Sampling Guidelines and Recommendations for Submitting Samples for Diagnosing Laurel Wilt in Avocado Trees (Persea americana L.)

Jonathan Crane , Romina Gazis, Jeff Wasielewski, Daniel Carrillo, Bruce Schaffer, Fredy Ballen, andEdward Evans

Release Date: 12/6/2020

Reviewed At: 11/9/2023

DOI: 10.32473/edis-hs1394-2020

Agriculture

Abstract

Laurel wilt (LW) is a vascular disease caused by a fungal pathogen, Raffaelea lauricola, which is transmitted to avocado trees by several ambrosia beetle species or through root grafts among adjacent avocado trees. Laurel wilt is a highly destructive disease that ultimately results in tree death; therefore, early detection and tree removal to prevent its spread is recommended. Diseased or symptomatic trees are best identified by continuous and regular grove scouting, which should be a normal grove management activity. This may go a long way to manage the disease and remain in business.

About this Publication

This document is HS1394, one of a series of the Horticultural Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date November 2020. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

How to Cite

Crane, J. H., Gazis, R., Wasielewski, J., Carrillo, D., Schaffer, B., Ballen, F., & Evans, E. A. (2020). Sampling Guidelines and Recommendations for Submitting Samples for Diagnosing Laurel Wilt in Avocado Trees (Persea americana L.). EDIS, 2020(6). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-hs1394-2020

Authors

Jonathan Crane

Contact

Specialist

University of Florida

professor emeritus, tropical fruit crop specialist, Department of Horticultural Sciences, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL

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Romina Gazis

Specialist

University of Florida

associate professor, Department of Plant Pathology, and director, Plant Diagnostic Clinic, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center

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Jeff Wasielewski

County agent

University of Florida

Extension agent II, commercial tropical fruit crops, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County

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Daniel Carrillo

Specialist

University of Florida

professor, tropical fruit entomology, Department of Entomology and Nematology, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL

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Bruce Schaffer

Specialist

University of Florida

professor, ecophysiology of subtropical and tropical horticultural crops, Department of Horticultural Sciences, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL

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Fredy Ballen

staff

University of Florida

data management analyst II, agricultural economics, Department of Food and Resource Economics, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center

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Edward Evans

Specialist

University of Florida

professor, Department of Food and Resource Economics, and center director, UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center

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Publication #HS1394