Guidelines

Bulk Citrus

Citrus trees are primary hosts for the glassy-winged sharpshooter throughout the year. When the weather is warm, the insects are active and will flee the disturbances associated with harvest.

However, once the weather turns cold, the sharpshooters are relatively inactive, and can end up in picking bags with harvested fruit, ultimately turning up at processing facilities in other parts of the state.

During the most recent citrus-shipping season (October 2012 through September 2013), live glassy-winged sharpshooters were found in only nine out of approximately 35,000 certified shipments of bulk citrus. This shipping season achieved a success rate of 99.97%. This success is attributed to the cooperative efforts of bulk citrus program participants.

Bulk Citrus - Compliance Agreements

Bulk Citrus - Compliance Agreement Exhibits

Grower Requirements:

County Requirements

Risk Mitigation Strategies

Bulk Grape

Regulations remain in place for the movement of bulk grapes from glassy-winged sharpshooter infested areas to destinations in California that are non-infested.

Starting in the 2005 shipping season, County Agricultural Commissioners will retain or establish compliance agreements with shippers who meet this situation but will no longer issue yellow- or green-punched certification tags. Shippers must still meet the requirements of the regulations by transporting bulk containers of grapes which are free of the glassy-winged sharpshooter. For more information regarding movement of bulk grapes, please contact your local agricultural commissioner.

Nursery Stock Approved Treatment Program

Nursery Regulatory Program

Nursery stock is a high-risk commodity for spreading glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS). California has approximately 12,000 licensed nurseries, 60% of which are located in the sharpshooter-infested counties.

There are over 500 nurseries situated in the infested area, which have a signed compliance agreement enabling them to ship plant material to the non-infested areas of the state. All shipments destined to non-infested areas of the state are thoroughly inspected at origin, and if needed, treated. These certified loads are often inspected again at the receiving nursery prior to sale by the destination county agricultural inspectors. With the current mitigation procedures in place, the most common life stage of GWSS found (over 90%) during nursery stock inspections is the eggs. Nursery stock shipments found to contain a viable life stage at destination are generally returned to the origin nursery.

In 2013, there were approximately 45,800 certified loads shipped from infested areas to non-infested areas of the state. Viable life stages of glassy-winged sharpshooter were found on only six of these shipments. This illustrates that 99.99% of nursery stock shipments that arrived at destinations are free from GWSS.

Nursery Shipping Protocols

Nursery Requirements

County Ag Requirements

Compliance Agreements

Program Management Practices

About the Guidelines

A statewide management program has been implemented to counter the threat posed by the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) and the bacterial diseases it vectors. This program includes regulatory activities to prevent the artificial spread of GWSS to non-infested at-risk areas, and survey activities to detect new infestations and associated documents. Guidelines have been prepared to assist and direct those conducting the regulatory and survey activities. These are available via the links above.