COPF: Citrus orchard perimeter fencing as a strategy for reducing Asian citrus psyllid (Hemiptera:Liviidae) infestation

Abstract

Citrus grove colonization by the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) starts from border trees. This behaviour can be exploited by placing barriers along grove borders to prevent psyllid incursion and thwart population establishment and growth. We tested the effects of psyllid‐resistant mesh fencing along grove borders for season‐long control of D. citri populations. Deployment of sticky cards at different heights revealed that most D. citri (>99%) were collected on traps placed at or below 3.7 m along grove border. Thus, psyllid‐resistant mesh fencing (3.7 m in height) was installed along the eastern and southern borders of a 3‐year‐old grapefruit grove to protect against D. citri infestations, while the west and north edges were left unprotected. A similar adjacent grove with no border fencing served as untreated control. A reduction of 55%–98% of D. citri numbers was observed in the grove with border fences relative to the untreated control. D. citri density reductions were more pronounced on the sides with border fences suggesting that the observed effects were due to the mesh fencing. Thus, border mesh fencing as a standalone approach or coupled with other management strategies, such as border sprays, could be an effective psyllid management strategy. The season‐long benefits of border fences are not limited to D. citri population control, but also significant reductions of insecticide input and nontarget effects, thus substantially mitigating the risks of secondary pest outbreaks and ensuring the sustainability of D. citri management in citrus groves.

An optical system to detect, surveil, and kill flying insect vectors of human and crop pathogens

“…It could be emplaced on conveyances such as truck trailers and railroad cars that transfer livestock and produce to prevent flying vectors from entering or exiting the cargo area. Further development of the Photonic Fence system will permit its deployment around open agricultural production areas such as orchards, vineyards, crop fields and pastures to reduce the level of flying vector infiltration into these areas 215 – 217 . The ability to establish protective active zones will be particularly helpful to combat exotic invasive vectors that have a high capacity to kill crops, such as the Asian citrus psyllid transmitting Candidatus Liberibacter species in citrus groves 151 , 152 .…”

Seasonal Patterns in the Frequency of Candidatus Liberibacter Asiaticus in Populations of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in Florida

“…This approach ensured that each sample was representative of a location and minimally skewed by the status of an individual tree within that grove. Considering that psyllids often prefer field edges [ 4 , 65 , 66 ], these locations were often searched first, though other locations were included. We used the sweep net method because it enabled the collection of a sufficient sample in a few hours, even at low abundances.…”

The Asian Citrus Greening Disease (Huanglongbing): Evidence Note on Invasiveness and Potential Economic Impacts for East Africa

“…Reduced-risk insecticides with systemic action (applied to the soil) have been used as alternatives to broad-spectrum insecticides in IPM for ACP in the US (Boina and Bloomquist, 2015) to try to preserve the diversity of biological control agents and maintain ecological stability. Research has shown that 96% of adult psyllids fly at heights less than 7 ft, and >99% of ACP fly at less than 9 ft. Fencing with ACP-impermeable mesh on the perimeters of an orchard, which extends above these heights, has been shown to substantially reduce psyllid introduction into orchards (Sétamou et al, 2018). Live windbreaks at borders, while potentially not as effective as fencing, have also been shown to reduce psyllid numbers in orchards (Martini et al, 2015).…”