Country: United States

Title: Elsinoë australis (Sweet Orange Scab) - APHIS Establishes Quarantined Areas in California for Sweet Orange Scab (SOS)and Revises the Conditions for Movement of Regulated Fruit and Nursery Stock under the SOS Quarantine

Contact:
Angela McMellen-Brannigan, National Policy Manager for Citrus Diseases, at (301) 851-2314.

Report:

Effective immediately, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has revised the Federal Order for Elsinoë australis, the fungal causal agent of sweet orange scab (SOS), to:

• Add quarantined areas in California,
• Modifies two conditions for the movement of Citrus spp. and Fortunella spp. to commercial citrus-producing states, and
• Add an additional option for the movement of nursery stock from regulated areas.

Specifically, the Federal Order adds portions of four counties in California to the list of areas regulated for SOS: Imperial, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside. In Imperial County, the regulated areas will include 2,162 acres of citrus in Calipatria and 140 acres of citrus in Winterhaven. The Riverside County regulated area will include one nursery and 1,370 acres of citrus in Blythe. In Los Angeles County, the Pomona regulated area will encompass 13 nurseries and in neighboring San Bernardino County, the Pomona regulated area will include one nursery as well as 37 acres of citrus.

In addition, the Federal Order modifies two safeguarding measures that must be met to allow the interstate movement of fruit from SOS-regulated areas to commercial citrus-producing states. These additions will increase fruit marketing and processing opportunities, while effectively protecting non-infested citrus-producing areas from SOS. Finally, we have added options for handling and movement of nursery stock without the need for fungicide applications.

Elsinoë australis was first detected in the United States in July 2010 and is presently known to occur in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and portions of California.

To view the Federal Order and other supporting documents, please visit the APHIS website at:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/citrus/sweet_orange.shtml

Under IPPC Standards, Elsinoë australis is considered to be a pest that is present, only in some areas in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and portions of California and subject to official control in the United States.

 

Posted Date: Oct. 14, 2016, 9 a.m.