Sonoma County is working to fight European grapevine moths.
A thousand acres in Sonoma Valley have been quarantined when three moths were found west of Calistoga. Investigators said the damage from the pest will not be known until May or June. The insect itself does not spread quickly by itself, but it moves with infected fruit and plants. It can also spread when farm equipment moves and the insect is attached to the equipment. The quarantine is intended to prevent any further infestations. Farmers are also fighting damages by applying fungicides to the vineyards.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is also researching citrus plants to find ways to fight a disease that is currently threatening a number of citrus plants across Florida and could make its way to California.
Researchers are working with periwinkle plants to find ways to fight HLB or citrus greening. Field trials are underway in California because although the disease has not been found, the insect that carries the disease has.
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