Adult beet leafhopper image via California Department of Food and Agriculture

Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue has declared an emergency due to the beet curly top virus, allowing growers to use restricted pesticides to fight the spread of the crop disease.

The declaration allows for neonicotinoid pesticides to be applied to crops susceptible to the beet leafhopper (BLH), the vector of beet curly top virus, a disease known to cause serious crop damage.

The local emergency is currently in effect, ratified by the Madera County Board of Supervisors, on June 10, and remains thereafter, according to a news release.

This local emergency declaration is response to increases in populations of BLH in the wildland and agricultural land in Madera.

The virus causes significant damage to sugar beets, tomatoes, spinach, melons, hemp, peppers, and other economically critical crops in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico and Utah, according to state officials.

The neonicotinoid regulatory package went into effect in 2024, restricting uses of neonicotinoid pesticides on various crop groups. The local declaration supersedes these regulations, according to the release.

The emergency declaration is in effect for 60 days from the board ratification, after which it will be reviewed by the sheriff and the board of supervisors to determine whether to continue the emergency or terminate it.