California's citrus nursery industry will be required to test young trees for harmful diseases as part of a new law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, grew out of concern over protecting against citrus greening, a tree-killing disease that has ravaged Florida's orange industry.
The disease, also known as "huanglongbing," can be carried by the Asian citrus psyllid, an aphid-sized bug that has been found in Southern California. The most recent discovery of the bug was in rural San Diego County.
So far, citrus greening has not been found in a California grove, and officials want to keep it that way. The state's citrus industry is valued at $1.6 billion.
The new law calls for a mandatory testing program for citrus nursery stock and gives the California Department of Food and Agriculture the authority to add new pests and diseases to the program.
"I'm pleased we were able to take action quickly to help protect nurseries throughout the state from these deadly pests," Corbett said. "The state's agriculture industry is vital to our economy and we must do everything we can to protect it."
The law takes effect once state agriculture officials develop the regulations for how the program will be operated. Steve Lyle, CDFA spokesman, said that process will start very soon.
Don Dillon Jr., vice president of Four Winds Nursery in Fremont, supports the new law, saying that the industry is currently only obligated to test for tristeza, a serious viral plant disease.
"This is an important step for the citrus industry," Dillon said. "There are lots of diseases that we will have to keep on top of."
The mandatory testing program will be funded by the citrus nursery industry, a fact that isn't an issue for Dillon. The actual cost to the nurseries has not been determined. "What we don't want is for someone to produce trees with [huanglongbing] and spread that across the state," Dillon said. "The cost of that would be astronomical. We have to make sure our nursery stock is clean."
Taken out of the bill was a provision requiring mandatory screen houses for new citrus trees. The cost for one of those structures can reach as high as $1 million, prompting some of the state's smaller nurseries to say such a requirement would put them out of business.
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