employee University Building, 267 Camino del Remedio, Santa Barbara

Intended for citrus growers, PAC/QAC/QAL/PCA holders, and farm labor contractors in Santa Barbara County. Topics include updates on ACP/ HLB treatments & research, regulatory updates on HLB and other citrus pests, and an update from the new County Ag Commissioner, Jose Chang. DPR CEUs have been requested. RSVP to cressidasb@gmail.com, or call 805 681-5600 for more information.

Asian Citrus Psyllid Update

The next ACP Area Wide Management treatment window for growers will be September 3 - 23. In the meantime, please continue to regularly monitor new flush for signs of the psyllid, and consult with your pest management professional if ACP is present.  Tender new citrus flush is ideal habitat for ACP to feed, lay eggs and build new populations,  and an increase in ACP numbers and feeding can increase the risk of HLB. If your citrus is no longer being cared for or is not worth the resources required to protect it from ACP and HLB, consider removing it.

HLB Quarantine Update

As of May 26, a total of 5.115 trees and 709 ACP have been confirmed positive for the bacterium that causes HLB. Trees confirmed positive are treated for ACP and removed, and the HLB quarantine may be expanded. Additional ACP treatments and HLB detection surveys are conducted on a recurring basis to remaining citrus within 250 meters of each detection. 

Counties where HLB has been detected via PCR testing are Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego, with the majority of detections in Orange County. To see a map of the current HLB quarantine areas, and other details of locations and numbers of HLB detections, please visit maps.cdfa.ca.gov/WeeklyACPMaps/HLBWeb/HLB_Treatments.pdf. 

HLB Detection Response Guide for Growers 

To ensure California citrus growers are well prepared in the event of a potential commercial grove detection of Huanglongbing (HLB), the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) has developed the  Response Guide for a Confirmed HLB Positive Detection in a Commercial Grove, which details the steps taken by CDFA and actions required of the property or grove owner, as outlined in CDFA's Action Plan and Information for Citrus Growers/Grove Managers.

Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee Meetings -- Webinar and In Person 

All meeting agendas and eventually the minutes are posted at www.cdfa.ca.gov/citrus committee/. The 2022-23 schedule for the Full Committee is here, and the schedule for Subcommittees is here. 

Upcoming Meetings

• Science Subcommittee, Thur June 8 at 1 pm, agenda and webinar link
• Finance Subcommittee, Tue June 13 at 2 pm, agenda and webinar link
• Interim CPDPC Full Committee, Wed June 28, agenda pending
• Operations Subcommittee, Wed July 12 at 9 am, agenda pending
• Outreach Subcommittee, Wed July 12 at 1:30 pm, agenda pending
• CPDPP Full Committee, Wed August 9 at 9 am, agenda pending

All meetings are free and open to the public to listen to or make public comment. Meetings are currently in person and accessible via phone and/or webinar. Links to register for and join meetings are included in agendas when posted. 

For a list of current committee members, click here. 

Additional ACP/HLB Resources

• CDFA Citrus Division website: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Citrus/
• General ACP/HLB

oInformation on the state ACP/HLB program including maps, quarantine information, and a signup option for email alerts: citrusinsider.org/

oBiology of ACP and HLB, detection maps and recommendations for monitoring, eradication and management: ucanr.edu/sites/acp/ 

oUC IPM recommendations for ACP insecticides

oWeb-based map to find out how close you are to HLB: ucanr.edu/hlbgrowerapp

oVideo on Best Practices in the Field, available in English and Spanish

oSpanish-only ACP/HLB presentation video presentation and audio-only recording. 

• Research

oLatest Science Advisory Panel Report

oUC Ag Experts Talk presentations on management of various citrus pests and diseases are available for viewing here and here on YouTube.

oSummaries of the latest research to combat HLB: ucanr.edu/sites/scienceforcitrushealth/

oScience-based analyses to guide policy decisions, logistics, and operations: www.datoc.us

• Regulatory/Quarantine

oSign up for program updates from the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division at www.cdfa/signup-email-updates.

oRegulatory requirements for moving bulk citrus: Information for Citrus Growers

oSummary of regulatory requirements in the event of an HLB detection in commercial citrus: citrusinsider.org/Regulatory-Flyer

oSanta Barbara County Ag Commissioner's Office

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Cressida Silvers

CA Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program

ACP/HLB Grower Liaison

Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties

805 284-3310 (phone or text)