DPI's Bureau of Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology (the Botany section is included in this bureau) produces TRI-OLOGY six times a year, covering two months of activity in each issue. The report includes detection activities from nursery plant inspections, routine and emergency program surveys, and requests for identification of plants and pests from the public. Samples are also occasionally sent from other states or countries for identification or diagnosis.
Section Reports
Our Mission…getting it done
The mission of the Division of Plant Industry is to protect Florida’s native and commercially grown plants and the State’s apiary industry from harmful pests and diseases. To carry out that mission, our five bureaus employ over 600 scientists, environmental specialists, agricultural and laboratory technicians along with administrative and support staff. Perhaps you’d be interested in some of the things these bureaus do.
- Methods Development and Biological Control – develops biological control programs, carries out technology transfer projects and issues permits for biomass crops.
- Citrus Budwood Registration - oversees budwood certification in Florida’s commercial citrus nurseries to prevent the spread of diseases and pests when trees are grafted and provides certified citrus budwood to the industry.
- Pest Eradication and Control - assists in detecting and eradicating or controlling plant pests and diseases, particularly those affecting citrus, after they have been introduced.
- Plant and Apiary Inspection - conducts regular inspections and surveys for the early detection of plant and honeybee pests. Any person selling or distributing nursery stock or maintaining an apiary must be registered with and inspected by this bureau.
- Entomology, Nematology and Plant Pathology - in addition to bringing you Tri-ology, this bureau includes scientists, technicians and support staff working to identify plant pests and their hosts.
- Along with the bureaus, DPI’s administrative team directs the activities of DPI; carries out data processing, human resources, training, fiscal and maintenance responsibilities; and provides public information through videos, printed material, web sites and a telephone help line.
- DPI also participates in collaborative programs with the USDA and plant industries to protect Florida’s plant resources. For example, staff of the Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspection, along with their federal counterparts, check for exotic insects in over 60,000 traps throughout the state. Two other such projects are:
- Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Program (CAPS) - a combined effort by state and federal agricultural agencies to survey plant pests.
- Citrus Health Response Program (CHRP) - a collaboration among the citrus industry, USDA and DPI to limit the impact of citrus diseases.
- Next time. . . a year’s end review of major pests in 2009.
We welcome your comments and suggestions for improvement of TRI-OLOGY. Please feel free to contact me or Dr. Patti Anderson
Wayne N. Dixon, Ph.D., editor
Assistant Director, DPI
Highlights
Following are a few of the notable entries from this volume of TRI-OLOGY. These entries are reports of interesting plants or unusual pests, some of which may be problematic. See Section Reports for complete information.
Hybanthus linearifolius (chancleta)
Photograph courtesy of Roger L. Hammer, Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Hybanthus linearifolius (chancleta) appeared in South Florida within the last decade, and now this exotic species is established and spreading. It is currently restricted to Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, with no indication that it will become a noxious weed, but it should be carefully monitored. This herbaceous perennial, native to the West Indies, is called “chancleta.” In Puerto Rico, chancleta means “thongs” or “flip-flops.” The flowers do bear a fanciful resemblance to tiny flip-flops.
Passion fruit woodiness virus (potyvirus) a State record, was found on Passiflora choconiana (passionflower) at a nursery in Broward County. Symptoms are variable and include problems such as misshapen fruit and chlorotic, mottled or puckered foliage, in addition to the woodiness in fruit for which the virus is named. This virus, found for the first time in the state, has the potential to become a serious pest for the passion fruit industry.
Sugar beet tap root heavily galled by Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica
Photograph courtesy of Mariana P. Beckman, DPI
Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica are the most damaging root-knot nematode species for Beta vulgaris (sugar beet) in Florida, although sugar beets are parasitized by many other nematode species. These two root-knot nematodes induce large galls, necrosis and the proliferation of small fine feeder roots that are also significantly galled. The distorted and malformed taproots that results from root-knot nematode infection are neither palatable nor marketable.
Guazuma ulmifolia (West Indian elm) foliage and fruit
Photograph and copyright courtesy of Daniel Atha and The New York Botanical Garden
Aceria guazumae (eriophyid mite), a State record, was collected on Guazuma ulmifolia (bastard cedar, West Indian elm, chicharron) from a residence in Hialeah. Aceria guazumae, originally described as Eriophyes guazumae by Cook in 1906, was collected from a Guazuma sp. in Cuba. No other gall forming eriophyids have been reported from Guazuma.
Drosophila suzukii (spotted wing Drosophila) was first detected in Florida in August 2009. Since that State record, a cumulative 35 specimens of this fly have been detected at 19 sites in the northern half of Hillsborough County, including sites in Tampa and near numerous strawberry production areas. The present concern is that the numbers and distribution of this fly will increase greatly with the advent of cooler weather, threatening winter and spring strawberry and blueberry crops. See the DPI Pest Alert.
Sitophilus rugicollis (Taiwan mangrove weevil), a species of potential concern, was collected at a nursery in Apopka on Rhizophora propagules from Thailand. The fact that this weevil is breeding in mangrove propagules is cause for concern because mangroves are important constituents of Florida’s coastal ecosystem.
Patti J. Anderson, Ph.D., managing editor
Wayne N. Dixon, Ph.D., editor
Acknowledgements:
The editors would like to acknowledge the work of all those who contributed information and explanations by providing data, photographs or text and by carefully reading early drafts. We also thank Scott Weinberg for his skillful use of web authoring tools to produce this report.
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry
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