SAN DIEGO—The California Department of Food and Agriculture declared a citrus quarantine in a 95-square-mile area of Rancho Bernardo Feb. 7 after detecting a potentially threatening citrus tree disease during routine inspections.
The disease, known as Huanglongbing, is a major threat to San Diego’s $115 million annual citrus crop, county officials said. Trees infected with bacterial disease can produce misshapen and bitter fruit, and the disease can eventually kill the tree.
The quarantine announced Tuesday comes after the disease was found in a residential lime tree in the area and is in addition to the existing quarantine in the city of Oceanside. It covers the area bordered on the north by the intersection of Interstate 15 and Auto Park Way; to the south by Poway Road; to the west by Via De Las Flores; and to the east by Lake Ramona….