Citrus News

       ACP/HLB Update
       For Ventura County

SAVE THE DATE! JUNE 11 VENTURA GROWER MEETING

Please mark your calendars for June 11th, for the 2024 Ventura County ACP-HLB Grower Meeting. This meeting will have a hybrid format, in person with on-line access. An application for CEUs is being submitted. More information, including a detailed agenda, will be released closer to the event. If you'd like to be a sponsor for this event through a contribution to the ACP-HLB Task Force, please email maureen@farmbureauvc.com. 

NEW ACP AREA WIDE MANAGEMENT SCHEDULE

The Ventura County ACP-HLB Task Force has approved the 2024-2025 ACP Area Wide Management Treatment Schedule. Click below to view and download the updated schedule and protocols.
 

ACP management for suppression to undetectable levels is the best way to protect your orchard from the spread of HLB and its devastating effects on citrus. In addition to participating in Area Wide Management, remain vigilant with ACP monitoring, and work with your PCA if you have one, to optimize ACP management for your orchard's conditions.

Controlling ants is also important because they protect ACP from natural enemies. CDFA conducts regular releases of the ACP biological control agent Tamarixia radiata in Ventura County. 

If you need referrals for PCAs or applicators, please contact your Grower Liaisons Sandra Zwaal (szwaal2@gmail.com) or Cressida Silvers (cressidasb@gmail.com).
 

HLB UPDATE IN VENTURA CO

There have been no new HLB detections in Ventura County since February 9. Check for the latest HLB detection map and numbers here, updated weekly on Fridays. A 5-mile HLB quarantine remains in place in the Santa Paula area, with no recent expansions. To determine if your location is in the HLB quarantine, visit the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Interactive HLB Quarantine Map for the most updated quarantine boundaries. Stay up to date on quarantine changes by signing up for CDFA ACP/HLB regulatory updates here.
 

When moving citrus from, to, or within an HLB quarantine, please follow the link HLB Bulk Citrus Quarantine Requirements. Continue to submit the required ACP-free declaration forms to the Ventura Co. Agricultural Commissioner's Office, even if you not required to mitigate under the new regulations. 
 

HLB vs Fruit Fly: QUARANTINE CONFUSION

Reminder: In addition to, and separate from, the HLB quarantine in the Santa Paula area, there is also an invasive fruit fly quarantine in the southern part of the county. Fruit fly quarantines have their own set of protocols and regulations, and do not affect ACP/HLB regulatory requirements. Visit Citrus Insider's Citrus Industry Guide to Fruit Fly Quarantines for more information, resources and FAQs for fruit fly. Continue to use HLB Bulk Citrus Quarantine Requirements for ACP/HLB related requirements. 
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC) Meetings
The Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee (CPDPC) meetings are free and open to the public. The virtual meeting agendas, minutes and schedules are posted in www.cdfa.ca.gov/citruscommittee/.  

• Full Committee - May 8

RESOURCES

(click on the topic to open the link)

2024-2025 Ventura Co. ACP Area-Wide Treatment Schedule
CDFA Action Plan for ACP and HLB
CDFA ACP and HLB Action Plan Summary
Citrus Insider
Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) Committee Members
HLB Voluntary Best Practices
Information for Citrus Growers/Grove Managers in an HLB Quarantine
Science Advisory Panel report
UC Scientific Research Summaries for ACP/HLB
UC recommendations for ACP management and treatment options
UC IPM list of ACP materials
Video for Best Practices for Harvest Crews
Video for Spanish-language ACP/HLB presentation Audio-only recording
Ventura County Ag Commissioner's Office

Feel free to contact us if you have questions. 

Ventura Co. ACP/HLB Grower Liaisons,
 
     Sandra Zwaal
     szwaal2@gmail.com
     (949) 636-7089

     Cressida Silvers
     cressidasb@gmail.com
     (805) 284-3310