Aid in sustaining long-term asian citrus pysllid control efforts in the commercial citrus production counties of texas and to ensure the presence of citrus canker does not become prevalent in…

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded a $789,193 cooperative agreement to Texas Citrus Pest & Disease Management Corp Inc. on September 1, 2026, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025).

The recipient will conduct year-round grove monitoring throughout the Lower Rio Grande Valley commercial citrus production area to track Asian citrus psyllid populations and disease presence. Deliverables include geospatial mapping of psyllid populations, citrus canker positives, and huanglongbing detections within grower neighborhoods. The recipient will coordinate psyllid control activities across three critical dormant-season treatment windows: a three-week period before September, mid-November through mid-December, and mid-January through mid-February. Education and outreach activities will target dooryard citrus tree owners, smaller growers, homeowners, winter Texan parks, lawn care companies, and nurseries through informational materials, targeted direct mail, website content, and social media campaigns addressing quarantines, treatment options, and regulations governing plant and fruit movement.

The cooperative agreement is designed to sustain long-term Asian citrus psyllid control in Texas commercial citrus counties while preventing citrus canker prevalence. The area-wide control program operates on a voluntary, grower-driven model in which growers bear treatment costs. Expected outcomes include reduced risk of huanglongbing spread through coordinated psyllid control and increased adoption of treatment and reporting practices among residential and commercial citrus stakeholders.

Performance period runs September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, with work performed in Texas.

Purpose

The purpose of this agreement is to aid in sustaining long-term asian citrus pysllid control efforts in the commercial citrus production counties of texas and to ensure the presence of citrus canker does not become prevalent in commercial citrus. The area-wide control program is a voluntary, grower-driven effort in which all treatment-related costs are paid by the growers. And the primary objective of the education and outreach program is to conduct outreach to provide dooryard citrus tree owners with pest and disease information as well as tree care information and directives on supporting the industry by reporting infected trees. This is to be accomplished in the most efficacious, least expensive way possible and with minimal environmental impacts.

Activities

Monitor groves year-round throughout the lower RIO grande valley production area for psyllid populations. Provide geospatial mapping for psyllid populations, canker positives and huanglongbing positive finds within grower neighborhoods. Coordinate psyllid control activities so that treatments are conducted within a three-week window before (september), at the beginning (mid-november through mid-december) and at the end (mid-january through mid-february) of the dormant season. Provide residents and growers with information regarding quarantines, treatment options and regulations of plant and fruit movement through informational materials, targeted direct mail-outs, website, social media and media. Deliverables and expected outcomes: the risk of asian citrus pysllid spreading huanglongbing will be greatly reduced by the application of asian citrus pysllid control measures. Each grower will be taking ownership of treatment of their groves and reducing the risk of the spread to their neighbors. Slowing the spread of both huanglong bing and citrus canker will be to reach out to smaller growers, homeowners, winter texan parks, winter texans, lawn care companies and nurseries to educate them on the importance of psyllid control, citrus canker detection and how to successfully implement these s trategies. Informational materials, website content, and social media outreach results in residents being informed of these pest and disease issues, how they affect both residents and the industry, how they can treat trees and how to report a suspected infected tree. The benefit of having residents educated and involved is increased reduction of asian citrus pysllid through treatments and biological control efforts and removal of positive citrus canker trees. Intended beneficiary(IES): the entire nursey, fruit and juice industry in texas and all the food chain that benefits from said industry to include the domestic retail, export and trade market. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: n/a.