The USDA has confirmed the presence of huanglongbing (HLB) in Nogales, Arizona, marking the first detection of the disease in the state. This places Arizona among nine U.S. states under quarantine for HLB, a plant disease affecting various regions globally.
Investigations by the USDA revealed infected Asian citrus psyllids and citrus plant material on residential properties in Nogales. These findings were verified at a laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, according to the Arizona Department of Agriculture. As a result, a state quarantine has been implemented in Nogales, restricting the movement of citrus plants, yard waste, and home-picked fruit from the area.
Arizona agricultural authorities are collaborating with the USDA to conduct surveys in Santa Cruz County to assess the HLB infestation and devise strategies to prevent its spread. Commercially packed citrus fruit, along with fruit free of stems and leaves, is exempt from the state's intrastate movement order.
Rachel Andrews from the Arizona Department of Agriculture noted that the HLB detection is distant from Arizona's commercial citrus regions, primarily situated in Yuma County, over 200 miles away. Commercial citrus is also cultivated in Maricopa and Pinal counties, more than 100 miles from the HLB site. Glenn Wright of the University of Arizona suggests that the hotter climate in Yuma may not support Asian citrus psyllid populations.
HLB, a bacterial disease, poses no threat to humans or animals but is lethal to citrus trees, impacting their vascular systems. The Asian citrus psyllid, a vector for the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus bacterium, spreads the disease through feeding.
There is no cure for HLB, a severe citrus disease, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Infected trees produce substandard fruit, which can only be used for juicing.
Source: FarmProgress