California Avocado Commission:
Shot Hole Borer ‘well established’ in SP
December 04, 2016
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
The California Avocado Commission (CAC) has issued an alert to avocado growers and stakeholders: the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) appears “well established” in the Santa Paula area.
Concerns about the pest were expressed during a November 10 Agricultural Roundtable with growers sponsored by Rep. Julia Brownley and featuring USDA Deputy Undersecretary Elvis Cordova.
At that time it was noted that the tiny invasive beetle had recently been detected in Ventura County but was already a top priority.
According to the December 3 joint statement released by CAC on behalf of President Tom Bellamore, Vice President/Industry Affairs Ken Melban and Tim Spann, Research Program Director, “On Wednesday December 2nd, the Commission learned that six traps in the Santa Paula area had positive PSHB finds in them. All of these traps are located in or adjacent to commercial avocado groves to the west of Santa Paula,” and the captures bring the total number of finds in commercial avocado groves in the area to eight.
The statement noted that “one of the traps had 20 specimens in it and another had 10. Thus, it appears that a population of PSHB has become well established in the area.”
It’s not good news: “We cannot stress enough how important it is for growers to know the symptoms of beetle attacks and to survey their groves.”
At the November 10 Agriculture Roundtable avocado growers noted that up to then small finds of the PSHB in Ojai and Santa Paula were nevertheless alarming as the beetle is particularly destructive, tunneling into tress and affecting them with a deadly — and fast acting — fungi.
The borer also presents a danger to humans by weakening branches; several deaths have already been attributed to damage caused by the pest.
Ed McFadden, a citrus and avocado grower and California Avocado Commission board member said the beetle, “although so small if would fit on Abe Lincoln’s nose on a penny,” is a “very scary pest for us” avocado growers because of its aggressiveness and lack of cure.
The CAC has funded research but more is needed and as soon as possible, as noted McFadden, “It is potentially devastating,” to the avocado industry.
Following the meeting CAC’s Melban said the threat of the Shot Hole Borer — which is attracted to all trees — must be met head on, and fast.
A tree can die in a matter of weeks once it is infected.
To help growers and residents with trees on their property, CAC and UC Riverside researchers have produced a number of helpful handouts that can be accessed online.
For growers these include signs and symptoms of attack on avocados in both English and Spanish, harvesting best practices to minimize spread of shot hole borers (bilingual), and shot hole borer symptoms on non-avocado host trees (bilingual). In addition, if you find a tree in your grove that you suspect may be attacked by one of the shot hole borers you are encouraged to report the find to researchers for confirmation. You can report the find by completing the Suspect Tree Report form on Dr. Akif Eskalen’s website. These resources and many others can also be accessed by going to www.CaliforniaAvocadoGrowers.com and http://eskalenlab.ucr.edu/.
