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At certain times of the year, the pest dis- tricts meet and coordinate an areawide spray program. Growers in these districts do a coordinated spray application to achieve a more uniform knock-down of the popu- lations. This approach has greatly reduced ACP levels, and it can take several months for populations to recover. The coordinated sprays occur through- out the year. One of the most important applications is in January. It can start in late December when schools are closed, allowing growers to work around school sites. Spraying usually runs from early to mid-January. The treatment is a dormant spray and gen- erally a pyrethroid application. Pyrethrin is the organic option. It kills the overwintering ACP adults and prevents them from immedi- ately laying eggs when spring growth arrives. The program leads to a bottleneck of pest populations in the middle of the winter when they’re most fragile. Sometimes the January applications will provide protection until June or July, before the insect is seen again.
January is dormant spray time for Asian citrus psyllids. ACP carries the bacterial dis- ease huanglongbing, or HLB, also known as citrus greening. HLB kills citrus trees when it builds up over time. Certain regions of the world have more problems with it. Florida, in particu- lar, has a climate that’s more conducive to the pest. The state has more generations of psyllids, so they have the ability to transmit the disease because of higher numbers in the environment. California, in comparison, hasn’t had the disease pressure Florida has seen, even though the psyllid has been in the state for some 12 years. Residential settings in Orange and Los Angeles counties have HLB disease detections, so there’s potential for it to spread. In an effort to prevent HLB from moving into commercial groves, testing districts were set up in Southern California to target ACP and prevent the pests from spreading the HLB disease.
PEST CONTROL ADVISOR
How do winter sprays help reduce Asian citrus psyllids?
Chris Boisseranc, Southwest Ag Consulting, Redlands
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December 20, 2023 Ag Alert 9
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