[ 28/04/2009 ]
The Department of Regional Development, Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources (DRDPIFR) will be conducting a pro-active survey of citrus trees across the Northern Territory over the coming months.
This survey is to establish that the Northern Territory is free of a significant citrus disease called Huanglongbing or Citrus Greening.
Selected citrus trees across the Territory will be surveyed as part of an Australia wide surveillance program.
“Huanglongbing is not known to be present in Australian citrus trees, however recent detections in our immediate northern neighbours has prompted a review of the disease and agreement by all jurisdictions and the citrus industry to undertake this survey to rule out its presence in Australia and the NT,” Principal Policy Advisor Bio-security, Stephen West said.
“Our survey teams will be visiting all commercial orchards and nurseries and selected backyards in the urban, rural and regional areas across the Territory.
“We will be conducting a visual inspection of all citrus and some other plants in the citrus family looking for symptoms of Huanglongbing disease, which can cause particular shoot and leaf symptoms, abnormal fruit colouring or drop, tree decline and eventually death.
“The teams will also be looking for a small sap-sucking insect called a psyllid.
“The psyllid transfers this disease as it feeds on the tree and like the disease, the psyllid also is not known to occur in Australia.
“While the Territory does not have a large citrus industry it is important that we keep diseases such as Huanglongbing out of Australia and the Territory to protect our domestic and export market access and to secure the long term future of the NT citrus industry,” Mr West said.