Surveying Citrus Greening Risks in Southern California

Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening, is the most devasting disease of citrus worldwide and has cost billions of dollars in economic losses. HLB has severely affected the citrus industry in Florida before any remedial action could be taken by growers. In California, HLB has been reported in urban backyard citrus trees that are a potential source of the pathogen. These infected backyard citrus trees threaten surrounding commercial citrus groves. 

ARS researchers in Fort Pierce, FL, and their research partners developed a refined risk-based survey (RBS) to help stakeholders survey for HLB in complex urban and suburban landscapes in Southern California. The RBS is being used by the citrus stakeholders and plant health regulators to identify and remove infected trees, which will help preserve the health of nearby citrus groves. Use of the model optimizes survey efforts and allocation of resources to combat HLB. The RBS is also updated with new detection data and refined continuously to better guide surveillance of HLB in Southern California. An online interface makes the most recent survey available to stakeholders.