From Potpourri to giant snails to challenges in citrus: an exotic tale from Florida

Transcription

1 From Potpourri to giant snails to challenges in citrus: an exotic tale from Florida Greg Hodges Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry

2 Florida Agriculture Florida agricultural products: $7.10 billion

3 Florida... The Regulatory Challenge 28 ports of entry Over 85% of plants imported into US go through Miami Climate gradient of temperate, subtropical and tropical with diverse host plants Over six million tons of perishable cargo enter FL annually Nearly 50 million people visit each year

4 High-risk Characteristics Florida ranks #2 in exotic invasive pest introduction risk At county level, arguably Miami-Dade County is ground zero for US introductions One new exotic insect or pathogen reported by FDACS/DPI per month Commissioner Putnam at MIA viewing confiscated ag items

5 The Cost of Invasives Invasions by non-indigenous species cost US taxpayers hundred of billions of dollars a year due to: Environmental degradation Lost agricultural productivity Expensive eradication efforts Increased health problems Statistics above are from a specific study which has been viewed as an underestimate.

6 Port of Pensacola ECP Port of Panama City Port of St. Joe TLH Sudden Oak Death, Leon County Medfly, Lake Co. Florida Satellite Image Chilean Recluse, Polk Co. Oriental FF, Hillsborough Co. Medfly, Hillsborough Co. PIF Port of Fernandina JAX Port of Jacksonville SFB MCO TPA Laurel wilt/redbay ambrosia beetle - Duval Co. Tropical Soda Apple, Central FL Guava FF, Orange & Volusia counties DBIA Oriental FF, Orange Co. Medfly, Highlands Co. Port of St. Petersburg MLB Africanized honey bee, Sm. Hive Beetle, Port of Port of St. Lucie Co. Manatee Hillsborough Co. Ft Pierce GRQ Port of Canker, Manatee Co. Citrus Psyllid, Palm Beach Palm Bch. Co. RSW PBI Medfly, Manatee Co. Port Everglades Red Palm Mite, Pea Leaf Miner, Desoto Co. FLL MIA Palm Bch. Co. Canker, Collier Co. PHM, Dade Co. Port of Miami Mikania micrantha Citrus Greening, Miami-Dace Co. Dade Co. Port of Key West Canker, Dade Co. Red Palm Mite, EYW Miami-Dade Co. Whiteflies, Dade Co. Giant African Snail, Medfly, Dade Co. Dade Co.

7 Florida s history with exotic/invasive pests First inspections date back to , UF professor Robert Berger began systematic inspections 1911, state of Florida adopted nursery inspection law. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry

8 Plant protection branch of FDACS 563 employees Mission: To protect Florida s native and commercially grown plants and the state s apiary industry from harmful pests and diseases. FDACS-DPI

9 Major Programs $9 million citrus health response program $4.3 million fruit fly detection program $ 1.5 million biocontrol programs Annual Budget $36 Million Annual Budget

10 My path Auburn University and University of Georgia Graduate studies focused on scale insects Post doc in middle Georgia looking at peach pests FDACS-Division of Plant Industry 6 years as a scale insect taxonomist 7 years as head of FDACS-DPI diagnostics unit

11 Exotic Insects: What comes to mind?

12 Bureau of Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology (ENPP) Primary responsibility is to provide plant pest diagnostic services

13 Bureau of ENPP Samples (~360,000/ yr) Entomology (14,000/yr) Plant Pathology (16,000/yr) Nematology (17,000/yr) Botany (10,000/yr) Advanced Diagnostics (1,600/yr) Fruit fly Identification Lab (300,000/yr)

14 Occasionally, something new comes in

15 Occasionally, something new comes in Crypticerya genistae

16 Occasionally, something odd comes in Chlorophorus strobilicola, 2004

17 Number of Exotics is on the Rise Since 1986, 360 exotic arthropods identified by FDACS Does not include pathogens/ fungi identified (canker, greening, laurel wilt, gladiolus rust, etc.) Now averaging about 2.5 new pest detections per month Red palm mite Sudden oak death

18 Florida... The Regulatory Challenge State and continental records demonstrate ability to detect many, but not all invasives Continue to react to new introductions When calls come in from citizens and/or industry, priorities shift Asian citrus psyllid Brown marmorated stink bug Citrus greening Chilean recluse spider Citrus blackspot

19 Recent Examples Mediterranean Fruit Fly 2009, 2010 Giant African Land Snail 2011 Laurel Wilt/Redbay Ambrosia beetle 2005, 2011 New Whiteflies 2008, 2009, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry

20 Recent Example: Whiteflies Whitefly Infestations Ficus Whitefly 2008 Miami Gumbo Limbo Spiraling Whitefly 2009 Miami Bondar s Nesting Whitefly Collier County Devastating South Florida landscapes Interrupting trade Urban nuisance public outcry for state assistance

21 Recent Example: Termites

22 Florida Success Stories and new strategies

23 Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata Wide distribution Tolerates cold Wide host range #1 Insect Crop Pest Major FL eradications 1929: 20 Counties $7 million in cost 1957: 28 Counties $11 million in cost 1997: 3 Counties $23 million in cost 2010: 1 County $5.4 million in cost 2011: 1 County $600,000 in cost

24 Pink Hibiscus Mealybug First found in Florida in 2002 with a detection occurring in Miramar, Broward County. Immediate survey indicated that it spread more than 20 square miles into Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Spread attributed to landscaping and lawn maintenance companies. Serious threat to agricultural, ornamental, and horticultural plants in tropical and subtropical areas. Found throughout Asia and tropical regions of Africa. In the 1990 s, it was discovered in the Caribbean and has spread throughout the islands.

25 Recent Example: Giant African Land Snail Current eradication program, Why is it working Early detection system (homeowner approached state fruit fly trapper) Immediate public outreach Cooperation of the public (85% of new cores reported through calls to helpline) Incident Command System Commissioner Putnam s support Over 158,000 Giant Snails collected.

26 Recent Example: Giant African Land Snail Why ongoing eradication program is working Creative public outreach initiatives (Junior Detective, movie theater PSA) Continued local, national and international media interest Phillipe Cousteau, Jr CNN International

27 Collaboration and Cooperation Working Group UF-Extension and Outreach Farm Bill money

28 Citrus Health Management Areas Cooperative effort of growers, IFAS, USDA, FDACS Grower driven program to coordinate the application of materials to reduce Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) populations in commercial citrus

29 Outreach

30 CLOSING THE LOOP Watch video on flight or see advertisement in airline magazine View signs at departure View video at arrival destination Receive info at U.S. Embassy when applying for Visa See signage and possibly agriculture detector dogs IN baggage claim area

31 Detector Dog Program 2 Teams in Orlando 4 Teams in Miami

32 AGRICULTURAL INTERDICTION STATION INSPECTION

33 At times, it can feel a bit overwhelming.. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

34 Collaboration on Safeguarding ERADICATION AND CONTROL PROGRAMS EXCLUSION EPIDEMIOLOGY PHYTOSANITARY EXPORT CONSULTATIONS INSECT/DISEASE VECTOR RELATIONSHIPS Mesh safeguarding activities to form barrier against establishment of exotic, invasive agricultural pests

35 Questions