FCM sees progress at recent citrus canker and greening workshop
FCM sees progress at recent citrus canker and greening workshop
Florida Citrus Mutual, headquartered in Lakeland, FL, organized and hosted the second International Citrus Canker & Greening Research Workshop Nov. 7-11 in Orlando, FL. The meeting assembled international researchers who have specific expertise on canker and greening to discuss the current status of knowledge and to extract information relative to the ongoing situation in Florida.
Andy LaVigne, FCM's executive vice president and CEO, said the group made significant progress during the meeting toward better understanding greening and how it must be addressed in the future.
"We also gained additional scientific information on how other parts of the world eradicate and/or suppress citrus canker," said Mr. LaVigne.
Casey Pace, director of public affairs for FCM, added, "With greening, scientists feel that it must first be determined how widespread the disease is before they try to devise a plan to eradicate or control it. We are told that it is important to educate growers on how to detect greening in their groves. One of the difficulties is that it can easily be mistaken for other more typical tree problems."
Citrus greening is believed to be an even bigger threat than canker because it destroys entire trees and the fruit - and in a short amount of time - often from four months to a year from the time trees are infected. It is carried from tree to tree by the citrus psyllid, an Asian insect species. The disease is nearly impossible to stop because extermination cannot kill every insect. Those that avoid insecticide contact make their way to the next tree, begin reproducing and continue their destruction. Trees cease to produce edible fruit even in the early stages of infection.
Thought to be the most serious citrus disease in the world, citrus greening is the major limiting factor for citrus production in parts of Asia and Africa, where it is predominant. It is also a major problem in the Saudi Arabian Peninsula, and it has been found in S?o Paulo State, Brazil. Citrus greening has not been found in Australia or in the Mediterranean citrus-production regions.
FCM hosted the first International Canker Research Workshop in June 2000. The purpose of the November meeting was to disseminate information on research progress and renew priorities for research based on the current and future status of canker in the Florida and global citrus industry. Citrus greening was added to the agenda because it poses an equal or even greater threat to the Florida industry.
Management options proposed by researchers, scientists and industry professionals at the meeting include keeping citrus nursery production away from grove sites, spraying fruit-bearing trees at strategic times to prevent infestations, developing faster detection methods and determining the distribution of greening in the state.
Regarding canker, information provided at the meeting included the fact that delays in program implementation that were imposed by residential litigation and a series of catastrophic storms during two consecutive seasons were unquestionably major setbacks. Management options recommended at the meeting include increased monitoring of plant movement and better sanitation protocol to all components of the industry.
"On a positive note regarding canker, scientists at the meeting reported that they are looking at disease-resistant varieties of citrus," said Ms. Pace. "Also, new technology gives researchers the ability to do some modeling that may help tell us where canker may have spread because of Hurricane Wilma long before it can be detected by the human eye. This is done by assessing how the winds blew and in what direction during the storm. That could mean early detection, thereby giving the industry the ability to look for the disease in specific areas before it can spread farther."
Those in the industry welcome any positive news related to Florida citrus, but it doesn't seem like enough when compared to the bad news. Besides the losses due to the spread of canker, Hurricane Wilma's winds and rain resulted in the loss of about $180 million -- about 17 percent -- of the season's supply. Florida was already headed into the 2005-06 season with the second lowest citrus crop reported since 1944-45, due primarily to damage done by storms during the 2004 hurricane season.
FCM will continue its efforts to help its grower-members overcome their difficulties in any way possible. In the past five years alone, it has been effective in bringing a total of $1.2 billion to growers in hurricane assistance, canker compensation and eradication, and for other needed purposes from state and federal sources.
Andy LaVigne, FCM's executive vice president and CEO, said the group made significant progress during the meeting toward better understanding greening and how it must be addressed in the future.
"We also gained additional scientific information on how other parts of the world eradicate and/or suppress citrus canker," said Mr. LaVigne.
Casey Pace, director of public affairs for FCM, added, "With greening, scientists feel that it must first be determined how widespread the disease is before they try to devise a plan to eradicate or control it. We are told that it is important to educate growers on how to detect greening in their groves. One of the difficulties is that it can easily be mistaken for other more typical tree problems."
Citrus greening is believed to be an even bigger threat than canker because it destroys entire trees and the fruit - and in a short amount of time - often from four months to a year from the time trees are infected. It is carried from tree to tree by the citrus psyllid, an Asian insect species. The disease is nearly impossible to stop because extermination cannot kill every insect. Those that avoid insecticide contact make their way to the next tree, begin reproducing and continue their destruction. Trees cease to produce edible fruit even in the early stages of infection.
Thought to be the most serious citrus disease in the world, citrus greening is the major limiting factor for citrus production in parts of Asia and Africa, where it is predominant. It is also a major problem in the Saudi Arabian Peninsula, and it has been found in S?o Paulo State, Brazil. Citrus greening has not been found in Australia or in the Mediterranean citrus-production regions.
FCM hosted the first International Canker Research Workshop in June 2000. The purpose of the November meeting was to disseminate information on research progress and renew priorities for research based on the current and future status of canker in the Florida and global citrus industry. Citrus greening was added to the agenda because it poses an equal or even greater threat to the Florida industry.
Management options proposed by researchers, scientists and industry professionals at the meeting include keeping citrus nursery production away from grove sites, spraying fruit-bearing trees at strategic times to prevent infestations, developing faster detection methods and determining the distribution of greening in the state.
Regarding canker, information provided at the meeting included the fact that delays in program implementation that were imposed by residential litigation and a series of catastrophic storms during two consecutive seasons were unquestionably major setbacks. Management options recommended at the meeting include increased monitoring of plant movement and better sanitation protocol to all components of the industry.
"On a positive note regarding canker, scientists at the meeting reported that they are looking at disease-resistant varieties of citrus," said Ms. Pace. "Also, new technology gives researchers the ability to do some modeling that may help tell us where canker may have spread because of Hurricane Wilma long before it can be detected by the human eye. This is done by assessing how the winds blew and in what direction during the storm. That could mean early detection, thereby giving the industry the ability to look for the disease in specific areas before it can spread farther."
Those in the industry welcome any positive news related to Florida citrus, but it doesn't seem like enough when compared to the bad news. Besides the losses due to the spread of canker, Hurricane Wilma's winds and rain resulted in the loss of about $180 million -- about 17 percent -- of the season's supply. Florida was already headed into the 2005-06 season with the second lowest citrus crop reported since 1944-45, due primarily to damage done by storms during the 2004 hurricane season.
FCM will continue its efforts to help its grower-members overcome their difficulties in any way possible. In the past five years alone, it has been effective in bringing a total of $1.2 billion to growers in hurricane assistance, canker compensation and eradication, and for other needed purposes from state and federal sources.
