Epidemiology and management of anthracnose dieback and Alternaria Rot in California Citrus

The end users of the outcomes of this project will be the citrus growers of the San Joaquin Valley of California, orchard managers, pest control advisers (PCA), citrus industry personnel in general, and UC farm advisors who make extension presentations and give recommendations to citrus growers. In general, citrus growers will benefit from providing to the market high quality marketable fruit. Reducing losses of fruit and fruit-productive wood by controlling these diseases will result in high yields of good looking fruit, making growers more competitive in domestic and international markets. Growers and pest control advisers (PCA) will also decide whether one or more fungicide sprays are needed, thus reducing the impact on resistance of these pathogens (Alternaria and Colletotrichum) to fungicides. Sanitation will be a practice for disease management applicable to organic citrus production. Developed disease management approaches are used by growers year after year until new approaches are developed, or when pest resistance necessitates the development of alternative programs, rotations, and new ways for the control of these diseases.