Power to the plant people!
May 12, 2011
The purpose the Division of Plant Industry is to detect, intercept and control plant and honey bee pests that threaten Florida’s native and commercially grown plants and agricultural resources. DPI is able to carry out its purpose because of the dedicated individuals who work each day to support the division’s mission. DPI doesn’t exist as a government agency that simply regulates and industry. DPI functions as a dynamic community of scientists, communicators, administrators, inspectors and supporters who work together to protect Florida’s environment and agriculture industry.
Last week, DPI hosted its annual Spring Awards Luncheon at the Gainesville headquarter office, with subsequent luncheons at branch office locations. This awards function is an opportunity to recognize individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty to serve Floridians. It’s a good thing DPI hosted its Gainesville awards luncheon along with a Cinco de Mayo feast because it wasn’t a short ceremony. There were several hundred award winners. Going above and beyond normal job duties to serve Florida’s environment, agriculture industry and citizens is part of DPI’s work culture. Working at DPI isn’t just about the job; it’s about making a difference.
From our helpline operators who spend their days answering complex questions from consumers about anything from fruit shipment regulations to hibiscus pests, to our scientists who research impactful diseases, pathogens and organisms to keep the agriculture industry and environment healthy, to our personnel staff and training officers who keep our organization operating at its full potential, DPI employees contribute to Florida’s greater good on a daily basis. DPI is a place where people work to serve people. We’re here to serve you.
Whether you need a plant identified or house plants certified for movement across state lines, or whether you’re a citrus grower concerned with the health of your crop or a beekeeper looking for further training, you can contact DPI and talk to a person who cares about your questions, concerns and needs.
DPI Contact Info:
Website: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/
Physical Address: 1911 SW 34th St., Gainesville, FL 32608
Toll-free Helpline: 888-397-1517
You can also click on the icons in the right side bar to connect with us through our social media platforms.
New Pest Alert: European Pepper Moth
December 3, 2010
The European Pepper Moth, Duponchelia fovealis Zeller (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a Mediterranean Pest Moth Discovered in Central Florida
Photograph credit: Robin Barfoot
The European pepper moth, Duponchelia fovealis, was detected outside a wholesale nursery in Orlando, Orange County, Florida, on October 13, 2010, and a nursery in Apopka, also Orange County, Florida, on October 14, 2010. The specimens were collected by a USDA-APHIS-PPQ inspector during a national survey triggered by finds in other US states. The European pepper moth was first reported in North America in 2004. This species had not previously been collected in Florida. It is highly likely it entered Florida via the transport of infested plants or other nursery material from other states.
See entire pest alert from DPI (PDF)
Questions or comments? E-mail us at dpi-blog@doacs.state.fl.us
December Weed of the Month: The Japanese Climbing Fern
December 3, 2010
Most common in the Panhandle and in Florida’s peninsula, the Japanese climbing fern, Lygodium japonicum, It is most often found in cut over flatwoods, pine plantations, roadsides and other disturbed sites, but it is becoming a pest in natural areas where it smothers native vegetation with its rank growth. Like so many other weeds, the Japanese climbing fern was originally introduced as an ornamental. It escaped cultivation and is now classified as a noxious weed by the states of Florida and Alabama. For more information about the Japanese climbing fern, please visit DPI’s Botany webpage.
Please direct questions or comments to dpi-blog@doacs.state.fl.us.
Photograph courtesy of James Tear, Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
“It’s beginning to look a lot like…” citrus season.
December 3, 2010
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
The Rundown on the New Firewood Rule
November 18, 2010
In order to protect Florida’s forests and trees, Florida established a firewood and unprocessed wood product regulation to prevent the introduction of unwanted wood pests and diseases into the state in August. This rule was developed as a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, other states and multiple industries.
Since 1980, more than 500 new species of insects and mites have been collected in Florida and are considered established. Florida’s list of most unwanted pests is growing, and pests in other states could spread to Florida through the movement of infested firewood. Some of these pests are:
- Asian longhorned beetle: attacks, weakens and kills healthy hardwood trees
- Emerald ash borer: kills most varieties of healthy ash trees
- European wood wasp: infects many species of pine trees with fungus which kills the trees
- Sudden oak death: weakens and kills oak trees; Rhododendron is a common host
- Redbay ambrosia beetle: infects and kills redbay trees with fungus within months
The firewood rule, Rule 5B-65 Firewood and Unprocessed Wood Products, establishes regulations to prevent the spread of these unwanted pests in Florida.
5B-65 Rule Requirements Summary:
- Commercial shipments of regulated articles will be allowed entry into Florida with a permit. Uncertified or infested shipments or regulated articles shall be quarantined, issued a Stop Sale and Hold Order, or denied entry into Florida.
- Non-commercial shipments of regulated articles entering the state through the Department’s agricultural interdiction stations without certification will be allowed entry only when issued a Report of Non-Commercial (Homeowner) Plants or Firewood Certification in Transit from Other States.
- Commercial shipments of regulated articles moving intrastate are required to be accompanied by a certificate of inspection.
- Locally produced or harvested firewood and unprocessed wood products harvested or produced within a 50-mile radius of the distribution point and not moved more than 50 miles from the point of origin are exempted and may be transported from areas contiguous to Florida without a certificate of treatment if the articles are accompanied by a proper bill of lading, proof of origin and any applicable federal certificates for shipments originating from a USDA-regulated area.
- No locally produced firewood outside Miami-Dade County may enter Miami-Dade County unless treated and certified by the Department.
Rule Exemptions:
- Cut Christmas trees may enter the state provided they are accompanied by a federal certificate required for movement from regulated areas of the United States or a certificate of inspected issued by the Department of Agriculture in the state of origin.
- Primary and secondary forest products originating from states contiguous to Florida and transported from processing at mills and plants may enter the state.
- Commercial shipments of processed mulch or processed wood chips for cooking destined for further distribution at retail outlets may enter the state.
Questions or comments can be sent to dpi-blog@doacs.state.fl.us.
What’s in a name? Peach fruit fly find impacts much more than peaches.
November 17, 2010
“What’s in a name, That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet?”
-Juliet, Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet tries to convey the idea that a name does not necessarily provide an accurate meaning. With the discovery of a peach fruit fly in Miami-Dade County earlier this month, some Floridians might be wondering what could be causing the concern over the fly. Florida might not be as well known for peach production as its neighbor to the north, Georgia, but the peach fruit fly poses a serious risk to Florida’s environment and agriculture industry. Don’t let the name fool you. The peach fruit fly has an appetite for more than just peaches.
- Peach Fruit Fly
A peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata, was found in a trap in a guava tree in Miami-Dade County by a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector during routine surveillance activities earlier this month, marking the first Florida find for this particular species of fruit fly. The peach fruit fly is considered one of world’s most serious fruit fly pests due to its potential economic harm. It attacks many different fruits, vegetables and nuts, including mango, guava, citrus, eggplant, tomato, apple, peach, melon, loquat, almond and fig. The fruit flies lay their eggs in the fruits and vegetables, and in a few days, the eggs hatch and maggots render the fruits or vegetables inedible.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, along with its federal counterpart, has launched an intensified trapping program in an 79-square-mile area surrounding the fruit fly find. If more flies are found, trapping will continue, and an insecticide may be applied to telephone poles along with a substance that attracts the flies. The public will be notified 24 hours prior to the application of any insecticides or other treatment activities, and if necessary, additional outreach activities will be conducted to provide all relevant information.
Agricultural officials are attempting to determine the source of the fruit that carried this fly into Florida. If you have any information on the possible origin of this fly, please report it to the USDA’s anti-smuggling hotline at 1-800-877-3835.
The peach fruit fly marks the third exotic fruit fly find in Florida this year. In June, Mediterranean fruit flies were trapped in Palm Beach County, and a full-scale, three-month eradication program was conducted—one of the shortest in U.S. history. In August, two Oriental fruit flies were found in a trap in Pinellas County, where trapping continues and no additional flies have been found. This year alone, about $7 million has been spent on the Palm Beach and Pinellas county programs. However, $7 million is a much lower figure than would be associated with the potential economic harm caused by untreated fruit fly infestations.
“What these multiple incursions of exotic fruit flies into Florida are telling us is that even with our successful statewide fruit fly detection and monitoring efforts and preventative sterile fly release program, harmful pests and diseases are still being brought into the state by the traveling public,” said Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson. “We must continue to raise public awareness about the risks associated with moved agricultural products without proper certification. We’re asking the public to refrain from bringing any plant material in from another country to reduce the incidence of invasive pests.”
State and federal agencies will work with local governments to keep the public involved and to provide updated information. More information can be found on the department’s website, including maps of the detection area and detailed information on the peach fruit fly.
How can you help keep the story of Florida agriculture from becoming a tragedy like Romeo and Juliet? When you travel, don’t pack a pest!
Need more info? Call our toll-free helpline at 888-397-1517 or e-mail us at dpi-blog@doacs.state.fl.us.
Shoo, Medfly, don’t bother me.
September 20, 2010
After a summer of battle with the infamous Mediterranean fruit fly, DPI came out victorious. The state’s Division of Plant Industry, along with its federal counterparts, worked diligently to eradicate the Medfly and continue to protect Florida’s agriculture industry, environment and economy from the potential devastation this pest could bring to the state.
Commissioner Bronson announced September 1 that eradication has been declared in the Medfly outbreak in Palm Beach County. This means that regulations have been lifted and fruit movement is no longer prohibited. Eradication is achieved when three life cycles of the Medfly, or about 60 days, have passed without finding another wild Medfly.
The Medfly is considered the most serious of the world’s fruit fly pests due to its potential economic harm and threat to our food supply. It attacks more than 250 different fruits, vegetables and nuts, including oranges, grapefruit, lemons, apples, guava, mango, tomatoes and peppers. Population growth may be explosive, as females are capable of producing hundreds of eggs.
The Medfly eradication program was successful because of the outstanding efforts of DPI’s Incident Control Team. However, credit is due to the Floridians who cooperated with the eradication efforts. Eradication programs cannot be successful without public support.
Federal and state agriculture officials will continue to educate the public about the risks associated with bringing agricultural products illegally into the state that may harbor harmful pests and diseases like the Medfly. Illegal agricultural products are often introduced into the state unknowingly by visitors. However, one piece of infested fruit likely cause this multi-million dollar eradication program that prevented residents from enjoying, and businesses from selling, their fruit and vegetables for a three-month period, and could have potentially wiped out entire crops.
Help keep Florida Medfly-free! Keep our message in mind: “Don’t Pack a Pest — when traveling, don’t move agricultural products.” Also, purchasing plants from registered Florida nurseries and reporting suspicious plant pests and diseases helps to protect the state. More information can be found on DPI’s website, and you can also call our toll-free help number at 888-397-1517 or e-mail us at DPI-blog@doacs.state.fl.us.
Go green with Florida avocados.
September 13, 2010
Just like almost any other fruit, avocados come in a variety of varieties. There are dark, wrinkly-skinned avocados. There are big, green shiny avocados. There are avocados of all shapes and sizes grown on trees in backyards in South Florida and commercial groves. With 56 avocado varieties grown in Florida alone, it can be difficult to decide which kind to choose when walking through your grocery store’s produce section or your local farmers market. While everyone has a preference for the types of produce they like to consume, we tend to have one suggestion when it comes to picking out avocados: go green.
Avocados are grown commercially in only two states. California is known for its dark-colored Hass avocados, whereas shiny, smooth-skinned green avocados are grown in Florida. Although avocados as a whole are considered one of the highest sources of unsaturated fat in fruits and vegetables, Florida avocados have fewer calories and grams of fat than other varieties. They are also a great source of vitamin A and potassium. Literature produced by Sarasota County Extension compares the nutritional qualities of Florida and California avocados in a 3.5-ounce serving. It shows that a 3.5-ounce serving of Florida avocado has 112 calories and 8.87 grams of fat. The same serving of California avocado has 177 calories and 17.3 grams of fat.
Florida avocado growers in South Florida not only provide a tasty product that holds its own in terms of nutrition, but also strive to meet the consumer desire for foods grown closer to home. Next time you go to the store or market to purchase avocados, remember to go green and choose Fresh from Florida avocados.
We strive to help Florida avocado growers produce exceptional fruit by working to reduce the spread of a plant disease that threatens the avocado industry. Laurel wilt is a disease caused by a fungus that is carried to trees in the Laurel family, like avocado trees, by the invasive redbay ambrosia beetle. Because this beetle infests trees, it can very easily be harbored in firewood or other unprocessed wood and spread throughout the state. You can help reduce the spread of Laurel wilt and the redbay ambrosia beetle by purchasing local firewood and burning it all on site instead of bringing it home with you. Also, if you purchase avocado or other host trees, make sure to buy them from a registered nursery.
To learn more about the insect (redbay ambrosia beetle) and the disease (Laurel wilt), visit our Save the Guac website at http://www.savetheguac.com. You can even request a free Save the Guac bumper sticker! If you’d like to talk to us via telephone, call our toll-free helpline at 888-397-1517.
Have questions? You can always e-mail us at DPI-blog@doacs.state.fl.us.
Scooped and sliced or served cut “inside-out”, mixed into salsas or smoothies, served in ice cream or fresh off of the tree, mangos are a tasty Florida treasure.
Mango trees are a popular choice for backyard fruit trees in Florida.
Mangos are grown commercially in Florida in Miami-Dade, Lee and Palm Beach counties, but the fruit trees are a common sight in backyards of south Florida residents. Tall evergreen trees provide this flavorful fruit that just beckons you to slice one open over the sink and enjoy. Mangos are called the “king of fruits” for a reason. However, this year some communities in Florida aren’t able to enjoy their mangos like in years past.
This summer marks a battle between the federal and state plant regulatory agencies and the Mediterranean fruit fly, which attacks over 260 host plants in Florida, including our king of fruits, the mango. Representatives from the USDA and the state Division of Plant Industry have been working tirelessly to eradicate wild Mediterranean fruit flies discovered this past June.
The Medfly lays its eggs inside host fruits, ruining and rotting the fruit, and can infest trees to the point that edible fruit isn’t an option. Fortunately, our efforts are proving successful so far, and mangos will hopefully be able to remain “king” in Florida.
We want you to be able to enjoy your mangos every year. Help us help you.
You can find more information on our Web site at http://www.fl-dpi.com.
Since we know you love mangos so much, here are a few recipes to try from our Fresh from Florida chef:
Mango Kugel
Tropical Mango Sorbet
Fresh Strawberry-Mango Milkshake
Mango Enchilada
Mango Upside-Down Cake
Mucho Mango Bread Pudding
Mango Pancakes
Also try these kid-friendly recipes:
Fruit Muffins
Avocado Mango Salsa
History tends to repeat itself.
July 19, 2010
“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
