One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Citrus tree disease expands in LA and Orange counties
An orange pockmarked and scarred by sweet orange scab, a fungal disease.
(
U.S. Department of Agriculture
)
Topline:
Sweet orange scab, a plant disease that can harm citrus trees, continues to expand in our region. The California Department of Food and Agriculture recently expanded a quarantine in parts of L.A. and Orange counties.
What is it? SOS is a fungal pathogen that causes young citrus fruit to look scarred. The disease can lead to premature fruit drop and stunt the growth of young trees. Tangerines, sweet oranges and other citrus are at risk.
Where is it? After it was previously found in L.A. and Ventura counties last year, sweet orange scab has expanded into both the Irvine and La Puente areas. Officials expanded the quarantine zone to include those areas, which means residents should not move plants.
You can visit the CDFA’s website to see a map of currently quarantined areas.
What if your tree has it? There isn’t currently a treatment for SOS, but you don’t have to pull your tree out and can still eat the fruit. You can call the CDFA’s pest hotline at (800) 491-1899 to report any trees you suspect have the disease.
Why it matters: The CDFA said quarantine areas have expanded to try to keep the disease away from commercial growers. SOS can cause blemishes, lesions and other symptoms on citrus fruit, and no one wants to buy scabbed fruit.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
