Citrus

Citrus Australia represents the biosecurity interests of citrus producers and the industry. They are members of Plant Health Australia and signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. Their responsibilities include:

  • biosecurity planning and implementation at the national and farm levels
  • liaising with federal and state governments on trade issues
  • funding and supporting biosecurity initiatives
  • participating in national committees and response efforts in an emergency.

Industry overview

The citrus industry is Australia’s largest fresh fruit exporting industry by volume, with major export markets in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, the United States and Thailand.

Citrus fruits are grown commercially throughout the Australian mainland excluding the Australian Capital Territory. Major growing areas include the Riverina in New South Wales; Central Burnett, Central Highlands and the far north of Queensland; Riverland in South Australia; the Murray Valley in Victoria–New South Wales and the Midlands and south-west of Western Australia. There are a small number of commercial orchards in Darwin and the Katherine region of the Northern Territory.

The National Citrus Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy has been developed to provide a framework for national coordination and implementation of surveillance activities carried out by government and industry for exotic citrus pests and pests of market access concern.

The strategy's four Goals and twelve Actions form the basis of an implementation plan. The Actions aim to strengthen national surveillance efforts to detect incursions of exotic citrus pests and improve the understanding of pest status to support access to markets.

Download the strategy


The principles of the National Citrus Biosecurity Surveillance Strategy are to maximise efficiencies of surveillance efforts by integrating and connecting surveillance amongst stakeholders. This integration will include development and use of diagnostic tools and triage networks, and surveillance which combines crop monitoring for established pests of production concern with surveillance for high priority exotic pests.

There are four program areas:

  1. Improved partnerships through coordination and collaboration
  2. Enhanced capability and capacity to undertake citrus biosecurity surveillance
  3. Smart surveillance through risk assessment, tools and diagnostics to support detection of citrus pests
  4. Improved capture and analysis of citrus pest surveillance data.

Download the Implementation Plan


The Exotic Pest Identification and Surveillance Guide for Tropical Horticulture was developed with funding from the Australia Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

Inspecting crops for signs of new pests is one way growers can protect Australia’s plant industries from exotic pests, as early detection and reporting improves the chances of successfully containing or eradicating new pests. The guide is in two sections:
• Biosecurity and surveillance
• Identification of key exotic pests.

 

Citrus industry biosecurity plan

Biosecurity planning provides a mechanism for the citrus industry, government and other relevant stakeholders to assess current biosecurity practices and future biosecurity needs. Biosecurity planning identifies procedures that can be put in place to reduce the chance of pests reaching our borders or minimise the impact if a pest incursion occurs.

The Industry Biosecurity Plan for the Citrus Industry outlines key threats to the industry, risk mitigation plans, identification and categorisation of exotic pests and contingency plans. For a copy, please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email biosecurity@phau.com.au


Biosecurity Manual for Citrus ProducersThe Biosecurity Manual for Citrus Producers contains information to help producers to implement biosecurity on-farm. Manuals usually contain an overview of biosecurity, fact sheets to identify the high priority pests of a crop, tips on crop management, and how to manage people, vehicles and equipment to minimise biosecurity risks. Manuals also contain a biosecurity self-assessment list, and templates to record pest surveillance records and visitors.

More information about on-farm biosecurity for both plant and livestock producers is available from the Farm Biosecurity website.


Citrus PostcardPostcard

Promotional item to support the exotic plant pest hotline 1800 084 881

Exotic pests (not in Australia)

The following is a list of high priority exotic pests of citrus. These pests were identified during the development of the Industry Biosecurity Plan for the Citrus Industry in consultation with industry, government and scientists. They have been assessed as high priority pests based on their potential to enter, establish, and spread in Australia (eg environmental factors, host range, vectors) and the cost to industry of control measures.

PHA has a range of fact sheets, contingency plans and diagnostic protocols relevant to these pests. Pest risk review documents are also available for some pests. Please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email biosecurity@phau.com.au for more information.

Endorsed National Diagnostic Protocols are available from the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network webpage.

Common name Scientific name EPPRD Category Fact sheet Contingency plan Diagnostic protocol
African citrus psyllid Trioza erytreae FS CP
Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri 3 FS CP
Bean thrips Caliothrips fasciatus FS
Carambola fruit fly Bactrocera carambolae FS FS FS FS DP DP
Citrus canker Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri 2 FS DP
Citrus fruit borer Citripestis sagittiferella FS
Citrus leprosis disease Citrus leprosis virus (Unassigned)
Fruit fly (Bactrocera invadens) Bactrocera invadens DP
Fruit fly (Bactrocera occipitalis) Bactrocera occipitalis FS DP DP
Glassy-winged sharpshooter Homalodisca vitripennis FS FS FS FS FS FS FS CP CP DP
Huanglongbing/citrus greening (African strain) Candidatus Liberibacter africanus FS CPDP
Huanglongbing/citrus greening (American strain) Candidatus Liberibacter americanus FS CPDP
Huanglongbing/citrus greening (Asiatic strain) Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus 2 FS CPDP
Mandarin stem-pitting Citrus tristeza virus (Closterovirus) (mandarin stem-pitting strain) FS
Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens FS DP
New Guinea fruit fly Bactrocera trivialis 3 FS FS DP DP
Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis 2 FS FS FS FS FS FS FS DP DP
Sri Lankan fruit fly Bactrocera kandiensis DP DP
Stubborn Spiroplasma citri FS
Xylella fastidiosa Xylella fastidiosa including X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex and pauca 2 FS FS FS FS FS FS CP CPDP

Other pests

The following is a list of documents for other exotic and endemic pests of the citrus industry. Please note that this is not a complete list of pests: rather it includes pests for which documents exist in the Pest Information Document Database.

Some of the documents presented here are not tailored to the citrus industry and are included for information only.

Common name Scientific name EPPRD Category Fact sheet Contingency plan Diagnostic protocol
Blossom thrips Frankliniella insularis FS
Blue-striped nettle grub Parasa lepida FS
California citrus thrips Scirtothrips citri FS
Caribbean fruit fly Anastrepha suspensa FS DP
Citrus blackfly Aleurocanthus woglumi FS
Citrus longicorn beetle Anoplophora chinensis FS CP
Coconut bug Amblypelta cocophaga FS
Exotic thrips Caliothrips, Frankliniella and Scirtothrips genera FS
False codling moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta syn Cryptophlebia leucotreta 2 FS CP
Fijian fruit fly Bactrocera passiflorae FS DP
Florida flower thrips Frankliniella bispinosa FS
Mal secco Phoma tracheiphila 3 FS
Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata FS DP
Melon fruit fly Zeugodacus cucurbitae FS DP
Navel orangeworm Amyelois transitella 3 FS
Omnivorous leaf roller Platynota stultana FS
Orange tortrix Argyrotaenia citrana syn A. franciscana FS
Pacific spider mite Tetranychus pacificus FS
Papaya mealy bug Paracoccus marginatus FS CP
Peach fruit fly Bactrocera zonata FS DP
Queensland fruit fly Bactrocera tryoni FS DP
South African citrus thrips Scirtothrips aurantii 3 FS
Strawberry spider mite Tetranychus turkestani FS
Elsinoe scab Elsinoe australis and E. eelemani FS
Texas root rot Phymatotrichopsis omnivora (syn Phymatotrichum omnivorum) 2 FS FS