How Does a New Citrus Virus Pop Up in California?
It’s time for your Southeast Regional Ag News. I’m Haylie Shipp on the Ag information Network.
We are continuing on with part two of a multi-part series focused on citrus yellow vein clearing virus. For the first time in history, that virus has now been found in a residential citrus tree over in California. If you missed part one, when we talked about the finding, head on over to AgInfo.net for the details.
So the virus has been found. In a residential tree. In Tulare, California. How does this happen? Our network’s Patrick Cavanaugh caught up with Victoria Hornbaker, the Director of the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division of the California Department of Agriculture…
“How it got there, we don’t know. But this particular virus can be spread through grafting, so it is possible that someone brought some budwood from a different variety and grafted it.”
The Florida Department of Agriculture did release a pest alert in which they also identify insects as a cause for concern…
“It also is an insect vector disease, several different types of aphid and citrus white fly, so there’s many different possibilities of how it got to the city of Tulare.”
She added that there is evidence that this virus can be spread by sap, so even dirty pruning equipment can be a culprit.
How do you know you have it? Join us right here again tomorrow and we’ll talk about the symptoms.
