Pledge an Act of Green: Monitor for Citrus Diseases

Florida is known for its sunshine and citrus, but those involved with the citrus industry know the dangers associated with growing the fruit due to the introduction of citrus pests and diseases. Abandoned citrus groves, the unregulated movement of citrus fruit and plant parts and the state’s vulnerability to exotic pests as a hub for tourism all contribute to the problems that result from citrus pests and diseases.

Citrus canker, citrus greening, citrus black spot and the Asian citrus psyllid all currently affect the Florida citrus industry. Even if you do not commercially grow citrus, you can help stop the spread of these pests and diseases by raising your awareness and monitoring for them. You can check out our Citrus Health Response website for all kinds of information on citrus health in Florida, and even use our interactive citrus disease identification tool.

With Earth Day coming up this Friday, you can take part in the Pledge and Act of Green movement by pledging to monitor for citrus pests and diseases in your yard. If you suspect you have a citrus disease, call DPI’s toll-free helpline at 888-397-1517. For more information about Earth Day, visit http://www.earthday.org.

Numbers don’t lie.

Have you ever looked inside the Florida Agricultural Statistical Directory? If you’ve ever wondered how important agriculture is to Florida, or why government agencies are in place to protect the agriculture industry, you’ll find your answer there. Agriculture contributes almost $100 billion to the state’s economy, and there are a variety of environmental factors that can reduce the industry’s productivity. Divisions like the DPI help protect segments of agriculture, and therefore protect the state’s food supply and economic stability. Just how much does DPI protect? Check out the numbers below.

Total cash receipts for Florida nursery and greenhouse products were almost $2 billion in 2008. Sales for fresh market vegetables reached more than $1.3 billion, with production on 183,100 acres in 2009. During the 2008-2009 season, Florida citrus growers produced 162.4 million boxes of oranges and 21.7 million boxes of grapefruit.  Greenhouse and nursery products generate the most cash receipts of all Florida commodities, with the more well-known citrus coming in second. Floriculture and horticulture products make up a large majority of Florida exports.

From Mediterranean fruit fly eradiation to nursery inspections, DPI protects Florida’s plant and apiary industries from pests and diseases, and therefore protects the state’s economy. For more information, visit http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi.

“You gotta fight for your right to party.”

It looks like the Packers and the Steelers are going to duke it out during the Super Bowl on February 6. Regardless of which team you’re rooting for, every fan has to eat. Last week, we shared a post about how some of our favorite party foods, like guacamole, are at risk due to plant pests and diseases in Florida. With pests and diseases entering the sentinel state of Florida at an alarming rate, it is important for all Floridians to get involved in protecting the state’s food supply. Let’s take a look at a few recipes for game day grub that could be impacted by invasive plant pests and diseases.

7-Layer Dip
With layers of refried beans, guacamole, salsa, lettuce and tomatoes, 7-Layer Dip is always a party favorite. Between the pea leafminer and lettuce mosaic virus, lettuce is closely monitored by DPI to reduce the possibility of spreading pests throughout the state. Tomatoes are a popular fruit among pests and diseases from leaffooted bugs to tomato spotted wilt virus. If you grow your own tomatoes, keep an eye out for potential pests and seek advice from your local county extension office if you suspect a squatter on your plants.

Spicy Guacamole
DPI is an avocado’s advocate in terms of pest and disease prevention. Check out the division’s Save the Guac campaign for more information about the redbay ambrosia beetle and laurel wilt and how they affect trees of the Laurel family, like avocado. Each time you enjoy fresh guacamole, remember you can make a difference in protection avocado production in Florida.

Red and Green Quiche Bites
Florida produces its fair share of peppers. Peppers are currently in season, and make a great fresh addition to quiche. Peppers are threatened by the European pepper moth, a pest of concern at DPI.

Smoky Veggie Quesadillas
Yum! The great state of Florida is home to winter vegetable production. DPI monitors for fruit fly pests, which can also have veggies as hosts. By staying up-to-date with trappings and responding to exotic insect finds, the division helps to protect Florida’s vegetable industry to keep its produce in the grocery store and in your quesadillas.

Curry Cran-Orange Snack Mix Recipe
This dish takes a twist on snack mix. Citrus has been under attack by pests and diseases for many years, and is now faced with canker, greening, black spot and harmful insects. How can you help protect Florida’s infamous citrus industry? Don’t pack a pest, and follow quarantine and shipping regulations to reduce the spread of disease.

Mixed Berry Pizza
A healthier choice than greasy pepperoni, mixed berry pizza is the perfect addition to your game day snack list. It’s berry season in Florida, which means it’s time for DPI to inspect blueberries. Fresh, safe winter fruit is definitely a perk to living in the Sunshine State.

Sensational Campfire S ‘mores
Nothing ends a great day of football and food like a solid fire and warm s ‘mores. If you’re planning to build a fire, make sure to purchase only local firewood. Firewood and other unprocessed wood products can harbor harmful insects like the redbay ambrosia beetle and emerald ash borer. By reducing the movement of wood throughout the state, you can help fight pests and diseases that affect Florida agriculture and the environment.

Simply being aware of pests and diseases affecting agriculture and the environment can make a huge difference in keeping safe, fresh Florida foods on your table. For more information, stop by the DPI website or call the toll-free helpline at 888-397-1517.

We’re putting a spin on citrus disease identification.

With a variety of pests and diseases affecting citrus fruits, it can be difficult for homeowners to distinguish the source of symptoms affecting their fruit. DPI is a collaborative partner with the Citrus Health Response Program, and therefore assists the program in regulating and protecting the citrus industry from harmful pests and diseases. DPI launched an interactive citrus disease identification tool that allows the user to view diseased or infested citrus fruit with a 360-degree rotation. When the user clicks “play,” the fruit starts to rotate to show a full view of the fruit for easier identification.

Check out the Citrus Disease Identification Tool.

Several resources for citrus disease identification and citrus industry updates are available on the CHRP website:
Citrus Canker
Citrus Greening
Citrus Black Spot
Also, you can view our blog post on shipping citrus.

For more information, you can reach the CHRP Helpline toll-free at 1-800-282-5153.

“It’s beginning to look a lot like…” citrus season.

When the more northern regions of the United States turn white with a blanket of snow, Florida turns orange from winter citrus production. During the 2007-2008 season, Florida accounted for 70 percent of the nation’s citrus production. This is an impressive accomplishment considering Florida’s experience with citrus diseases such as canker, greening and black spot. In order to keep Florida at the top of the nation’s citrus production, DPI works to keep citrus and citrus producers safe from diseases.

Many Floridians ship citrus fruits to their friends and family from their backyards or local groves during the holidays. Because Florida is battling citrus diseases, the USDA and FDACS/DPI are regulating the movement of citrus within and outside of the state.

USDA Certificate for Citrus Fruit Shipment

In order to ship backyard citrus fruit out of state, homeowners should take their fruit to a commercial packinghouse certified by the USDA to decontaminate their fruit. All citrus fruit crossing the state line (in plane, train, car, by mail, etc.) must be accompanied by a USDA certificate. Fruit can be shipped freely within the state of Florida.

It is important to note that citrus fruit purchased from grocery stores still has to go through the same decontamination process as backyard citrus fruit, which means it still must be accompanied by a USDA certificate in order to leave the state. If you are interested in buying gift fruit from a business to send, make sure your fruit will be shipped with the USDA certificate from the business.

Also, please note that no citrus trees or citrus plant parts (excluding fruit) can be moved across state lines by mail or any mode of transportation.

There are six commercial packinghouses certified by the USDA to decontaminate homegrown fruit. Their contact information is below. If you have any questions, please contact our Citrus Helpline at 888-397-1517, or e-mail us at dpi-blog@doacs.state.fl.us.

A.W. Crisafulli Groves (Brevard)
5515 N Courtenay Parkway
Merritt Island, FL  32953-7223
321-452-8100, 800-683-6700
Details: Minimum of ½ bushel (4 gallons)

 May Groves (N. Brevard)
1885 US Hwy 1 North
Titusville, FL  32796
321-745-8575
Contact: Barry Gainer 

Neukom Groves, Inc. (Pasco)
5409 Gall Blvd,
Zephyrhills, FL  33542-3929
813-782-5596
Fax 813-788-2048 

Poinsettia Groves (Indian River)
1481 US Hwy 1
Vero Beach, FL  32960
772-562-3356
Contact: Jeb Hudson 

The Mail Center (N. Brevard)
3206 S Hopkins Ave
Titusville, FL  32780
321-268-2255 

The Orange Shop (Marion)
PO Box 125
Citra, FL  32113-0125
800-672-6439
info@floridaorangeshop.com

History tends to repeat itself.

“I remember, too, a summer when peace and war battled for possession of the Creek and for all of Florida. The conflict was grave for us. The enemy was the Mediterranean fruit fly.” ( from Cross Creek)

In her book, Cross Creek, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings tells her own story of running a homestead in north central Florida in the early 1900s, from managing a 72-acre citrus grove to dealing with runaway farm animals. The challenges that threatened her livelihood are not so different than the challenges faced by Florida farmers and producers today. In this excerpt, Rawlings is describing her experiences and those of her neighbors in dealing with the Mediterranean fruit fly outbreak in 1929.

Adult Mediterranean fruit fly

By that time, the Mediterranean fruit fly had already been on the march for over 100 years. It had spread from its native home in sub-Saharan Africa to the countries of southern Europe and northern Africa surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It continued to spread to South America, Australia, Hawaii, and was devastating to local agriculture in all of those places.

In Florida, however, a determined effort was undertaken by the state plant board and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to eliminate this pest and was remarkably successful. For the first time ever, the Mediterranean fruit fly had been eradicated from an area it had newly colonized. Florida continues to be a leader in the ongoing battle against invasive pest fruit flies  from around the world.

We’re fighting the same enemy today that some of the first Florida farmers, like Rawlings, fought less than a hundred years ago—the Mediterranean fruit fly, now referred to as the Medfly. The conflict is still grave, and we’re fighting to preserve the livelihoods of Floridians who still make their living from the land and your ability to enjoy Florida’s variety of fruits, nuts, vegetables and flowers—all hosts to the Medfly.

Medfly larvae on fruit

Imagine you own a mango grove. You’re used to being able to go out into your grove, pick a ripe mango and enjoy the taste of fresh, locally grown fruit. However, today you pick a mango, go to take a bite, and to your horror discover it’s infested with maggots and rotting. You look around your grove and notice that your fruit has a big problem. You can’t eat your mangos, and you definitely can’t sell them. Now multiply this situation by the thousands of Floridians that grow the more than 260 different hosts of Medfly. Fruit, vegetables and nuts become harder to grow, more costly to produce and require more chemicals to control pests. Homegrown fruit and vegetables would be at risk. Welcome to the world of the Medfly.

Whether you’re an agricultural producer, or a Floridian who enjoys a backyard garden or fruit tree, the Medfly can affect your ability grow fruit and vegetables.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has been fighting to protect Florida from agricultural pests and diseases like the Medfly for years. The Medfly was eradicated from Florida again in the late 1990s and has been monitored through over 56,000 fruit fly traps around the state, but wild fruit flies were discovered in Palm Beach County last month. Since the find was confirmed as Medfly, FDACS Division of Plant Industry employees have been working on location to control the spread of this potentially devastating agricultural pest through a variety of methods.

The Medfly is a problem that impacts every Floridian. You can be part of the solution.

DPI Fruit Fly Helpline: 888-397-1517