Citrus pest detected in Sonoma County

Traps in a residential area east of Sonoma have confirmed the presence of a new pest that’s a bane for citrus nurseries.

Asian citrus psyllid can carry and vector a disease called citrus greening disease, or Huanglongbing, the Sonoma County Department of Agriculture / Weights & Measures today announced Thursday.

At risk are $3.4 billion worth of citrus fruit trees in California, according to the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program. It is an initiative funded by California citrus growers and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Sonoma County is part of a quarantine zone for the pest that includes Solano and Marin counties in the North Bay, the Bay Area, and counties along the Interstate 80 corridor to the Nevada border. There are six such zones in California.

“The pest does not present a threat to Sonoma County’s broader agriculture industry, including wine grape agriculture,” Sonoma County agricultural officials said.

It stated the most risk are production nurseries that buy, grow and sell citrus nursery stock, as well as local Certified Farmers Markets and producers that sell or move citrus fruit or plants.

There is only one commercial citrus producer in Sonoma County.

Plants within a 50-meter radius of the discovery site were treated with additional traps placed within four square miles of the site. Information: Department of Agriculture / Weights & Measures 707-565-2371 or email SonomaAg@sonoma-county.org.