Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA
  1. CDFA Home
  2. Planting Seeds Blog
  3. Category Archives: Invasive Species

Category Archives: Invasive Species

Research and coexistence essential to embrace opportunities of the future

December 27, 2012   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

The future outlook for agriculture is bright.  Food production will have to roughly double by 2050 in order to meet population projections.  And if we look where much of that growth is expected to occur–Asia–we know that California farmers and ranchers will have an excellent opportunity to meet the new demand. But there will be challenges, too, as increased food production will have …

Read More
Posted in Agricultural Education, Climate Change, Invasive Species, Trade | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Wasp holds promise for control of Asian citrus psyllid – From the Riverside Press-Enterprise

September 26, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/riverside/riverside-headlines-index/20120925-region-psyllid-killing-wasp-taking-hold.ece  BY MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pe.com A tiny insect from Pakistan is finding a foothold in the Inland Empire — good news for anyone with an orange tree in their yard or a citrus grove to maintain. Tamarixia radiata is a wasp about half the size of a chocolate sprinkle. Innocuous to humans, it is a lethal threat to the Asian …

Read More
Posted in Asian Citrus Psyllid, Invasive Species, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Famous Flickr Lacewing

September 18, 2012   Jay Van Rein, CDFA Office of Public Affairs

Meet the “Flickr Lacewing.” That’s what some folks online are calling a newly discovered insect species, more formally known as “Semachrysa Jade Winterton, Guek and Brooks.” It was given this name by Dr. Shaun Winterton, a senior insect biosystematist (that’s “bug doctor” to the rest of us) for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. He specializes in lacewings, which are beneficial insects …

Read More
Posted in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Invasive Species | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Award-Winning European Grapevine Moth Eradication Program

August 28, 2012   Dr. Robert Leavitt, Director, CDFA Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services

Several years ago, CDFA detected a new pest in California – the European grapevine moth, an invasive species that targets a number of plants, notably grapes. Because California is the leading grape producer in the country and one of the largest in the world, we understood immediately that the stakes were enormous for the wine, raisin and table grape industries, …

Read More
Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Invasive Species | Tagged , | Leave a comment

News Release – Medfly Infestation Triggers Quarantine in Rancho Cucamonga Area

August 27, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/egov/Press_Releases/Press_Release.asp?PRnum=12-031 A quarantine has been declared due to a Mediterranean fruit fly infestation detected in the Rancho Cucamonga area of San Bernardino County. Three adult males and one unmated female were detected in two traps on August 16, 2012. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the San Bernardino County Agricultural Commissioner, the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner, and the …

Read More
Posted in Agricultural Education, Invasive Species, Specialty Crops | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Steam shown to kill sudden oak death pathogen- From SF Chronicle

August 15, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Steam-shown-to-kill-Calif-plant-disease-3788696.php Scientists say they have discovered a new way to kill California’s most virulent forest- and plant-depleting disease, and it turns out the technique is as old as steam cleaning. Steam, in fact, is what researchers at Dominican University in San Rafael have been using to combat Phytophthora ramorum, a pathogen that causes sudden oak death. Scientists from a variety …

Read More
Posted in AG Vision, Environment, Invasive Species | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Truckee Border Inspection Station on Reno TV

June 1, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

CDFA’s border inspection station at Truckee was recently featured as the lead story on a Reno TV newscast. Many northern Nevada residents regularly drive through the station, which is one of many safeguards in California to protect natural resources and a food supply that helps feed Nevadans:  http://www.foxreno.com/s/news/11at11-archived-newscasts/  

Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Asian Citrus Psyllid, Community-based Food System, Environment, Food Access, Invasive Species, Specialty Crops, Trade | 1 Comment

Pest and Disease Prevention Projects Get a Boost from USDA

May 25, 2012   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

California’s approach to pests and diseases is as complex as the problem itself, but perhaps the most important element of our efforts is prevention.  Prevention projects in California and throughout the nation have been given a much needed boost from USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who has just announced his agency will support 321 projects with $50 million in funding from …

Read More
Posted in Farm Bill, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Invasive Species | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Still the People’s Agency 150 Years Later – Happy Birthday, USDA!

May 15, 2012   Karen Ross, California Agriculture Secretary, and Linda

For producers and consumers of food, this is a sesquicentennial like no other. Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Morrill Act, the single piece of legislation that laid the foundation for the modern agricultural marvel we enjoy today. And now, it’s the 150th birthday of the USDA – as Abraham Lincoln called it, …

Read More
Posted in AG Vision, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, Alternative Fuels, Asian Citrus Psyllid, Climate Change, Community-based Food System, Dairy, Environment, Farm Bill, Farmers' Markets, Food Access, Food Safety, Glassy-winged Sharpshooter, HLB, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Invasive Species, Pierce's Disease, Specialty Crops, Trade, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Save Our Citrus – CDFA Protects Against Threat of Huanglongbing

May 14, 2012   Office of Public Affairs

CDFA has produced a video showing efforts to protect against the fatal citrus disease huanglongbing, or citrus greening, following its detection in Los Angeles County:

Posted in Asian Citrus Psyllid, HLB, Invasive Species, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment