Ag Alert.  22 February 2012.  Citrus farmers and pest-control officials continue their work to keep the Asian citrus psyllid out of commercial citrus groves in California, but experts who spoke about the pest threat last week at the World Ag Expo in Tulare urged farmers to be prepared for the possibility of psyllid quarantines in commercial groves.

The small, winged insect isn’t particularly destructive on its own, but as it feeds on citrus it can spread a bacterium that causes huanglongbing disease, also known as HLB and sometimes called citrus greening. The bacterial disease has not appeared so far in California.

It has, however, spread widely in Florida, reducing that state’s commercial citrus production by at least 10 percent a year. In Texas, the first known case of HLB was confirmed in mid-January on orange trees in the Rio Grande Valley, known for its grapefruit and orange production.

The Asian citrus psyllid has also been found in Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Arizona, Hawaii and Mexico. HLB has been found not only in Florida and Texas, but also in Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Belize and Mexico.

Plant pathologists say the proximity of Mexico to California and the rapid rise in globalization of trade, travel and immigration make the threat of the disease entering California through infected plants or insects a serious one.

In a recent California Senate briefing, lawmakers were told Florida has lost more than 60,000 acres of citrus trees and growers there are spending more than $500 per acre on psyllid control and eradication. One projection suggested that almost all of Florida’s citrus trees will be infected in seven to 12 years.

Once trees are infected, the fruit produced is not marketable and the trees ultimately die. There is no cure for HLB.

In California, quarantines for the psyllid have been established in all of Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, as well as parts of Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Santa Barbara counties.  read more

CFBF.  7 September 2011.  Mild spring and summer weather has helped the quality of California-grown walnuts. The California Walnut Commission says it anticipates the quality to be very high. Quantity will be down slightly, off about 4 percent from last year’s record walnut crop but still the second-largest in history. A government report described the growing season as “very similar to 2010,” with another cool summer that will delay harvest about two weeks later than average.

American Vegetable Grower.  27 July 2011.  For years, methyl bromide has been a critical tool vegetable, strawberry, and ornamental growers used to combat soil-dwelling nematodes, diseases, and weeds. The fumigant, as most know, is being phased out and alternative fumigants are presenting new challenges for those who are trying to keep the air clean.

According to “Helping Growers Adapt to Changing Rules on Fumigants,” in the July 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has been conducting studies to find the best alternatives to the fumigant since the mid-1990s, and because of the issue’s critical importance, the agency initiated a special areawide pest-management project five years ago that made several additional research efforts possible.

As part of that five-year effort, ARS researchers in Florida and California are helping to minimize release of the alternative fumigants into the atmosphere with studies focused on fumigant emission rates and the effectiveness of tarps used as barriers to cover fumigated soil. The work also is designed to assist EPA and other regulators charged with developing new fumigant requirements to better protect people who use them or live near treated fields.

Western Fruit Grower.  19 July 2011.  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced USDA’s intention to purchase up to $11.4 million of canned clingstone peaches for federal food nutrition assistance programs, including food banks.  “This purchase will assist the California canned peach industry by reducing stock levels by 21,000 tons,” said Vilsack.  “The surplus has discouraged fiscal year 2011 commitments and put downward pressure on peach grower prices.”

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases a variety of high-quality food products each year to support the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program. USDA also makes emergency food purchases for distribution to victims of natural disasters.

Government food experts work to ensure that all purchased food is healthful and nutritious. Food items are required to be low in fat, sugar, and sodium. The commodities must meet specified requirements and be certified to ensure quality. AMS purchases only products of 100% domestic origin.