NOVEMBER 21, 2005

ISSUE 1090

GREENING TO BE TREATED ONE TREE AT A TIME

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced Thursday (November 17) that it would treat citrus greening differently from the way it handles citrus canker, where all trees within 1,900 feet of a canker infection. are destroyed.

Instead, crews will remove any infected trees and then treat surrounding ones with chemicals and pesticides. The decision was made at a Citrus Canker Technical Task Force meeting in the city of Lake Alfred in Polk County.

As of Thursday, 414 trees had tested "final positive" in 271 commercial and residential properties statewide, said Denise Feiber, of the the Florida Department of Agriculture’s (FDACS) Division of Plant Industry.

“Greening will be a long term management issue for Florida commercial and residential citrus growers,” Feiber told FFVA. The department is working with the USDA, University of Florida/Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences, and industry to develop best management practices to assist industry and the public in controlling the disease. These practices will involve a combination of positive tree removal and pesticide treatment for control of psyllids,“ (the insect vector) she said.

For more information please contact: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties (800) 850-3781, or (800) 282-5153 for all other Florida counties, or visit www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi.