Little Beetle is Big Problem for Avocado Growers

Researchers at the North Carolina State are focusing their attention on the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus), an invasive insect that threatens the US $30 million avocado industry of southeast Florida. First detected in the United States near Georgia in 2002, the beetle has been moving through the state since 2004, causing widespread death of redbay (Persea borbonia) trees. The female beetle carries spores of the laurel wilt-causing fungus in its body, a food source for adult beetles and their larvae. When the beetles bore into the sapwood of a host tree, the fungus germinates, plugs the water-conducting cells of an affected tree and causes it to wilt. The biggest problem for scientists is that it's difficult to tell a tree has been infested until it begins dying.

According to scientists monitoring the geographical movement of invasive species, the beetle continues its journey south. “The worry is that as the beetle continues to spread down the coast, it will begin to affect avocado trees, which belong to the same genus as redbay trees,” says Frank Koch, NC State researcher. Koch is part of a team that hopes to devise a plan in case the beetle moves to southwest Miami, as they predict. The team is trying to figure out if they can protect avocado trees with fungicides. These fungicides, however, are costly and might affect the marketability of fruits.

Read the complete article at http://news.ncsu.edu/news/2009/02/redbaybeetle.php