Pest Management: GIS helped in combatting the Asian Citrus Psyllid in Tulare County

Tulare County, California, faced a severe agricultural crisis due to the invasive Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP), a pest known to spread the fatal Huanglongbing (HLB) disease in citrus trees. To address this threat, the county transitioned from an inefficient, paper-based survey system to an advanced GIS Cloud solution that streamlined data collection, monitoring, and intervention.

Field teams deployed Mobile Data Collection (MDC) to capture real-time data on potential host trees, traps, and pest activity. The Statewide Trapping Grid (STG) system, integrated with GIS Cloud’s Map Editor, divided areas into labelled subgrids for systematic field operations. Custom surveys created with Forms Manager enabled teams to log detailed information, including trap types, activity actions, host tree characteristics, and photographic evidence, directly onto the map.

This digital transformation enabled centralized oversight, with project leads accessing real-time updates, classifying data by status, and making informed decisions to coordinate pest control efforts effectively.