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Agriculture Press Release |
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March 2, 1999 Crawford Schedules Training to Detect Canker "One of the Departments ongoing goals is to educate the citrus industry in quickly recognizing citrus canker symptoms on trees and fruit, so that grove managers and others who work daily with citrus can help us detect and then eliminate canker as soon as possible," Crawford said. Three classes have been scheduled during the next two months to train attendees to recognize citrus canker symptoms on trees and fruit, as well as gain an understanding of the diseases importance in Florida agriculture. Successful completion of the course leads to certification by the Department as an official scout for survey and detection efforts. Two training classes have already been conducted in the last four weeks, with more than 220 people attending. The course lasts 2.5 hours and is taught primarily by plant pathologists and other scientists. Completion of the course also is worth 2.5 hours of Continuing Education Credit for attendees who hold a pesticide applicator license. The next class will be held March 4, 1999, in Fort Pierce at the Indian River Research and Education Center Auditorium, 2199 S. Rock Road (561/468-3922). Two more classes will follow: one in Arcadia on March 25 at the Family Service Center Annex, 310 W. Whidden Street (941/993-1333); and one in Bradenton on April 22 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, 5007 60th Street East (941/751-7636). The training course was developed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Agricultural Research Service, and the University of Floridas Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Citrus canker is a plant disease that is not harmful to humans or animals. It spreads rapidly, producing premature fruit drop, and leaf, stem and fruit lesions. The only known way of eradicating the disease is destruction of infected trees. -30- For more information: Dr. Wayne Dixon |
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