A new tool may add to the arsenal of weapons to manage and control the spread of citrus greening, one of the most destructive diseases of citrus worldwide.
The disease is spread by the Asian Citrus psyllids. The bacteria—huanglongbing (HLB)—the insect carries has spread over the last decade as the pests migrated from the Southeast coast westward to Texas and finally reaching California.
According to Southwest Farm Press, the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is planning field trials this summer to test the effectiveness of a new citrus psyllid acoustic trap. It was developed in part by entomologist Richard Mankin at ARS’s Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research Unit in Florida.
It’s designed to disrupt the mating of Asian citrus psyllids. The scientists will use sounds, rather than pheromones, as an attractant.
“Concern over the long-term impact and cost of using insecticides to control psyllids in Florida and other states and U.S. territories where citrus greening has been detected prompted an intensive search for alternatives,” Mankin said.
Mankin and his team, according to Southwest Farm Press, are now refining the trap for outdoor testing in the months ahead.