The primary threat to California’s commercial and residential citrus is a deadly disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB) and is spread by an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri (Kuwayama). ACP established itself in the eight (8) southernmost counties of California and has been found in limited numbers in Alameda, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Marin, Merced, Monterey, Placer, Sacramento, San Benito, Sonoma San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Yolo Counties. ACP has the potential to spread the disease-causing bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), to all of California's citrus growing areas, including both commercial and residential citrus. The ACP/HLB vector-disease complex brought economic devastation to Florida's citrus industry and carries the same potential to devastate California’s citrus growing areas. The Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division (CPDPD) has established regional quarantines for ACP throughout California and portions of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura Counties are under quarantine for HLB. It is imperative that ACP control and HLB eradication activities continue uninterrupted in order to protect the state's citrus industry and residential citrus trees. As recommended in the Area-Wide Control of ACP Technical Working Group Report (final report, February 9, 2009), implementing an effective ACP-suppression program will “sustain commercial production of citrus and allow time for research to provide more effective, long-term solutions.” CDFA’s goal is to sustain and protect commercial citrus production and residential citrus while long-term solutions for sustaining citrus production are developed. In 2023, California led the nation in citrus production, producing over $2.2 billion or about 92 percent of the citrus grown for fresh market consumption. Currently, the CPDPD will provide up to six (6) Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD trucks to retrofit with a pesticide spray rig for use in ACP treatment. These trucks will be used on an on-going basis for the treatment of ACP. CPDPD treatment trucks will allow a quicker response time for newly confirmed HLB or ACP detections.
