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Citrus (Central Valley)
Year-Round IPM Program
(Reviewed 1/08, updated 9/08)
These practices are recommended for a monitoring-based IPM program
that reduces water and air quality problems related to pesticide
use. Links take you to information on how to monitor pests, forms
to use, and management practices. Track your progress through
the year with the annual checklist form.
Water quality becomes impaired when pesticides move off-site
and into water. Air quality becomes impaired when volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) move into the atmosphere. Each time a pesticide
application is considered, review the Pesticide
Application Checklist at the bottom of this page for information
on how to minimize air and water quality problems.
Note: This program covers major pests of citrus grown
in California's Central Valley. For information on additional
pests or other locations, consult the Citrus Pest Management
Guidelines, IPM
for Citrus manual, or your local farm advisor.
Prebloom activities
(January through March) |
 |
Special
issues of concern related to environmental quality: Drift
and runoff. |
| What should you be doing during this period? |
Monitor California
red scale males using
pheromone-baited sticky traps (March through October),
plus additional methods depending on the situation.
|
|
Look for spider
mites and other
mites.
Manage
if needed according to PMG. |
Look for cottony cushion
scale and predatory vedalia
beetles (March through July).
- Collect and relocate vedalia to cottony cushion scale-infested
orchards if vedalia have not arrived by the end of March.
|
Look for other
pests and their
damage
to fruit or damage
to leaves and twigs, especially:
Manage if needed according to PMG. |
Look for brown garden snail.
- Collect and relocate predatory decollate snails if
they were not previously found in the orchard,
brown garden snail has been a problem, and decollate
introductions are permitted in your county.
Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Look for diseases that cause symptoms
on fruit, leaves
and twigs, and on limbs,
trunks, and roots, especially:
Record the date and location of problem trees or sites. Manage
if needed according to PMG. |
Survey winter weeds.
Identify common winter
broadleaves and grasses.
- Keep records (example
winter weed survey
form—), survey
at least twice annually (during late winter and in summer).
Manage vegetation if needed according to PMG. |
Look for vertebrates,
especially ground
squirrels, pocket
gophers, rabbits, and roof
rats. Manage if needed, according
to PMGs. |
Provide proper cultural
care and good
growing conditions to
improve tree health and fruit yield, including:
- Fertilize if needed.
- Inspect irrigation systems by late winter and irrigate
if rainfall has been insufficient.
- Provide frost
protection when cold threatens.
- Prune
if needed, but only after frost is no longer a threat.
|
Harvest mature fruit in coordination with other management
activities to ensure good postharvest fruit
quality and food safety.
- Educate and supervise workers regarding fruit-handling
Best
Management Practices (BMPs) .
- Inspect fruit quality
before bins are moved from the picking site to identify
grove areas where management practices need improvement.
|
 |
Special
issues of concern related to environmental quality: Drift,
runoff, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). |
| What should you be doing
during this period? |
Monitor California
red scale males
(March through October) plus additional methods depending
on the situation.
|
Look for spider
mites and other
mites.
Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Look for cottony
cushion scale and predatory vedalia beetles.
- Collect and relocate vedalia to cottony cushion scale-infested
orchards if vedalia have not arrived on their own during
April.
|
Look for other
pests and
their damage
to fruit or damage
to leaves and twigs, especially:
Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Look for brown
garden snail.
- Collect and relocate predatory decollate snails if
they were not previously found in the orchard,
brown garden snail has been a problem, and decollate
introductions are permitted in your county.
Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Manage pesticides to avoid
killing honey bees.
|
Look for diseases that cause symptoms
on fruit, leaves
and twigs, and on limbs,
trunks, and roots, especially:
Record the date and location
of problem trees or sites. Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Provide proper cultural
care and good
growing conditions to improve tree health and fruit
yield, including:
- Fertilize if needed.
- Irrigate and adjust scheduling to meet trees’ varying
water needs.
- Prune if needed.
|
Harvest mature fruit in coordination with other management
activities to ensure good postharvest fruit
quality and food safety.
- Educate and supervise workers regarding fruit-handling Best
Management Practices (BMPs) .
- Inspect fruit quality before bins are moved from the
picking site to identify grove areas where management
practices need improvement.
|
Petal fall activities
(late April through May) |
 |
Special
issues of concern related to environmental quality: Drift,
runoff, volatile organic compounds (VOCs). |
| What should you be doing during this period? |
Monitor fruit for immature citrus
thrips (late April through June, or through October
on lemon).
Manage if needed according to PMG. |
Monitor California
red scale males using pheromone-baited sticky traps
(March through October), plus additional methods depending
on the situation.
|
Look for spider
mites and other
mites.
Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Monitor cottony cushion
scale (May) to see if the vedalia beetle is providing
biological control. It is too late to relocate vedalia.
- If threshold is exceeded, manage later according to
PMG.
|
|
Examine twigs for citricola
scale females to alert you
whether management later may be needed.
|
|
Look for other pests and
their damage especially:
| |
Other pests:
- Ants, including fire
ants and gray ants
|
Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Look for brown garden snail.
- Heading into warm weather and relocation of decollates
is not advised.
- Manage if needed according to
PMG.
|
Look for diseases that cause symptoms
on fruit, leaves
and twigs, and on limbs,
trunks, and roots, especially:
Record the date and location
of problem trees or sites. Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Survey weeds. Manage
vegetation if needed according to PMG. |
Look for vertebrates,
especially ground
squirrels, pocket gophers, rabbits, and roof rats.
Manage if needed. |
Provide proper cultural
care and good
growing conditions to improve tree health and fruit
yield, including:
- Fertilize if needed.
- Irrigate and adjust scheduling to meet trees’ varying
water needs.
- Prune if needed, such as removing dead twigs and branches
to reduce bacterial blast (citrus blast) inoculum.
|
Determine whether application of plant
growth regulator1
is warranted, such as in mandarins. |
Harvest mature fruit in coordination with other management
activities to ensure good postharvest fruit
quality and food safety.
- Educate and supervise workers regarding fruit-handling Best
Management Practices (BMPs) .
- Inspect fruit quality before bins are moved from the
picking site to identify grove areas where management
practices need improvement.
|
Fruit development
period (June through September) |
 |
Special
issues of concern related to environmental quality:
Drift, runoff, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). |
| What should you be doing during this period? |
Monitor California
red scale males using pheromone-baited sticky traps,
plus additional methods depending on the situation.
|
|
Monitor fruit for immature citrus
thrips (late April through
June).
Manage if needed
according to PMG. |
Monitor leaves for citricola
scale nymphs (August-September).
Manage if needed according to PMG. |
If monitoring for cottony
cushion scale adult females in
May showed that the threshold was exceeded, manage according
to PMG.
|
Look for citrus peelminer and
examine fruit for its damage.
- If susceptible variety of citrus, manage according
to PMG.
|
Monitor (August through November) for bean
thrips in navel oranges that
may be exported to Australia.
Plan ahead by ordering monitoring traps.
|
Look for other
pests and
their damage
to fruit or damage
to leaves and twigs, especially:
Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Look for diseases that cause symptoms
on fruit, leaves
and twigs, and on limbs,
trunks, and roots, especially:
Record the date and location
of problem trees or sites. Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Survey summer weeds. Identify common summer
broadleaves and grasses
and sedges.
Manage vegetation if needed according to PMG. |
| Look for vertebrates,
especially ground
squirrels, pocket gophers, rabbits, and roof
rats. Manage
if needed. |
Provide proper cultural
care and good
growing conditions to improve tree health and fruit
yield, including:
-
Sample leaf nutrient levels at least once mid-August
through October. Fertilize if needed.
- Irrigate and adjust scheduling to meet trees’ varying
water needs.
- Prune if needed.
|
Fall activities (October
through December) |
 |
Special
issues of concern related to environmental quality: Drift,
runoff, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). |
| What should you be doing during this period? |
Monitor California
red scale males using pheromone-baited sticky traps
(March through October), plus additional methods depending
on the situation.
|
|
Monitor (August through November) for bean
thrips in navel oranges that
may be exported to Australia.
|
Look for citrus leafminer (June through November) and
citrus peelminer. Manage if needed according to PMG. |
Look for other pests and their damage
to fruit or damage
to leaves and twigs, especially:
Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
Look for diseases that cause symptoms
on fruit, leaves
and twigs, and on limbs,
trunks, and roots, especially:
Record the date and location
of problem trees or sites. Manage if needed according to
PMG. |
| Survey weeds. Manage vegetation if needed according to
PMG. |
Determine whether preventive application of certain
materials are warranted including:
- Fruit rot, rind disorder, and twig blight (bacterial
blast) protectants for diseases listed above.
- Plant growth regulator to reduce fruit drop.
- Whitewash to preserve fruit quality and to reduce fruit
drop and sunburn.
Treat1 if warranted according to PMG. |
Provide proper cultural
care and good
growing conditions to improve tree health and fruit yield, including:
- Sample leaf nutrient levels at least once mid-August
through October.
- Fertilize if needed.
- Irrigate and adjust scheduling to meet trees’ varying
water needs.
- Provide frost
protection when cold threatens.
|
Harvest mature fruit in coordination with other management
activities to ensure good postharvest fruit
quality and food safety.
- Educate and supervise workers regarding fruit-handling Best
Management Practices (BMPs) .
- Inspect fruit quality before bins are moved from the
picking site to identify grove areas where management
practices need improvement.
|
Pesticide application checklist |
|
When planning for possible pesticide applications in an
IPM program, review and complete this checklist to consider
practices that minimize environmental and efficacy problems.
- Choose a pesticide from the UC IPM Pest
Management Guidelines for the target pest considering:
- Select an alternative chemical or nonchemical
treatment when risk is high.
- Choose sprayers and
application procedures that keep pesticides on
target.
- Identify and take special
care to protect sensitive areas (for example, waterways
or riparian areas) surrounding your application
site.
- Review and follow label for pesticide handling,
storage, and disposal guidelines.
- Check and follow restricted entry
intervals (REI) and preharvest intervals (PHI).
- After an application is made, record application
date, product used, rate, and location of application.
Follow up to confirm that treatment was effective.
- Consider water
management practices that reduce
pesticide movement off-site:
- Install an irrigation recirculation
or storage and reuse system.
- Use drip rather than sprinkler or flood
irrigation.
- Limit irrigation to amount required
using soil moisture monitoring and evapotranspiration
(ET).
- Consider vegetative
filter strips or
ditches.
- Redesign inlets into tailwater
ditches to reduce erosion.
Ditches should not be lower than furrows.
- Consider management practices
that reduce air quality problems.
- When possible, choose pesticides that
are not in emulsifiable concentrate (EC) form which
release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs react
with sunlight to form ozone, a major air pollutant.
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