Area-Wide Spraying for Asian Citrus Psyllid in Texas and Florida

Abstract

Realizing that the Arizona citrus industry might someday have to deal with widespread ACP control, the Arizona Citrus Research Council approved a trip to Florida and Texas to investigate how ACP control was accomplished in those two states. The trips were to McAllen, Texas on 9-12 Nov 2011 and to Immokalee Florida on 17-18 Nov. 2011. In McAllen, I interviewed Dr. Mamoudou Setamou, extension entomologist for Texas A&M – Kingsville and his staff, and Mr. Ray Prewitt, president of Texas Citrus Mutual. In Florida, I interviewed Mr. Ron Hamel, manager of the Gulf Citrus Growers, and Dr. Mongi Zekri, southwest Florida Multi-County Citrus Agent, housed at the Hendry County Extension Office in LaBelle., FL. The author hopes that some of this information can be used in the development of an Area Wide Spray Plan in Arizona.