Thanks for the references. I may have to look at the slides to confirm the cu;tivars, even if they have same names, to make sure we have the same item. Yes, the cultivars that have the disease but do not show decline for a long time may be called disease tolerant as opposed to disease resistant. Having the disease and not have any effect on the tree's performance and yields would effectively make them as hosts, and they can surely thrive even amidst the HLB infected areas.

Some disease tolerance could be increased in crops through proper nutrition and other crop management techniques. There are scientific studies about such, and could be applicable very well to citruses.

We have conducted many studies in other crops, particularly rice, which changed our perception about disease tolerance. For example, we have tungro-infected fields with what is supposed to be tungro-susceptible rice cultivar whose crop yield is projected to be zero if we do nothing after the infection. But then after the infection has set in, we used a regimen of fertilizer and micronutrients, then the infected rice crops recovered and able to tolerate the disease to produce normal yields.

Thus in some citrus cultivars, the spray program spear headed by one citrus farmer in Florida, bombarding the plants with foliar nutrition and other hormones, have prevented the decline of trees and improved the trees resistance to HLB disease. This is an added cost, no doubt.

Many citrus cultivars would have varying degrees of tolerance or resistance, and also, may have varying degrees of recovery and responses to nutritional methods. Thus it will involve a lot of work to sort these solutions into a more orderly and definitive manner. One thing for sure, it will be additional costs to those cultivars that can be infected and we want to maintain.

Joe,

First I would argue that pointing out an obvious violation of the law is not vigilantism.

http://law.jrank.org/pages/11129/Vigilantism.html

I am convinced that the risk of spreading canker or citrus greening, to areas where it is not now present, creates such a threat to the public, and to the industry, as to fully warrant reporting know violators.

As to suggestions of what we can do to help with the problem, I am sure this forum has caused a lot of people to become better aware of the importance of containing the diseases. I know members are often asked about the diseases, and thereby have an opportunity to tell others of the issues involved.

I agree that the USDA has an almost impossible task confronting them.

Ned

One of the good approach is to remind the violators that we encounter, and educating them on the need to help. Education is much better than draconian prosecution in cases like this where our government agency is stretched too thin in the prosecution and legal court wranglings alone. It is more productive and worthwhile educating than getting stressed by giving out threats to throw the full weight of the books on the violators. Of course, if the carrot doesn't work, a big stick will do as a last resort if you see repeat offenders.

I helped disseminate brochures given out by UCR about the various diseases, handing out to fellow rarefruit growers, and gently chiding other members.

So what are other suggestions?

Must confess I did not look at all of the
links presented in this thread so far but
in concert with the mr.shep post in the
UBC Citrus forum, these two links below
go straight to the UC ANR catalog pages
with the free .pdf downloads. [Cookies
may or may not have to be enabled in
your browser to access these links].

Asian Citrus Psyllid

Citrus Bacterial Canker Disease and Huanglongbing (Citrus Greening)

Jim