MOBILE, Ala. (NBC 15) — Citrus canker, a federal and state regulated plant disease, has been detected in Baldwin and Mobile Counties. As required by federal law, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) has established a citrus canker quarantine for the two counties.
The Auburn University Plant Pathology Lab confirmed the first detection from foliage and fruit samples collected during ADAI’s routine citrus survey. Citrus canker is a highly contagious bacterial disease of citrus, caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xac), and spreads primarily through wind-driven rain, flooding, overhead irrigation, and the human movement of infected plant material or contaminated tools and equipment.
“Citrus canker is a serious disease of citrus that has decimated the industry in Florida,” said Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries Commissioner Rick Pate. “We must remain vigilant to contain the spread and protect citrus in Alabama.”…