Management
Decontamination
- Decontamination has been found to be effective for preventing the spread of citrus canker by human activity
- Decontamination solutions kill the bacteria; therefore, reduce the spread of the bacteria
- Decontamination is required by law upon exiting a citrus grove, but most growers require personnel and equipment to be decontaminated upon entering and exiting
- It is required by the Citrus Health Response Program that employees have annual decontamination training
- Trainings are available upon request from the University of Florida-IFAS (contact your local county extension agent)
Tree Removal
- Tree removal is voluntary and is no longer enforced by the state of Florida.
- In areas previously free of canker, the removal of infected citrus trees is recommended to slow disease establishment agent)
Defoliation and Pruning
- Defoliants can reduce the inoculum levels in severely affected groves, but there are no approved defoliants for citrus. High rates of legal copper fungicides or fertilizers can be used.
- Pruning is generally ineffective to control canker and should only be done under dry conditions in a selective manner.
- Pruning can cause wounds that allow the bacterium to enter the tree
Windbreaks
- Windbreaks have been proven to slow wind to below 18 mph (8 m/s) and to be highly effective in reducing the spread and severity of citrus canker.
- They are more effective than copper alone as was demonstrated by Gottwald and Timmer (1995).
- For more information on the selection of windbreaks, please visit Living and Artificial Windbreaks for Citrus
Copper Sprays
- Copper is the only registered product for the prevention of citrus canker.
- Use rates indicated on the label
Leafminer control
- Leafminer galleries create wounds that allow the bacterium to enter the leaf and cause many times more infections than without leafminer.
Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide: Citrus Canker PDF
Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide: Asian Citrus Psyllid and Citrus Leafminer PDF
Links |
|
---|---|
• History | • Eradication |
• Decontamination | • Pathogen |
• Symptoms & Susceptibility | • Diseases Commonly Mistaken for Citrus Canker |
• Spread | • Management |
• Links | • Contacts |