Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Program
8.12 - Small and Mid-Size Farms
Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
SMALL BUSINESS GRANT
Division
NIFA Non Formula
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Project Director
MAFRA-NETO, AGENOR
Accession Number
229872
Grant Number
2012-33610-19998
Project Number
CALW-2012-02131
Proposal Number
2012-02131
Dates
2012-09-01 - 2015-08-31
Grant Year
2012
Cumulative Award Amount
$450,000.00
Recipient Organization
ISCA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
2060 CHICAGO AVE STE C2
RIVERSIDE,CA 92507
Keywords
candidatus liberibacter spp.
citrus greening disease
guava volatile
huanglongbing
integrated pest management.
non-polluting control
organic
repellent
semiochemicall
Research Effort
Applied (100%)
Basic (0%)
Developmental (0%)
Classification Parameters
| Knowledge Area | Subject of Investigation | Field of Science | Percent |
|---|
| 211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants |
3110 - Insects |
1130 - Entomology and acarology |
50% |
| 211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants |
999 - Citrus, general/other |
1160 - Pathology |
50% |
Non-technical Summary
The majority of US citrus growers farm less than 100 acres, producing specialty table fruit and citrus juice, with most yielding less than $200,000 in yearly farm income. Furthermore, much of the citrus acreage is being encroached upon by urban growth, making it impossible for many growers to use the limited pest management tools available. Successful completion of this project will provide citrus growers with a valuable tool for managing ACP, and reduce the risk of spreading HLB. If labeled organic, SPLAT ACP Repel has the potential for use throughout the industry, including in those orchards that cannot or do not use conventional pesticides.
Goals / Objectives
The United States is the world's second-largest orange producer after Brazil. Together, the two countries account for over half of world production. US citrus production in 2009-10 was valued at $2.88 billion (packinghouse-door value) [40]. Diaphorina citri, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), has been identified as the vector of Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. HLB is associated with the presence of the pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter spp. [7]. The Asian citrus psyllid became established in the US in 1998 in Miami [14]. With the recent invasion of California, ACP is now present in all major US citrus producing states. The HLB pathogen invariably follows the vector, with trees showing signs of the disease in approximately one to three years after infection. In Florida, the first detection of HLB in citrus trees in 2005 [14] triggered a concerted effort to detect and remove infected trees, which has now become a monumental task. In 2009 more than 1 million HLB infected citrus trees were removed from FL groves. The basis of current control methods is the cover application of conventional insecticides to suppress ACP populations; however, stakeholders believe that this strategy is not working. There is an urgent need to bring to the market new, more effective tools to manage ACP. Furthermore, in response to consumer demand, citrus growers managing ACP seek low-risk alternatives to traditional pesticides that utilize equipment they already possess. ISCA Technologies' SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology) is a tool that incorporates semiochemicals into an emulsion capable of flowing out of conventional spray application systems including backpack sprayers and tractors. We intend to formulate SPLAT with a botanical repellant that affects ACP without harming or repelling natural enemies and pollinators.
Methods (unparsed)
We intend to formulate SPLAT with a botanical repellant that affects ACP without harming or repelling natural enemies and pollinators. This semiochemical formulation, SPLAT ACP Repel, will be a rain-fast product that sticks to foliage, protecting and releasing the active ingredient for more than two months in field situations. Applied mechanically, SPLAT ACP Repel will be tested among field populations of ACP. The information acquired during this project will be dispersed to key stakeholders in the citrus industry including growers, universities, government agencies, and end-users.
Methods
We intend to formulate SPLAT with a botanical repellant that affects ACP without harming or repelling natural enemies and pollinators. This semiochemical formulation, SPLAT ACP Repel, will be a rain-fast product that sticks to foliage, protecting and releasing the active ingredient for more than two months in field situations. Applied mechanically, SPLAT ACP Repel will be tested among field populations of ACP. The information acquired during this project will be dispersed to key stakeholders in the citrus industry including growers, universities, government agencies, and end-users.
Project Timeline Tracking
Outputs
Target Audience
Citrus Industry Citrus growers Entomologists Fruit Juice Industry
Changes / Problems
A major problem encountered in this Phase II project was the phytotoxic effects of the first formulation which proved to be difficult to circumvent. While succesful field trials in Phase I demonstrated the repellent qualities of the formulation, ultimately this is not something that citrus growers would like on their orchards. ISCA changed its formulations, but lack of field availability did not lead to large scale field trials. ISCA Technologies will continue development of an Asian citrus psyllid repellent.
Training & Professional Development
This project allowed ISCA to train workers at the University of Florida on the use of SPLAT control products in citrus. Furthermore, it also allowed these workers on the use of attractive semiochemical products for field evaluations in citrus and the asian citrus psyllid.
Dissemination Streams
Positive results have been disseminated with citrus stakeholders, trade shows and conferences. All results have been disseminated via entomological society meetings and conferences.
Next Reporting Steps
Nothing Reported