UF/IFAS scientists advise “Don’t give ACP a “free pass” in March;” see recommended steps for Asian citrus psyllid management.
“This winter’s hard freeze may have knocked back visible Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) activity, but research shows the pest is not reliably eliminated by the cold,” advised a UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article, citing research that showed ACP could survive temperatures as cold as 21 degrees and ACP eggs could survive down to 8 degrees. The article shared recommendations for Asian citrus psyllid management for march after the freeze event in late January. See the recommendations below.
Asian Citrus Psyllid Management Recommendations
The article shared the following recommendations for Asian citrus psyllid management in March:
- “If you made a dormant spray: great. The goal is to reduce overwintering adults before bud break and before spring flush drives population growth. Florida field research showed a single mid-January dormant spray (Jan. 15) can suppress ACP populations for approximately five to six months compared with blocks that don’t get such a spray.”
- “Scout for fresh flush (the engine that drives ACP increase).”
- “Treat only when flush is present and ACP are found. If you find psyllids on the new flush and a treatment is needed, choose a broad-spectrum material like a pyrethroid (e.g., Danitol 2.4 EC or Mustang) or organophosphate (e.g., dimethoate or Imidan 70-W), and rotate modes of action to slow resistance.”
- “Typically, the colder months are a good time to make a broad-spectrum spray because natural enemies of psyllids are not abundant and it will cause less harm than it would be during the warmer months.”
- “The bottom line is that the freeze slowed ACP, but it didn’t eliminate it. If you didn’t get a dormant spray in earlier, a pre-bloom spray is your chance to prevent a rapid spring rebound.”
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