Country: United States

Title: Guignardia citricarpa (Citrus Black Spot) – APHIS Updates the Quarantine Area in Florida

Contact:
Angela McMellen-Brannigan, Citrus Disease National Policy Manager, at 301-851-2314.

Report:

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is adding six sections in Collier County and 26 sections in Hendry County to the citrus black spot (CBS) quarantine area in Florida. This action responds to the confirmation of CBS during surveys conducted by APHIS and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (DPI). These new sections in Collier and Hendry Counties are near areas that have previously been found positive for CBS.

APHIS is applying safeguarding measures and restrictions on the interstate movement or entry into foreign trade of regulated articles from the quarantine. Regulated articles from quarantine areas are subject to all interstate movement conditions outlined in a Federal Order that was issued on March 16, 2012. The requirements of the Federal Order are parallel to DPI's state-interior quarantine.

A list of the current CBS quarantine areas, Federal Orders issued for CBS, and the APHIS-approved packinghouse procedures for CBS may be found at:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/planthealth/blackspot

CBS was first identified in Florida in 2010 in Collier and Hendry Counties. Symptoms of CBS are most evident on mature fruit and typically remain latent on leaves with little to no symptom development until after the leaves die. Fresh citrus fruit that is moved interstate from the CBS quarantine areas must be packed in commercial citrus packinghouses operating under a compliance agreement with APHIS and the fruit must be processed using APHIS-approved methods. Citrus plant parts other than treated fresh fruit is prohibited from movement outside the quarantine area.

Under IPPC Standards, Guignardia citricarpa is considered to be a pest that is present, only in some areas in Florida, and subject to official control to limit its spread in the United States.

Posted Date: June 9, 2017, 9 a.m.