A citrus disease recently discovered in Texas has traveled to Louisiana, and LSU Ag Center officials are informing people about the disease.
“We don’t want to cause undue alarm, but we do want people to be aware of it,” AgCenter plant pathologist Don Ferrin said in a news release. “It was a pretty good year for scab to develop on unsprayed trees, and it would be quite noticeable if it’s present ”
The “sweet orange scab” was found in Louisiana on samples from a residential lime tree in Algiers in Orleans Parish, and officials confirmed its presence Aug. 20.
“If you find scab on citrus, contact your LSU AgCenter parish office,” Ferrin said.
The disease affects plants during the first six to eight weeks of growing and “need to be protected then.” Homeowners may use copper-based fungicides to fight the disease.
Ferrin said in the release the scab “presents little problem,” as it is mostly cosmetic, but infected fruit is more difficult to sell.
 
—-Contact Nicholas Persac at [email protected]