Seminar Dates: November 12, 2025 1:15 PM
Seminar Cost: $45.00 Register Now
Seminar Description:
Citrus growers are threatened by Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening disease caused by a bacteria that is vectored by Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP). Trees may not show symptoms of the disease for 6 months to two years. Infected trees have damaged roots, poor nutrient flow, yellow-splotchy leaves, green, bitter fruit and dead branches.
Suppressing HLB and its insect vector ACP involves a holistic approach addressing cultural conditions, fertility and soil health. In the pest-disease triangle the three factors of weather and environmental conditions, the pest and pathogen, and the immune system of the tree are equally important.
Ants create pest problems because they prevent action of insect predators. Without predators, ants have easy access to feed on honeydew producing pests like aphid, whitefly, mealybug, scale, and psyllid.
Managing ants to a low level using a low-risk borate-based bait is important for biocontrol of citrus pests.
Learning Objectives:
1. Citrus greening disease, Huanglongbing, also known as HLB, has been reversed using a combination of cultural methods, microbial inoculants, and foliar nutrients.
2. A perennial cover crop in the understory builds soil life and improves tree health.
3. Insect pests can be managed with timely releases of beneficial insects and insect pathogens.
Ron Whitehurst
Ron Whitehurst, specialist in biological pest control and restoration of agro-ecosystems, consults for farmers, gardeners, consultants and practitioners. He facilitates learning about insect pests and solutions in field, greenhouse, landscape, garden and animal rearing situations. His lively discussions about insect lifecycles and predator-prey relationships make the principles of biocontrol easy to understand for both lay and technical audiences. He is a member of the California Sustainable Pest Management Work Group, working with 25 stakeholders to develop a pathway to a future with less use of toxic pesticides.
Ron is a California licensed Pest Control Advisor and co-owner of Rincon-Vitova Insectaries, Inc. that produces and markets supplies for biological pest control and agroecology. With a BA in biology from Indiana University, Ron early on worked as an organic garden writer, and helped organize an organic grower association. He has been communicating about organic methods of farming and gardening for over 40 years. Since 1997 he has guided people through the steps of creating and biologically managing ecosystems to grow healthy plants to minimize and control pests, using insect habitat, cultural methods, beneficial insects, and soft pesticides when needed. He has led projects for the Dietrick Institute for Applied Insect Ecology, co-located with Rincon-Vitova. An avid gardener, he loves making compost, building soil, and creating bio-intensive food producing landscapes.
