This project aims to provide support for providing two ACP canine teamsas a resource for the citrus industry in california and arizona forsurveys, and to provide operational utilization data from…

This Cooperative Agreement award of $728,065 from the Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will provide support for two canine detection teams to survey for Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) in California and Arizona through June 30, 2023. The teams will conduct approximately 200 canine-assisted survey days per year to detect ACP in commercial citrus groves, packinghouses, and residential areas. Survey data including trees scanned, alerts, and training method effectiveness will be recorded to analyze the utility of canine detection in ACP vector management and increasing specimen collection. Deliverables include deployment of the two canine teams and associated equipment purchases to aid current state and industry ACP control programs. This award advances the goals of the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care grant program (CFDA No. 10.025) by improving ACP surveillance capabilities and increasing knowledge of the invasive pest.

This project aims to provide support for providing two ACP canine teamsas a resource for the citrus industry in california and arizona forsurveys, and to provide operational utilization data from the teams toppq for a cost benefit analysis. The two canine teams in coordinationwith cdfa and counties in CA, as well as commercial groves and packinghouses will conduct canine assisted surveys for ACP. Some of this workwill be as follow up to area wide control efforts to determine if ACP isstill present to provide feedback on efficacy of control. Days spentproviding ACP detection services will be tracked with surveyscoordinated with the associated groups to meet the needs and timing ofthe survey requests. The dates and locations will be logged with a goalof 200 days/year/team. The use and type of training aids for scentassociation during surveys will be recorded to determine effectivenessof canines with live psyllid training aids and pseudo scents. The surveydata will be recorded by the handlers while providing services whichwill include the number of trees surveyed and percent canine locatedwith ACP, the number of trees surveyed per day, the number of alerts and% productive alerts, number of training aids used and % located.deliverables will be to provide two canine teams as a resource for thecitrus industry in california and arizona and assist with the purchaseof needed equipment, and to provide data on the survey work by thecanines for analysis by PPQ. ACP canine assisted scouting will benefitcurrent program operations by state cooperators, and stakeholders byimproving ACP vector management in commercial and residential citrus andincreasing the number of ACP nymphs and adults that can be collected andtested for clas.