HLB quarantine expands in California

The new area expands an existing boundary into Pala and Pauma Valley.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture recently expanded the Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, quarantine boundary in the Valley Center of San Diego County due to the detection in two trees in residential neighborhoods.

The new quarantine area will expand the existing Valley Center quarantine boundaries further into Pala and Pauma Valley.

According to the County of San Diego’s Agriculture, Weights and Measurements department, HLB quarantines are still ongoing in parts of San Diego County in Oceanside, Rancho Bernardo and Fallbrook, in addition to parts of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties, where more than 8,600 trees have tested positive for the disease and been removed since 2012.

HLB is caused by the Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus bacteria and spread by the Asian citrus psyllid.

The CDFA also expanded its Asian citrus psyllid bulk citrus regional quarantine to reflect the HLB boundary expansion.

Source: The Packer