Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries prepares for Tonga’s citrus pest threat

As part of the ACIAR project, “Addressing Emerging Pest and Disease Threats in Pacific Island Horticulture,” workshops are being held in Tonga and Samoa to address the potential threat posed by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). This pest was recently introduced to the South Pacific islands and is capable of transmitting Huanglongbing (HLB), a disease that devastates citrus trees such as oranges, lemons and limes.

In Tonga, a workshop held at the Ministry of Agriculture’s Food and Forest Research Centre on August 5 marked the first sensitization session on the threat of citrus pests and diseases. Although ACP and HLB have not yet arrived in Tonga, the training aims to develop proactive measures to protect the country’s emerging citrus industry.

Native to Asia, ACP and HLB have spread to Brazil and the U.S. over the past two decades. In Florida, the largest citrus producer in the U.S., HLB has caused a 75% loss in production since 2005. ACP was introduced to California in 2008, and the state has successfully controlled the spread of the disease through a combination of early detection and biological control.

Dr. David Morgan of the California Department of Food and Agriculture led the seminar, which focused on using the natural enemy of ACP, Tamarixia radiata, to control the pest, an approach that has reduced ACP populations in urban areas of California by 75%.