Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on planned surveillance for African citrus greening disease in Gqeberha and surrounding area

Surveillance for African citrus greening disease in Gqeberha and surrounding area

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) wishes to inform nursery owners, citrus growers, and community members in and around Gqeberha about a planned surveillance programme for citrus greening. The African strain of this disease was recently detected in the residential areas of Gqeberha. The national surveillance programme is an official process conducted to determine pest presence or absence in an area. In this instance, a delimiting survey will be administered to determine the geographic distribution of citrus greening (African strain) in the area, as a basis for further consideration of whether the pest is widely distributed or not, to enable implementation of effective and efficient phytosanitary measures.

African citrus greening is a bacterial disease of citrus trees, which is primarily spread or transmitted by the insect vector African citrus psyllid (Trioza erytreae). The most characteristic symptoms on leaves of affected trees are blotchy mottling and yellowing of leaf veins. The disease reduces the quality of fruit, making it unsuitable for sale as fresh fruit or for processing. For this survey, DALRRD will collaborate with the Citrus Research International (CRI), to survey citrus trees for suspicious symptoms, and samples might be taken for laboratory analysis. Residents of Gqeberha and surrounding areas are urged to cooperate with DALRRD and CRI officials who will be working in and around their areas for surveillance activities. They are also urged not to tamper with any of the DALRRD's yellow sticky traps as they collect valuable information.

Citrus greening is under official control in terms of the Control Measures R.110 of 27 January 1984 of the Agricultural Pests Act, 1983 (Act No. 36 of 1983) (APA). The intra-provincial movement of citrus propagation materials from infested areas to non-infested areas in Eastern Cape is prohibited. Infested areas include: the districts of Alfred Nzo, OR Tambo, Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (Wards 1-10, 15, 16, 18, 19, 27-29, 31, 46, 47 and 50), Great Kei (Ward 1), and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (Wards 1-15, 32 and 39). The following are some of the non-infested areas: districts of Ukhahlamba, Amatole, Chris Hani, Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (wards 16-31; 33-38; 40-60) and Cacadu. It is against this background that nursery owners, informal traders, citrus growers, and community members are encouraged not to move plants and plant propagation material from infested areas to non-infested areas, unless such movement is authorised by means of a removal permit in terms of the APA.

For more information on the planned survey, please contact:

Ms Yolanda Mthembu

Directorate: Plant Health, Division: Early Warning Systems

Tel: 012 319 6017
Email: [email protected]