Citrus disease focus of research summit Tuesday in Visalia

Two Tulare County-based industry leaders, the California Citrus Mutual and the Citrus Research Board, are hosting a research summit Tuesday on emerging technologies for the early detection of a tree-killing disease.

The summit is 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Visalia Convention Center.

Growers and others will hear Tuesday morning about early detection technologies that could help identify trees infected with Huanglongbing, commonly known as citrus greening disease, before physical signs of the disease appear. Tuesday afternoon, a panel discussion featuring state and federal agriculture officials will focus on applying new technologies.

The disease is spread by citrus psyllids, invasive pests first spotted in Southern California in 2012 and spreading northward; quarantines restricting the movement of citrus fruit and plants are in effect in 17 counties, including all of Tulare and portions of Fresno and Madera. The disease has been detected twice in the state in the past three years.

For details about the summit, call California Citrus Mutual at 559-592-3790.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Citrus disease focus of research summit Tuesday in Visalia."