The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has this week confirmed the presence of citrus black spot in Florida, following the collection of a suspect sample in Collier County.
The routine grove survey, carried out by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry at the end of March, threw up the possibility of a black spot find, with subsequent testing verifying this fact.
'This detection demonstrates the effective and collaborative nature of the citrus health response programme,' said Rebecca Bech, deputy administrator for APHIS plant protection and quarantine. 'It has not only provided the infrastructure upon which we made this early detection but also the framework for APHIS' quick response.
The fungal disease is marked by dark spots or blotches on the rinds of fruit, causing early fruit drop, reducing yields and rendering highly blemished fruit unmarketable. The most vulnerable citrus varieties are lemons and late-maturing varieties, such as Valencia.
'We are working in collaboration with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the University of Florida's Citrus Research and Education Centre and the citrus industry to limit the spread and impact of this disease through swift regulatory actions, education and informed compliance,' Ms Bech added.
Black spot occurs in sub-tropical regions of the world with summer rainfall, and has been found in a number of countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Swaziland, areas of South Africa with summer rainfall, Taiwan, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
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