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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #187260
Title: PROGRESS TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFECTIVE RISK ANALYSIS PROCESS FOR THE FLORIDA CITRUS NURSERY INDUSTRY TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF CITRUS CANKER AND HUANGLONGBING

Author
item Irey, Michael
item GRAHAM, J. H. - UNIV. OF FLORIDA
item Gottwald, Timothy

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/2005
Publication Date: 11/7/2005
Citation: Irey, M.S., Graham, J., Gottwald, T.R. 2005. Progress towards the development of an effective risk analysis process for the florida citrus nursery industry to mitigate the impact of citrus canker and huanglongbing. Proceedings from the International Citrus Canker and Huanglongbing Workshop, Orlando, FL, Nov. 2005. P21;p86.

Interpretive Summary: As a result of the increasing frequency of detection of citrus canker in close proximity to the commercial nurseries and with the recent detection of huanglongbing in at least six citrus growing counties within the state, many commercial groves and citrus nursery operations are trying to decide if new, more isolated, nursery sites should be established. However, currently there are no guidelines established for evaluating the existing sites or potential new sites with respect to the suitability of the sites to provide disease-free trees to the industry.In a joint effort with commercial grove production managers, commercial nursery owners, and with input from researchers, a spreadsheet-based risk assessment system is being developed that takes into account risk factors associated primarily with nursery site location and construction. Among the factors being considered are proximity to commercial and residential citrus, inoculum density potential, proximity to commercial packing/processing plants, proximity to international points of entry, proximity to the costal regions, construction of greenhouse facilities, sources of budwood, presence and type of windbreaks, presence of alternate hosts of the diseases and insect vectors, and other factors related to citrus nursery production and disease avoidance.

Technical Abstract: The citrus industry within the state of Florida is being directly impacted by two recently introduced bacterial diseases, citrus canker and huanglongbing. As the commercial citrus industry is trying to develop efficient strategies to eradicate, control, or manage the diseases, it is becoming readily apparent that the citrus nursery industry must play a major role in any control program that is developed to manage these two diseases. Although on the surface it appears that the citrus nurseries are widely distributed across the state (Figure 1a), the largest nurseries that supply the majority of the trees for the industry are largely concentrated in the same areas as the majority of the commercial groves (Figure 1b). As a result of the increasing frequency of detection of citrus canker in close proximity to the commercial nurseries (Figure 1c), and with the recent detection of huanglongbing in at least six citrus growing counties within the state, many commercial groves and citrus nursery operations are trying to decide if new, more isolated, nursery sites should be established. However, currently there are no guidelines established for evaluating the existing sites or potential new sites with respect to the suitability of the sites to provide disease-free trees to the industry. In a joint effort with commercial grove production managers, commercial nursery owners, and with input from researchers, a spreadsheet-based risk assessment system is being developed that takes into account risk factors associated primarily with nursery site location and construction. Among the factors being considered are proximity to commercial and residential citrus, inoculum density potential, proximity to commercial packing/processing plants, proximity to international points of entry, proximity to the costal regions, construction of greenhouse facilities, sources of budwood, presence and type of windbreaks, presence of alternate hosts of the diseases and insect vectors, and other factors related to citrus nursery production and disease avoidance.