A highly contagious bacterial disease harmful to most varieties of citrus plants has spread around Plaquemines Parish and is in two locations in St. John the Baptist Parish.
Those areas are in the process of being quarantined by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the LSU Agricultural Center said.
Currently, the entire parishes of Orleans and St. Bernard and portions of Jefferson, St. Charles, Lafourche and Plaquemines parishes are quarantined for citrus canker.
“The disease was first detected around 1914 in Louisiana and declared eradicated by 1940,” said LSU AgCenter “plant doctor” Raj Singh. “Citrus canker reappeared in the state in June of 2013.”
As a result, a quarantine zone was established in November 2013 to restrict the movement of citrus trees and other materials that might spread the disease.
About a month ago, the disease was found throughout Plaquemines Parish and in two locations in St. John the Baptist Parish.
Federal and state quarantine regulations prevent the movement of citrus plants, any plant parts, clippings or fruit out of quarantined zone. In addition, federal restrictions require that tools, equipment and personnel performing any service work on properties where a citrus tree is present must be disinfected with a bacterium-killing solution before leaving the property.
Citrus canker threatens the survival of Louisiana’s citrus nursery stock and fruit industry, Singh said. It causes defoliation, premature fruit drop, blemished fruit and tree decline. Severely infected trees ultimately may stop producing fruit.
Singh said citrus canker can develop rapidly in Louisiana’s hot and humid climate and there is no effective treatments that can eliminate the disease after infection.
All citrus varieties are susceptible, although some varieties are less susceptible than others, Singh said.
Listed from the most susceptible to the least susceptible citrus fruits are: grapefruit, trifoliate oranges, Mexican or Key limes, navel oranges, sour oranges, sweet oranges, lemons, satsumas, tangerines, Mandarin oranges, king oranges and kumquats.
Signs of citrus canker should be reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture at (225) 298-5410 or the Horticulture and Quarantine Division of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry at (225) 952-8100.
Source: The New Orleans Advocate