Source: UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA submitted to
E-IPM SUPPORT PROJECT, CA: EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR CALIFORNIA AND ARIZONA STAKEHOLDERS AFFECTED BY ASIAN CITRUS PSYLLID AND HUANGLONGBING
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
3D GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0218130
Grant No.
2009-41533-05403
Project No.
CALN-SW-ADM-7879-OG
Proposal No.
2009-00647
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
QQ.E
Project Start Date
Jun 15, 2009
Project End Date
Dec 14, 2010
Grant Year
2009
Project Director
Grafton-Cardwell, E.
Recipient Organization
UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA
1111 FRANKLIN STREET, 6TH FLOOR
OAKLAND,CA 94607-5201
Performing Department
Cooperative Extension
Non Technical Summary
The citrus industries and the citrus IPM programs in California and Arizona are threatened by the arrival in Mexico and southern California of the Asian citrus psyllid. This insect is an efficient vector of the bacterium (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) that causes Huanglongbing (HLB) disease in citrus. HLB is found in Florida and Cuba but not Mexico, California or Arizona. HLB renders citrus leaves yellow, the fruit asymmetrical, off-color and off-flavor and eventually kills the tree. The disease does not have a cure. Spread of the psyllid and disease into commercial citrus growing regions in CA and AZ will destroy citrus trees and severely disrupt the current IPM programs in those regions, because the frequency of broad spectrum insecticide treatments will greatly escalate. Education of both the general public and the citrus industry is essential for limiting the further spread of Asian citrus psyllid and for detecting and eradicating HLB disease. The Citrus Industry, California Department of Food and Agriculture, USDA-APHIS, University of California, Arizona Cooperative Extension and others have produced brochures, flyers, bookmarks, cards, postcards, videos and powerpoint presentations. The Citrus Research Board has supported a public relations firm to alert radio, television and newspaper media in order to educate the general public in southern California about the severity of the disease and what they can do to assist detection and control efforts. E-IPM CS funding assists with coordination of these efforts (minimizing duplication of efforts), identifies gaps in clientele not yet reached, expands materials in terms of languages translated, spreads the efforts over a larger area (the entire states of California and Arizona), and provides a mechanism for assessing learning about the HLB/ACP subject. This educational effort will improve the success of the eradication or containment program, which will slow the rate of spread of the ACP and/or HLB, which in turn will preserve the existing excellent citrus IPM programs currently operating in CA and AZ.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
90309993030100%
Knowledge Area
903 - Communication, Education, and Information Delivery;

Subject Of Investigation
0999 - Citrus, general/other;

Field Of Science
3030 - Information and communication;
Goals / Objectives
The goal of the project is to improve the educational materials and communications network for the Asian citrus psyllid and the bacterial disease Huanglongbing that it vectors in the California and Arizona region. Huanglongbing is a disease that is devastating for citrus production worldwide and delays in arrival of the disease will buy valuable time for the California and Arizona citrus industries. The efforts of this project in promoting communication between and educating the citrus industry, governmental agencies, and the general public will help to slow the spread of the insect, which will in turn slow the arrival or spread of the disease. Expected Outputs: The communications network will minimize duplication of efforts and maximize funding spent towards educational tools, reaching more of the population with information. This in turn will make the detection and eradication efforts more successful. Education of the urban, agricultural, and regulatory populations about Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) will slow the spread of the insect which delays its arrival in commercial citrus groves and nurseries. Keeping the pest out of commercial citrus and nurseries delays the changes in the currently excellent integrated pest management programs in these arenas. Once the psyllid arrives, pest damage and quarantine regulations will demand increased use of pesticides, some of which will affect the environment and human health. Education of the urban, agricultural, and regulatory populations about huanglongbing will allow quicker detection of the disease, which will improve the success of eradication of HLB. Prevention of the establishment of HLB in California and Arizona will protect the citrus industry (maintain profitability) and minimize pesticide use, thereby protecting the environment and human health. Education of the growers and nurserymen about most effective management tools and the latest technological advances that will help them respond to the crisis and maintain profitability. Efficient use of insecticides will reduce pesticide use and utilize insecticides that are more selective favoring natural enemies and lowering human toxicity, thereby protecting the environment and human health. Assessment of learning will identify concepts that are difficult to communicate and understand and so improve the educational program. Spread of ACP will be affected by more rapid reporting of the pest due to educational activities. CDrom training disk with literature and powerpoint for training trainers to teach at the grower/producer level Summaries of current research achievements and reports to the citrus industry CDrom training disk with literature and powerpoint for training trainers to teach at the agricultural inspector level CDrom training disk with educational materials for training trainers to teach the general public in English, Spanish, Hmong, Khmer, Chinese, and Punjabi.
Project Methods
A. Communication with and coordination of various stakeholders. The following groups will be communicated with quarterly (or when significant events occur or products are available) via teleconferences and group meetings. Educators: UC IPM, University of California and Arizona Cooperative Extension Farm Advisors and Extension Specialists and County Ag Commissioner offices. Agricultural Industry: citrus growers, nurserymen, Pest Control Advisors, Pest Control Operators, chemical distributers. Urban groups: landscapers, master gardeners, retail nurseries. Regulators: National Pest Detection and E-Extension, California Department of Food and Agriculture, USDA-APHIS. B. Production of written materials for educational meetings. There will be several levels of materials: 1) Basic biology and identification of the pest and disease, 2) summaries of current research, 3) photographic manuals of host plants for inspectors, and 4) information for the general public (written in languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, Hmong, Khmer, Punjabi). C. Educational meetings. The Program representative would provide coordination of meetings held by various stakeholders (nurserymen, growers, scientists etc.). Where educational meetings are lacking the program representative would develop forums for information exchange. D. Assessment of learning. The TurningPoint Student Response system will be utilized to measure learning by the partipants in the various meetings. This system consists of questions built into a powerpoint presentation that can be answered by individuals in the audience using response buttons on a small hand-held card. The audience group response can be immediately shown on the screen and discussed and it is recorded for further analysis. This system will identify difficult to communicate or misunderstood issues which lead to improved educational efforts and improved media messaging.

Progress 06/15/09 to 12/14/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Grafton-Cardwell, participated in the communications and science subcommittees of the California HLB Task Force, the ACP/HLB communications JIC (joint information center), the communications and science subcommittees of the California Pest and Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP), the education subcommittee of the California Citrus Research Board (CRB), and the USDA Citrus Greening research and extension workgroups. A powerpoint presentation on ACP/HLB was developed by Grafton-Cardwell and translated into Spanish by M. Grajales-Hall (UCR) teaching the basic biology, identification, regulations and management of Asian citrus psyllid and huanglongbing. http://ucanr.org/sites/KACCitrusEntomology/Training_Materials/ The flyer "No more California citrus" was translated from English into Spanish, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, Punjabi, traditional and simplified Chinese, Vietnamese and Hindi. http://www.californiacitrusthreat.org/other-resources.php The bookmark "Stop the Asian citrus psyllid and stop huanglongbing disease" and the flyer "Have you seen this Insect Have you seen this disease" by G. Vidalakis and E. Grafton-Cardwell were updated on the web http://www.californiacitrusthreat.org/other-resources.php and www.citrusresearch.org/communications/media. 60,000 English and 30,000 Spanish bookmarks, and 75,000 English flyers and 25,000 Spanish flyers were distributed to Cooperative Extension, the citrus industry and Master Gardener programs in California and Arizona. Publications were posted on the Kearney Ag Center Citrus Entomology web site www.ucanr.org/sites/KACCitrusentomology , www.Californiacitrusthreat.org, the Citrus Research Board web site www.citrusresearch.org/communications/media, and the CDFA web site http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/acp/ A total of 25 presentations were made by Grafton-Cardwell to citrus industry, regulatory agencies and homeowner groups on the subject of ACP and HLB. Printed materials in the form of flyers and bookmarks were provided at each event. Turning technologies quizzing as part of a powerpoint presentation on ACP/HLB was used by E. Grafton-Cardwell 15 times, K. Godfrey 2 times, and B. Taylor 9 times and the results were evaluated. Grower sessions were held in five regions of California and Yuma Arizona to discuss ACP management strategies and plans were posted on the web site: http://ucanr.org/sites/KACCitrusEntomology/Home/Asian_Citrus_Psyllid/ Management_420/ Grafton-Cardwell traveled to Arizona to educate Yuma growers and master gardeners and develop strategies for psyllid management (Nov 2010). Grafton-Cardwell traveled to Denver (2009) for a national HLB conference and Orlando Florida to an international HLB conference (2011) to exchange information on extension tactics and psyllid management strategies. Photography was completed to prepare a host plant list for inspectors. A fact sheet is under development with the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom to be provided to K-12 teachers on the subject of ACP/HLB. An online course with continuing education units on the subject of ACP/HLB is under development and will be available on the UC ANR Online Learning Site http://class.ucanr.org. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals Elizabeth Grafton-Cardwell, project director participated in meetings, developed print and online materials, gave presentations and analyzed quizzes. Glenn Wright, U. Arizona, moderated a meeting in Yuma Arizona for local growers and for master gardeners and distributed print materials in Arizona. Brian Taylor, Citrus Research Board, utilized the powerpoint and quizzing for the southern California region. Kris Godfrey, CDFA, utilized the powerpoint and quizzing for the northern California region. Myriam Grajales-Hall, UC Riverside Extension provided Spanish translations for print, web and radio spots Partner organizations Citrus Research Board: collaborated on print materials, assisted with distribution, set up meetings with growers and the general public. CDFA and USDA collaborated on print materials, assisted with distribution, and set up meetings with the general public. Transperfect: provided the translations. Collaborators and contacts University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors assisted with training of growers and master gardeners. TARGET AUDIENCES: Scientific organizations: International Research Conference on Huanglongbing; Graduate Women in Science Citrus Industry, Grower/Pest control advisor groups; California Association of Pest Control Advisors (CAPCA); Pesticide Applicators Professional Association (PAPA); Northern Mandarin Growers; California Citrus Nursery Society; University of California Pomology Extension Coordinating Conference; University of California Cooperative Extension grower meetings; Citrus Research Board Grower Seminars; College of Agriculture Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) Center for Sustainability, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Farm Bureau; Bayer CropScience consultant meeting; Arizona University Extension Regulatory Groups; County Ag Commissioners; CDFA trapping personnel Homeowner groups; Master Gardeners (California and Yuma Arizona); Rare Fruit Growers o World Ag Expo Youth K-12; Expanding your horizons conference for 5th-8th grade girls. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: There were no major changes to the project. We received a six month extension to complete the proposed work. Minor changes in the project came as a result of the analysis of the JIC communications strategic planning that indicated new language groups for translation, an emphasis on flyers and bookmarks for communicating printed materials, the need for K-12 fact sheet, and a powerpoint presentation and online course for training the trainers.

Impacts
Meetings with California Department of Food and Agriculture, USDA, University of California, the Citrus Research Board and the PR firm Nuffer Smith and Tucker determined that flyers in a variety of languages and bookmarks in English and Spanish were essential printed tools for training the general public about ACP and HLB. Flyer text messaging was adjusted for specific situations to help prevent ACP from spreading. 1) Reminding homeowners to wash fruit and dry out prunings to avoid accidental spread of ACP if a resident is in a quarantine area. 2) Warning the Indian community against bringing Indian curry leaves into California because they might harbor the pest or disease. 3) News alerts during Chinese new years, reminding gift givers to wash citrus fruit and not ship it with stems or leaves that might harbor ACP. Web sites with maps, print materials, the powerpoint presentation and online courses provide continuous sources of education that expand awareness of ACP/HLB. Quizzing following a powerpoint presentation measured the understanding of various groups the psyllid vector and disease situation. It demonstrated that participants that owned one or more citrus trees or worked with citrus scored higher than participants that did not own citrus. Psyllid identification compared to other insects was difficult for all groups except PCAs who manage citrus. Quizzing provided guidance as to essential educational points for print materials and powerpoint presentations. Asian citrus psyllid is spreading northward in California and Arizona. HLB is now found in Mexico and likely to arrive in California in the near future. Numerous events taught thousands of individuals in the regulatory, citrus industry and homeowner communities various aspects of ACP and HLB biology and management and prepared them for the coming regulatory actions. The majority of ACP find sites in California are in dooryard citrus (only 4 commercial citrus and > 3000 dooryard sites). Because of the ACP/HLB awareness campaign, which this grant played a role in, very few homeowners, have refused treatments by CDFA for Asian citrus psyllid and all 4 growers have voluntarily applied insecticides for ACP. This action is helping to slow the spread of ACP in California.

Publications

  • Grafton-Cardwell, B. 2010. How serious is the threat of Asian citrus psyllid and huanglongbing Citrograph 1(1): 8-10.
  • Grafton-Cardwell, B. 2010. An update on the threat of Asian citrus psyllid and Huanglongbing for citrus. Topics in Subtropics 8(3): 2-5.