Citrus
Greening
Under
Control
in
Costa
Rica
Costa
Rica’s
phytosanitary
authority
has
confirmed
the
country’s
Huanglongbing
(HLB)
outbreak
is
now
under
control,
following
strict
control
measures
and
eradication
of
infected
plants.
The
announcement
follows
outbreaks
in
the
areas
of
Cuajiniquil
and
Guanacaste
in
April,
which
came
after
the
first
detection
of
the
disease
in
the
Los
Chiles
sector
in
February,
the
story
reported.
The
head
of
pest
control
and
monitoring
for
the
Servicio
Fitosanitario
del
Estado
M.A.G
Costa
Rica
-
State
Phytosanitary
Service
(SFE)
-
Elizabeth
Ramírez,
said
a
control
program
against
the
insect
that
carried
the
disease
had
yielded
good
results.
She
said
SFE
had
inspected
12,000
hectares
of
Costa
Rica’s
27,000
hectares
of
citrus
growing
land,
with
a
focus
in
the
north
where
there
were
more
infected
trees,
the
story
reported.
The
emergency
plan
to
control
HLB,
otherwise
known
as
‘citrus
greening’
disease,
also
spread
to
commercial
nurseries
with
requirements
they
produce
plants
in a
protected
and
closed
environment.
The
new
measure
means
nurseries
must
develop
plants
in a
greenhouse
with
cement-based
bedding.
Association
of
Nurseries
and
Forest
Tree
Growers,
Fruits
and
Ornamental
Plants
president
Elena
Alfaro
Alfaro,
told
the
website
industry
had
complained
about
the
new
rules.
She
told
the
website
the
new
rules
would
force
many
nurseries
to
stop
the
production
and
sale
of
orange
trees,
which
would
lower
available
supply
and
make
reproductive
material
more
expensive,
the
story
reported. |
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