Citrus Huanglongbing and Asian Citrus Psyllid in panhandle Florida: Issued Feb 14th, 2017: IFAS alerts for Florida panhandle was issued by Fanny Iriarte, Mathews Paret, Xavier Martini and Pete Anderson, University of Florida in collaboration with CREC - Lake Alfred and DPI-FDACS. Citrus Huanglongbing, is a major disease of citrus in Florida, however was not detected in panhandle Florida until recently. The disease caused by the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus was confirmed in Franklin county by the plant pathology lab at NFREC - Quincy and further confirmed by the Division of Plant Industry - FDACS lab at Gainesville. Also, asian citrus psyllid, the insect vector of the bacterium was also discovered in a separate location in the Florida panhandle by the entomology lab at NFREC.

Boxwood blight in Florida: Issued May 18th, 2015 & updated Mar 4th, 2016: IFAS disease alert for extension agents in Florida and is issued by Fanny Iriarte and Mathews Paret, University of Florida and Tim Schubert & David Davison, Division of Plant Industry - FDACS. Click on the picture to the left to see details of IFAS Disease AlertBoxwood blight, is a major disease of boxwoods in the U.S and was discovered at a commercial nursery in April 2015 by the plant pathology lab at NFREC - Quincy and confirmed by the Division of Plant Industry - FDACS lab at Gainesville. The disease is caused by the fungus Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum or C. buxicola.

Rose rosette disease in Florida: Issued January 15th, 2014: IFAS pest alert for extension agents in Florida issued by Mathews Paret and Binoy Babu, University of Florida and Tim Schubert and Carlye Baker, Division of Plant Industry- FDACS. Click on the pictures to the left to see details of IFAS disease alert and FDACS Disease Alert.Rose Rosette Disease, a disease of major economic relevance to the rose industry in Florida was discovered for the first time in November 2013 by the plant pathology lab at NFREC - Quincy and further confirmed by the Division of Plant Industry - FDACS lab at Gainesville. The disease is caused by Rose rosette virus (RRV), an Emaravirus and is known to be vectored by the eriophyid mite Phyllocoptes fructiphilus Keifer. (The mite species is not known to be present in Florida).

NFREC and the Plant Pathology Department

2023

First report of Phyllocoptes fructiphilus, the vector of Rose rosette virus in Florida. IFAS alert for Florida was issued by Xavier Martini, Austin Fife, Gary Knox and Mathews Paret, University of Florida. The eriophyid mite P. fructiphilus is the vector of Rose rosette virus (RRV), a lethal emaravirus identified as the causal agent of the devastating Rose Rosette Disease (RRD). In July 2019, P. fructiphilus was collected for the first time in Florida from landscape roses in Leon County from non-symptomatic roses. This new confirmation of the presence of P. fructiphilus in the landscape is critical and warrants continued monitoring of the mite in Florida. (RRD is currently not present in Florida). Link to further information in IFAS blog