By:
Chuck Woods (352) 392-0400Source(s):
Holly Chamberlain holly102@ufl.edu, 863-956-1151
Pete Timmer lwtimmer@ufl.edu, 863-956-1151
LAKE ALFRED, Fla. — At a time when Florida’s citrus industry is threatened by two devastating diseases – canker and greening – University of Florida extension agents are getting the word out to citrus growers, nurserymen, landscapers, home owners and others about controlling the spread of the bacterial diseases before they do irreparable harm to the $9.3 billion industry.
“Eradicating canker may no longer be possible so we are focusing on post-eradication management strategies,” said Holly Chamberlain, coordinator of the citrus canker education program at UF’s Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. “At the same time, we are also educating these groups about citrus greening, which was detected in August 2005 and can kill citrus trees.”
She said Florida sacrificed more than 11 million citrus trees over the last 10 years in a struggle to keep citrus canker from spreading, but all of that effort was wiped out in just a few short hours in October 2005 when Hurricane Wilma rampaged through the heart of the state’s groves, spreading the bacterium far and wide.
“To make matters even worse, we’re now faced with citrus greening, a disease that is potentially even more destructive than canker,” Chamberlain said. “Infected trees need to be removed to slow the spread of greening, which is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid.”
Chamberlain said the extension education effort has been effective in reducing the negligent spread of citrus canker by educating citrus industry employees about decontamination practices and avoiding the movement of infected plant material, especially during rainy or wet conditions.
“Since its inception, the canker education program has kept pace with the changes and impacts on the industry, including hurricanes and adjustments in prices and acreage, all of which are related,” Chamberlain said. “We cover all aspects of the disease, including citrus canker biology, epidemiology, history and regulations.
“However, in the industry’s current battle against canker post-eradication, we are focused on helping growers find solutions,” she said. “This entails establishing an integrated grove management plan, including early detection through regular inspection coupled with use of windbreaks, copper sprays, decontamination and other exclusion or suppression strategies.”
She said the goal is to educate all client groups to adopt behaviors that will help make citrus canker a manageable disease. Education efforts have largely focused on the residential citrus plantings which can serve as a source of inoculum to nearby groves. The other significant part of the education program is geared toward the commercial citrus industry, which is highly aware of the risks and impact of canker spreading to new areas.
“We provide training to both groups on how to prevent or slow that potential spread,” she said. “Statewide citrus canker education activities have also focused on the national and international aspects of the disease. We are sharing our experiences here in Florida to other citrus producing states as well as learning from countries that have endemic canker and how they struggle to manage the disease.”
In cooperation with state and federal agencies during 2004 and 2005, the education program has provided citrus canker training to more than 4,200 residents, extension agents and regulatory personnel, Chamberlain said. “In addition, we have presented training to more than 3,500 English-speaking and 1,500 Spanish-speaking commercial citrus workers.”
Working with Chamberlain on the project are various multi-county extension agents and Pete Timmer, a professor of plant pathology at the Lake Alfred center. The extension education program, which is part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, collaborates with regulatory agencies such as the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reach a broader audience and provide accurate information on rules and regulations regarding invasive pests and diseases such as citrus canker.
Chamberlain said educational materials – ranging from fact sheets and PowerPoint presentations to videos and training modules for extension Master Gardeners – have been produced and presented to these and other groups. Most recently, DVDs have been distributed statewide to the citrus industry on grove inspection, decontamination, and management. A citrus canker education display is being used at county fairs, meetings, seminars, workshops and other events. All of the information is available on extension’s citrus canker Web site: http://canker.ifas.ufl.edu.
When the canker education program started, extension’s Master Gardener groups became a key part of the effort. “Their information about planning and maintaining urban, surburban and rural landscapes emphasizes environmental stewardship,” said Tom Wichman, a UF extension agent in Gainesville who coordinates the Master Gardener program.
“Master Gardeners are active in county extension offices and plant disease diagnostic clinics, and they handle phone calls regarding pest and disease management. For these reasons, the program is an essential part of our canker education program,” he said.
Information about the Master Gardener program can be found at the following Web site: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/mg/. A UF fact sheet for homeowners on citrus canker is available on the Electronic Document Information Source (EDIS) Web site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PP116.
Twenty counties have been impacted by citrus canker during the past 10 years: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Sarasota and St. Lucie counties.
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