Mexico on alert for dangerous bacteria that attacks citrus-Huanglongbing

[Tonka]

http://www.cronica.com.mx/nota.php?id_nota=558603

Spanish to English translation

Jalisco alert for dangerous bacteria that attacks citrus-Huanglongbing

Notimex in Tlaquepaque | National
04/02/2011 | Creation Time: 2:02:08 | Last updated: 2:42:08


Because since the end of 2009, the first confirmed positive samples is considered the most destructive disease of citrus huanglogbing (HLB, also known as yellow dragon) in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco SAGARPA intensified their actions.

At a press conference, the delegate of SAGARPA Jalisco, Juan Antonio Gonz?lez Hern?ndez, said that before the protocol is implemented emergency action by the State Committee on Plant Health (Cesavejal).

He said that upon detection of Huanglongbing had to define the foci of infection, and has made the eradication of plants that tested positive as well as application of insecticides to control the vector, the Diaphorina citri.

He said he has continued to explore for detecting the disease, and more plants have been found positive, confirmed by laboratories in the towns of Mascota, La Huerta, San Martin Hidalgo, Ameca, Cocula, Villa Corona, Acatl?n Juarez.

In addition, we found positive psyllids Ayotl?n, El Arenal, Magdalena and Hostotipaquillo, stressed the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), and said that the HLB is also known as greening citrus.

He added that it is a bacterial disease of plants, although not dangerous to humans, destroys production, appearance and economic value of citrus trees and fruit flavor and juice.

It is the most destructive disease of citrus plants worldwide, once a tree is infected, no cure. Diseased trees produce bitter fruits, inedible, misshapen and eventually die. Therefore, said that by December 2010 have been explored in Jalisco 87 000 942 million citrus trees in February, 588 gardens (cumulative) in 10.830 hectares, benefiting 764 thousand producers.

In backyard gardens, has been revised in the municipalities of Puerto Vallarta, primarily, as well as Tomatl?n, San Sebastian del Oeste, Casimiro Castillo, La Huerta, San Martin de Hidalgo and Ayotl?n in 48,294 backyard gardens, in 7,909 apples.

[Tonka]

Re: Jalisco alert for dangerous bacteria that attacks citrus-Huanglongbing

More information-

http://www.spc.int/pps/PDF%20PALs/PAL%2045%20HLB.pdf

Snip-
HLB has been common for decades in Asian countries
close to the Pacifi c Islands, such as Malaysia, Vietnam, the
Philippines and Indonesia, and is also a new arrival in South
America, having been confirmed in Brazil in 2004. The
disease does not occur in Australia, New Zealand or North
America and, with the exception of Florida in the USA, the
vector is also absent from these countries. Apart from the
island of New Guinea, both HLB and the citrus psyllid are
also absent from the Pacific region. A report that the disease
was found in the Fiji Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Palau in
the mid 1990s (Kiritani and Su 1999) is now thought to be a
mistake. Generally, the arrival of the psyllid in a new region
has been followed by an outbreak of the disease within a few
years, as happened on the island of New Guinea

[Tonka]

Re: Mexico on alert for dangerous bacteria that attacks citrus-Huanglongbing

http://www.radioformula.com.mx/notas.asp?Idn=163971

Spanish to English translation

Create wall to avoid plague advance Tamaulipas (yellow dragon")
March 27, 2011
The Program Coordinator Huanglongbing Detection and Control, HLB or "yellow dragon", Ricardo Alvarez Ram?rez felt that the damage to the economy "would be brutal" as citrus activity depend directly and indirectly over 250 thousand people.

Ciudad Victoria .- The Program Coordinator Huanglongbing Detection and Control, HLB or "yellow dragon", Ricardo Alvarez Ramirez warned that if there is no putting a retaining wall to this scourge and reaches Tamaulipas, 50 percent of the citrus industry could disappear in just six years.

Considered that the damage to the economy "would be brutal" as citrus activity depend directly and indirectly over 250 thousand people, so if the "yellow dragon" is not contained, at least 125 000 workers would be without a source of income.

"We're talking about the owners of the gardens, shops that sell products for the citrus sector and to the pickers," he said.

He said that according to studies by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), it is estimated that this pest arrived to Tamaulipas in less than six years away with the 50 percent of the orchards that are currently producing.

"Tamaulipas year generates an output of 460 thousand tons of citrus, so the losses would be about 230 thousand tons, and would stop receiving more than 250 million pesos," he said.

He noted that currently the state has an area of 44 000 hectares of citrus, particularly orange, grapefruit, tangerine and lemon, which represent an important source of income for families in the central region of the state.

He said that this year the federal government has allocated a budget of 11.5 million pesos, which seeks to combat the arrival of this pest in Tamaulipas.

"This is one of the strongest pests that have occurred throughout the history of citrus, so the state and the federation and are taking steps to put a halt when it reaches Tamaulipas" he said.

For his part, President of the Mexican Council of Citrus Ausencio Mata Medina reported that they are fighting for the free trade agreement, which is to be signed between Mexico and Peru, this product is excluded, since in that country there Mediterranean fruit fly, a very damaging pest for fruit and vegetables.


Notimex

[Tonka]

Re: Mexico on alert for dangerous bacteria that attacks citrus-Huanglongbing

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/755878.html

Spanish to English translation

Plague affects 30% of citrus in Colima
Dragon disease detected in 440 orchards in nine municipalities of the state
Colima, Colima | Thursday March 31, 2011
Quiles Alfredo Cabrera | The Universal
15:21

Nine of the ten municipalities of the State of Colima and record the pest of citrus known as Yellow Dragon , or HLB, affecting up to date about 30% of the cultivated area in the state, according to the State Plant Health Committee, through general coordinator, Roberto Flores Virgin.

He said that currently 30% of the area planted to citrus in Colima, mainly of Mexican lime has HLB disease, according to the work during this time has made the State Committee on Plant Health in the state, which means at least more than 440 gardens in nine cities are contaminated.

Virgen Flores, coordinator of the campaign against HLB, reported that the disease has been looking at almost 18 000 hectares and so far the disease has been detected in these more than 440 citrus groves and Persian lemon, Mexican lime and orange.

In Colima , there are 25 thousand hectares of lemon, which are grown by 3,600 farmers, with 500 tons of lime annually collected, of which 300 are available in fruit and 200 are to the industry, all of which generate an economic one thousand 400 million pesos which represents 18% of GDP in the agricultural area.

Virgen Flores explained that one can say that almost 30% of the area of Colima has HLB because it is estimated that each infected plant may have another 20 to 40 more.

In addition to these figures, also confirmed that the disease has been looking at trees that are located in the urban road and damaged plants were found in the community of Cerro de Ortega, Tecom?n urban area, in Brotherhood of Juarez, Reyes , in the municipality of Armory, and in the urban community of Campos in the municipality of Manzanillo, in the same port city.

He explained that the only municipality that has not been reported citrus disease or Yellow Dragon is in the municipality of Cuauht?moc, however minimal surface, citrus is the only one, but we focus the activity to citrus-producing area " he said.

With respect to urban areas mentioned that are using a paraffin oil for pest control Diaphorina , "have made oil sprays Cerro de Ortega y Tecom?n but the idea is to make the entire state."

In closing, he mentioned that you work against the disease with a well-studied structure "is sampled, are eliminated and then pass the oil brigade, ie no search, sampling, demolition, use of protective and release of the bee for biological control. "

However, the disease spreads and recorded in large parts of Colima, which could be serious for the production of lime in the State of Colima.