The Citrus Research Board (CRB) in coordination with the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) is rolling out a new CRB Webinar Series, geared toward citrus growers and industry professionals.  The series will kick-off on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, with Dr. Roger Baldwin of UC Davis presenting “Control of Vertebrate Pests in Citrus”. Dr. Roger Baldwin …

You’ve heard an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Now orange peels may improve your heart health. Yu Wang, an assistant professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, part of the USDA. With the …

Scientists are closer to gaining the upper hand on a disease that has wiped out citrus orchards across the globe. New models of the bacterium linked to the disease reveal control methods that were previously unavailable. Metabolic models of organisms are like road maps of cities. “They show you all the biological processes, and how they work together,” said UC …

In September 2019, huanglongbing—also known as HLB or citrus greening—was detected in residential citrus trees located in Ventura County, in southern California (and just recently, the first HLB carrying Asian Citrus Psyllid was detected in a commercial CA citrus grove). The disease, which has no known cure, is caused by a bacterium that devastates citrus plants and is transmitted by …

An Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample – confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) the bacteria that causes Huanglongbing (HLB) – was collected from a commercial citrus grove in the Woodcrest area of Riverside County. Confirmed by Citrus Research Board’s Jerry Dimitman Laboratory, this single adult psyllid is the first CLas-positive ACP found in a commercial citrus grove in California. While a …

On March 4, 2020, China announced market access for fresh U.S. nectarines as part of the U.S.-China Economic and Trade Agreement (ETA). This report briefly mentions the market access conditions for U.S. nectarines, discusses several key factors of China’s nectarine market (including import competition), and offers market-entry recommendations to consider when exporting fresh U.S. nectarines to China. Product Description & Access Overview On March 4, 2020, in …

To address nitrate pollution of groundwater, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has initiated a regulatory program requiring growers to utilize nitrogen management practices that mitigate nitrate loading. Because nitrogen plays such a critical role in in the growth and development of avocado trees — and because it can be difficult to ensure trees are receiving the optimal amount …

Through the years I have had many collaborators and numerous technical staff studying a wide variety of pests including California red scale, citricola scale, cottony cushion scale citrus cutworm, katydids, earwigs, Fuller rose beetle, citrus peelminer, citrus leafminer, citrus thrips, citrus red mite, snails, ants, aphids and Asian citrus psyllid as well as their natural enemies. In the early years, …

In celebrating the tradition and innovation of the State’s number one industry, agriculture, the California State Fair Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Agricultural Advisory Council, selects Bill and Carol Chandler as the Agriculturalists of the Year. The Agriculturalist of the Year award is presented to an individual or individuals who have contributed extensively, in a professional capacity, …